Comments on: North Korea’s engagement with the world http://www.froginawell.net/korea/2009/01/north-koreas-engagement-with-the-world/ The Korea History Group Blog Sun, 16 Oct 2011 01:29:23 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: hongkyongnae http://www.froginawell.net/korea/2009/01/north-koreas-engagement-with-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-66656 hongkyongnae Sun, 01 Mar 2009 22:19:38 +0000 http://www.froginawell.net/korea/?p=311#comment-66656 i am not sure how the analysis above provides readers with new insights either on NK or on the "western" discourses on NK. indeed, it seems to "refresh" existing narratives of NK by including a new way to feel sorry/loath/pity/feel better than NK. now NK is not merely communist, they dont seem to be communist enough. they are instead, fascist. (by the way, what you cite for juche is a strawfigure. communism, to which juche can lay some claim, is NOT related to fascism. theoreticaly, western capitalism is closer to fascism than communism. my freshman make the similar error simply lumping all evils into one nasty basket.) looks like a case damned if they do, and damned if they dont...and the only solution seems to be having them resemble the US ideals a bit more. if only they were not themselves... i have seen a few of your other writings and they were fine. this piece falls short of critically analyzing existing discourses on NK. i am not sure why you wrote it. i am not sure how the analysis above provides readers with new insights either on NK or on the “western” discourses on NK.

indeed, it seems to “refresh” existing narratives of NK by including a new way to feel sorry/loath/pity/feel better than NK. now NK is not merely communist, they dont seem to be communist enough. they are instead, fascist. (by the way, what you cite for juche is a strawfigure. communism, to which juche can lay some claim, is NOT related to fascism. theoreticaly, western capitalism is closer to fascism than communism. my freshman make the similar error simply lumping all evils into one nasty basket.)

looks like a case damned if they do, and damned if they dont…and the only solution seems to be having them resemble the US ideals a bit more.

if only they were not themselves…

i have seen a few of your other writings and they were fine. this piece falls short of critically analyzing existing discourses on NK. i am not sure why you wrote it.

]]> By: Karlo http://www.froginawell.net/korea/2009/01/north-koreas-engagement-with-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-66587 Karlo Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:59:46 +0000 http://www.froginawell.net/korea/?p=311#comment-66587 My guess is that someone who started advocating Marxism in North Korea would promptly get arrested and tortured. I don't know if the label "fascist" is very informative except for highlighting North Korea's nationalism. NK is an odd mixture of modern totalitarianism with pre-modern East-Asian monarchy. As for "North Koreans in London," I suspect that most of these people are not from North Korea at all but are ethnic Koreans from China. My guess is that someone who started advocating Marxism in North Korea would promptly get
arrested and tortured. I don’t know if the label “fascist” is very informative except
for highlighting North Korea’s nationalism. NK is an
odd mixture of modern totalitarianism with pre-modern East-Asian monarchy. As for “North
Koreans in London,” I suspect that most of these people are not from North Korea at all
but are ethnic Koreans from China.

]]> By: Sperwer http://www.froginawell.net/korea/2009/01/north-koreas-engagement-with-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-66578 Sperwer Thu, 19 Feb 2009 02:26:47 +0000 http://www.froginawell.net/korea/?p=311#comment-66578 Lerner is on the right track in seeing through the mystifying gibberish of juche to some of the operative principles of the Nork state., and you are spot-on in labelling the phenomenon "fascist". Brian Myers has also provided some more detailed deconstruction of juche as a mask for fascisdm, and similarly detailed arguments for regarding the Nork state, despite its soviet sponsorship (and contra Pohl) as genuinely fascist rather than communist. Lerner is on the right track in seeing through the mystifying gibberish of juche to some of the operative principles of the Nork state., and you are spot-on in labelling the phenomenon “fascist”. Brian Myers has also provided some more detailed deconstruction of juche as a mask for fascisdm, and similarly detailed arguments for regarding the Nork state, despite its soviet sponsorship (and contra Pohl) as genuinely fascist rather than communist.

]]> By: Jonathan Dresner http://www.froginawell.net/korea/2009/01/north-koreas-engagement-with-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-66360 Jonathan Dresner Sat, 07 Feb 2009 16:28:22 +0000 http://www.froginawell.net/korea/?p=311#comment-66360 I think we're having a definitional problem. You're right that North Korea was created with Stalinism as the model, but I think that the emphasis on <i>juche</i> nationalism and the monopolization of premiership by the Kim family have clearly moved it away from any recognizable communist model. You're right that "authoritarianism and nationalism are not unique to fascism or lacking in communist regimes" but the degree to which they dominate in North Korea gives me a strong case that they have moved well away from the leftist side of the totalitarian spectrum. I think we’re having a definitional problem. You’re right that North Korea was created with Stalinism as the model, but I think that the emphasis on juche nationalism and the monopolization of premiership by the Kim family have clearly moved it away from any recognizable communist model. You’re right that “authoritarianism and nationalism are not unique to fascism or lacking in communist regimes” but the degree to which they dominate in North Korea gives me a strong case that they have moved well away from the leftist side of the totalitarian spectrum.

]]> By: J. Otto Pohl http://www.froginawell.net/korea/2009/01/north-koreas-engagement-with-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-66350 J. Otto Pohl Sat, 07 Feb 2009 08:00:42 +0000 http://www.froginawell.net/korea/?p=311#comment-66350 North Korea is not fascist. It has little in common with Mussolini's Italy. It is a communist country whose state structure was heavily influenced by the USSR under Stalin which had a lot to do with its creation. Now granted North Korea is more authoritarian and nationalist than Fascist Italy. But, authoritarianism and nationalism are not unique to fascism or lacking in communist regimes. North Korea is not fascist. It has little in common with Mussolini’s Italy. It is a communist country whose state structure
was heavily influenced by the USSR under Stalin which had a lot to do with its creation. Now granted North Korea is more
authoritarian and nationalist than Fascist Italy. But, authoritarianism and nationalism are not unique to fascism or lacking
in communist regimes.

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