N. Korea Spin Machine Hits LA
Poor, poor, pitiful me. No one understands me. We're just folks like you, folks who blame Bush for all their problems.
Now you know what the North Korean Information Ministry wants you to know, courtesy of the LATimes. In a truly astonishing piece of journalism -- the word infamy comes to mind -- LAT reporter Barbara Demmick recounts two conversations in Beijing with a North Korean she describes as "an affable man in his late 50s who spent much of his career as a diplomat in Europe, [and] has been assigned to help his communist country attract foreign investment." With this "Mr. Anonymous" is "a colleague, a 55-year-old man also visiting from North Korea."
How hard is this to figure out? She's talking to an Information Ministry lackey who is accompanied by his Intelligence Service watcher, there to make sure every word is said just right. The LAT playsit straight, and straight-faced, without either apology or hysterical laughter.
Here's what the Information Ministry wants you to know: North Korea wants better relations with America, but blames Bush for their ills. They don't like the six-party talks (imagine that they picked a Dem, pro-Kerry paper to carry this message!) and they think having nukes isn't threatening to us; it's just a negotiating tactic.
We are also asked to believe that the North Korean people took offense at Condi's calling them an "outpost of tyranny" in her confirmation hearings; that they view "Beloved Brother" as "a benevolent father leader; that when it comes to tyranny, things aren't all that different between the US and North Korea; and that the 150,000 to 200,000 placed under dentention by Beloved Leader may not be "political prisoners but social agitators." What?!
He thinks it's awfully impolite of the Japanese to be offended that North Koreans plucked Japanese citizens off Japanese beaches and held them as slaves. Oh, and that North Korea would just be a swell place to set up a little joint venture. He may have something there. Just think: No worker's comp, no unemployment, and if someone gets uppity, you just declare them a social agitator and Beloved Leader will take care of the problem for you.
Thank you, LAT, for sharing all these truths with us.
Now you know what the North Korean Information Ministry wants you to know, courtesy of the LATimes. In a truly astonishing piece of journalism -- the word infamy comes to mind -- LAT reporter Barbara Demmick recounts two conversations in Beijing with a North Korean she describes as "an affable man in his late 50s who spent much of his career as a diplomat in Europe, [and] has been assigned to help his communist country attract foreign investment." With this "Mr. Anonymous" is "a colleague, a 55-year-old man also visiting from North Korea."
How hard is this to figure out? She's talking to an Information Ministry lackey who is accompanied by his Intelligence Service watcher, there to make sure every word is said just right. The LAT playsit straight, and straight-faced, without either apology or hysterical laughter.
Here's what the Information Ministry wants you to know: North Korea wants better relations with America, but blames Bush for their ills. They don't like the six-party talks (imagine that they picked a Dem, pro-Kerry paper to carry this message!) and they think having nukes isn't threatening to us; it's just a negotiating tactic.
We are also asked to believe that the North Korean people took offense at Condi's calling them an "outpost of tyranny" in her confirmation hearings; that they view "Beloved Brother" as "a benevolent father leader; that when it comes to tyranny, things aren't all that different between the US and North Korea; and that the 150,000 to 200,000 placed under dentention by Beloved Leader may not be "political prisoners but social agitators." What?!
He thinks it's awfully impolite of the Japanese to be offended that North Koreans plucked Japanese citizens off Japanese beaches and held them as slaves. Oh, and that North Korea would just be a swell place to set up a little joint venture. He may have something there. Just think: No worker's comp, no unemployment, and if someone gets uppity, you just declare them a social agitator and Beloved Leader will take care of the problem for you.
Thank you, LAT, for sharing all these truths with us.
posted by Laer at 12:54 PM
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