Framing North Korea

[Judi Lynn]

Weekend Edition January 9-11, 2015

The US Still Cannot be Rational When Dealing with North Korea

Framing North Korea

by STANSFIELD SMITH


When it comes to North Korea, for the US government and its media, time stands still. They remain fixated in the 1950s Joe McCarthy worldview: the Red-Yellow peril, a monster capable of unimaginable evil, threatens our civilization and freedoms. North Korea’s Kim family is presented as three reincarnations of a Communist Dr. Fu Manchu.

The US makes a racist comedy about murdering a foreign head of state, and with a straight face, calls it an issue of “artistic” freedom. Obama showed himself happy to push this line, and pressed for its distribution after Sony withdrew it.

What war hysteria would grip the US political elites if Putin endorsed a Russian comedy about murdering Obama, or if Iran made one about killing Netanyahu!

Deliberately unmentioned in the noise around North Korea is the long history of US intervention in Korea. In 1945, the US, divided the Korean peninsula in two, with no Korean input, even though Koreans were allies in the struggle against the Japanese occupation. The US then pushed for separate elections in the South in 1948, and then invaded the country to back its ruthless dictator Syngman Rhee. During most of the Korean War, the United States held near-total aerial superiority, which it used, according to General Curtis LeMay, to kill one quarter of the north’s population, and to raze every city and structure in the north. An estimated four million Koreans has been killed, seventy percent of whom were civilians. In spite of that genocide, Koreans fought on, inflicting on the US its first post-World War II defeat. In the US the war is referred to as “The Forgotten War,” whereas in North Korea, no one is able to forget.

More:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/01/09/framing-north-korea/

[lordsummerisle]

1. OK

Remember they are are constantly threatening us and SK with war and destruction, they have one of the largest armies in the world, they're developing nukes and missile technology, and they are a police state (which is a whole different discussion).
So if we're not being rational towards them then give a few examples of how we should deal with them?
It seems like they have just as much of a Cold War mentality as we do...

[davidpdx]

2. Sorry, but this guy doesn't have much credibility in my book

Deliberately unmentioned in the noise around North Korea is the long history of US intervention in Korea. In 1945, the US, divided the Korean peninsula in two, with no Korean input, even though Koreans were allies in the struggle against the Japanese occupation. The US then pushed for separate elections in the South in 1948, and then invaded the country to back its ruthless dictator Syngman Rhee.

True, Korea did not have input. The division was suppose to be temporary. There was suppose to be a five year trusteeship before independance. True, Rhee was ruthless and he was the one who pushed for separate elections. Both Russia and the US pulled out their troops in 1948 and 1949 respectively. It was Kim who went to Stalin twice begging to invade South Korea. The first time Stalin said no, the second time he gave his blessing, not Rhee. It was North Korea who invaded South Korea.

During most of the Korean War, the United States held near-total aerial superiority, which it used, according to General Curtis LeMay, to kill one quarter of the north’s population, and to raze every city and structure in the north. An estimated four million Koreans has been killed, seventy percent of whom were civilians. In spite of that genocide, Koreans fought on, inflicting on the US its first post-World War II defeat. In the US the war is referred to as “The Forgotten War,” whereas in North Korea, no one is able to forget.

True, the US had aerial superiority. That is after they actually were able to get troops and equipment back into Korea given that they had completely pulled out. Heavy destruction and casualties took place on BOTH sides. In fact, when North Korea invaded, they had pushed all the way down to Daegu (the Pusan Perimeter). Seoul was leveled when they invaded. South Korea actually was losing the war until the Incheon Landing when the US was able to cut off North Korea's supply line and surprise them. The US was not defeated, there was a armistice which still holds today.

[geek tragedy]

3. Lol, the spirit of Hannah Bell endures.

Pity the entire country wasn't ruled by the glorious gods who rule NK.

[polly7]

4. Thank you for the history Judi-Lynn. nt.