Bellicose Defiance
Well, which is it, the insistence that the world has no right to impose its will on the ambitions of a country to realize its aspirations to own nuclear technology leading to nuclear weapons?Or a country so traumatized by its exclusion from polite international society that it truly believes a hostile invasion of its territory is imminent, leading it to threaten and instill the fear of uncertainty in its neighbours and the international community? On the other hand, might it simply not be pure delusional lunacy enabled to tantrum its way to defiance by a cowed public?
Likely it's all of these things; a paranoid administration in a poverty-stricken country insistent on its primary place on the world stage, despite international condemnation. It does, after all, keep close company with other like-minded totalitarian regimes, more invested in upholding the executive and religious and ideological 'rights' of the ruling elite than the primary existential needs of a suffering population.
Diverting scarce funds from feeding the masses toward the more needful funding of nuclear armaments.
Ensuring that a mass uprising will not occur by entitling and enriching the country's police and armed forces' heads. And warning the population repeatedly through inner-directed propaganda that a vicious international campaign is underway to invade North Korea and disinvest its people of their rights, their resources, their national autonomy.
Instilling the fear of brutal force wresting national pride and independence from the nation, and brutalizing its people, at the very time that their Dear Leader abandons the population to privation and starvation.
At the very time that the United Nations Food Program informs that 9-million North Koreans face starvation, but that their leader will only permit a quarter of that number to receive food aid. All is not lost; there is always Taedonggang beer, the "Pride of Pyongyang". People may starve, but if they can somehow pull together the asking price, they can tipple.
North Korea and Iran share technical expertise and intelligence on their mutual defences against the raging deceit of the West. Each trumpets their long-range missile capabilities, each warns they will not sit idly in anticipation of territorial outrage.
North Korea enjoys the thrill of infusing fear and the trepidation of uncertainty in its neighbours by revoking peace treaties and tentative co-operative advances, and by assuring the United States, its perceived mortal enemy that it has the intention of sending ballistic missiles its way.
Not yet capable of miniaturizing a nuclear warhead, it does have that intent. As though it plays an end-sum game of firsters.
Labels: Political Realities, Technology, World Crises
posted by Pieface @ Sunday, July 05, 2009
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