generalspeaking

Saturday, June 24, 2017

The Humble, Shocked Democratic People's Republic

"The fact that Warmbier died suddenly in less than a week after his return to the U.S. in his normal state of health indicators is a mystery to us as well."
"To make it clear, we are the biggest victim of this incident."
"Although we had no reason at all to show mercy to such a criminal of the enemy state, we provided him with medical treatments and care with all sincerity on humanitarian basis until his return to the U.S. considering that his health got worse."
"[Washington] totally distorted this truth and dared to clamour about 'retaliation' and 'pressure' on 'dignified' [North Korea]."
"The smear campaign against DPRK staged in the U.S. compels us to make firm determination that humanitarianism and benevolence for the enemy are a taboo and we should further sharpen the blade of law."
North Korean government spokesman: Korean Central News Agency

In this Feb. 29, 2016, photo, American student Otto Warmbier cries while speaking to reporters in Pyongyang, North Korea. Warmbier died days after he was returned in a coma to the United States. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

North Korea, innocent and puzzled over all the fuss. Which could have been avoided if they had simply buried Otto Warmbier, issuing a statement that the botulism they claimed had attacked him had stopped his heart, and caused his death. Too bad, so sad. Instead, North Korean doctors did their utmost to restart his heart and it had nothing whatever to do with claims of his having been tortured. After all, what would be the point? He was a spy, had furtively planned to return to the U.S. with a (gasp!) propaganda poster hoping to shame the Peoples' Republic.

And then there was the purported matter of the young man having the unmitigated gall to wrap his shoes while packing to leave North Korea, in North Korean newspapers adorned with the adorable image of Kim Jong-un. What might he have been thinking! After all, his luggage would be scrutinized by airport police before departure. Imagine the horror his arrogantly thoughtless act caused, the unprincipled insult to the image of the leader of North Korea. Impolite and impolitic. For that there is a price.

The simple fact is that former American President Barack Obama was responsible for the prolonged detention of the young American student. It was his adamant refusal to dialogue with Pyongyang that actually promoted detaining Otto Warmbier for the 17 months he was imprisoned. Yes, he had been sentenced to fifteen years of hard labour for his criminal act/s, but some diplomacy would have gone a long way to his release. A polite 'please' and 'thank you', for example, and a promise to send more food and oil and to stop harassing the Republic, for starters.

Above all, to make amends now, and admit that the brain damage that American neurologists spoke of was the result of their own medical malfeasance in treating a patient who was simply tired and needed a good long rest, and some American-style fast-food, because the North Korean nutritious and delicious diet hadn't appealed to him. Just ask Dennis Rodman for the truth, and he will be most happy to supply it; it was his blandishments to his good friend Jong-un that secured the release of the young man who hadn't been sufficiently appreciative of the care he was given in North Korea.