[KS] Re: literature types on NK perspectives

[Vladimir Tikhonov]

The way the question "why should not the academics speak the truth louder 
to the (obviously, American) policy makers and public opinion" is 
formulated implies two questionable assumptions:

1. That the "policy makers" are making their decisions with benign 
intentions, in a rational way conducive to the "common good", and thus may 
mend their ways once persuaded in a logical way that their "policies" may 
lead to some disastrous things. In a way, that is a very Weberian 
assumption - that the "modern states" are governed by "rational 
bureaucracies" in a common good-minded fashion. But, from more Marxian 
point of view, why should we actually think that the imperial elites of our 
late capitalist times - faced with resource depletion, heightened 
resistance on the world "periphery", and generally diminishing returns - 
are abiding by any canons of "common good" at all? Be it Russia - where the 
military-industrial complex is reaping its profits from the massacres in 
Chechnya which will have disastrous consequences for the Russian statehood 
as a whole - or the USA (where very similarly-minded people are doing now 
just the same in Iraq), the imperial elites are tending today to maximize 
their own short-time returns while largely ignoring long-time fallouts. I 
suspect some systemic crisis in this, but anyway - it is hard to see any 
ample grounds for belief that, once "told the truth", the "masters of the 
universe" will "repent and never relapse". But another thing is that the 
understanding that any large-scale violence in Korea will lead to some 
serious short-term losses, may by will really influence their minds?

2. That "public opinion" really means something for the ways the system 
works - in other words, that we live in a "democracy". Well, I am looking 
at Spanish and Polish servicemen going now to the war the majority of the 
respective country's populations is opposing, and wonder what the word 
"democracy" is supposed to mean? i am afraid that to make an imperial 
adventure on the "periphery" a serious issue for the general populace may 
require several years of protracted war and thousands - if not tens of 
thousands - casualties (on "our" side, of course). By the way, the tally in 
Chechnya may well approach somewhere around 10 thousands, but it still 
doesn't seem to matter.

In the view that the above mentioned two assumptions are highly 
questionable, I would suggest that rather "telling the truth" to South 
Koreans may help much more - because what looks like an "adventure on the 
periphery" from the Center, looks more like the life-and-death issue closer 
to the front line. By the "truth" I mean the structural explanation of how 
the imperial power is working - which may help to subvert the dominant 
narrative of "benign American hegemony" among the conservative majority of 
the people in their 30s and 40s.

Tikhonov






At 18:38 10.08.2003 -0400, you wrote:



>
>
>Some of the preceding makes me think that it is important for us not to 
>over-rate the predictive value of our disciplines.  The historian says 
>policymakers are "stupid" not to recognize the historical tenaciousness of 
>Koreans. Does he really think our leaders are such fools?  Tenacious yes. 
>Everyone knows that. That is why Pyongyang acts like, and perhaps is, the 
>last Marxist country on earth.  But does this mean North Korean socialism 
>isn't failing just as utterly and completely as the rest? Possibly, but 
>probably not. When we see rampant inflation, even dollarization, occurring 
>outside the capital city, my guess is the end of the regime is 
>near.  History in other countries suggest as much as does economics and 
>common sense. Tenacity then would simply mean a delayed but harder fall. 
>The regime's last best hope is yet another multi-billion dollar bail out 
>to help it eek out a few more years. Korea, of course, by any reckoning, 
>will last another thousand years.
>
>
>
> >From: dmccann at fas.harvard.edu (David McCann)
> >Reply-To: Korean Studies Discussion List
> >To: Korean Studies Discussion List
> >Subject: Re: [KS] Re: literature types on NK perspectives
> >Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2003 08:34:13 -0500
> >
> >
> >My thanks to Morgan Clippinger for an edifying post. Points taken.
> >
> >Further analysis-- or not exactly analysis, the point is so obivous, if
> >curious; call it an elemental sorting: on the one hand, academic types,
> >CIA analysts, and others who may be said to know something about a place
> >and its history, and on the other, the overly busy or otherwise preoccupied
> >policymakers who don't read any of the analyses.
> >
> >Where does this go?
> >
> >It might be possible that the policy making is informed in some other way.
> >It might be possible that behind or beneath the obvious provocation of the
> >speech in Seoul, there might be some other line or objective of
> >communication between the US and the DPRK which encouraged the DPRK to
> >ignore or dismiss the -- What should one say if not 'yapping'? Maybe
> >'highly insulting remarks'?-- by the White House spokesperson, and keep
> >pursuing multilateral talks. (-- efforts underway to avoid Armageddon--)
> >
> >Assuming there is little if any transfer of information from the area
> >specialist realm to the policy making realm, one might reasonably suggest
> >that it doesn't matter much, in a literal or figurative sense, if some
> >expert on Korea makes an error, or reaches a faulty conclusion. That isn't
> >the case on the policy making side, however.
> >
> >But one might push this line of thinking along a little farther... Do the
> >economists read what the historians write? Do the historians read what the
> >lit types write? Does the West Coast read the East Coast? Does the US
> >read Europe?
> >
> >
> >David McCann
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>----------
>Tired of spam? Get <http://g.msn.com/8HMNENUS/2734??PS=>advanced junk mail 
>protection with MSN 8.

Vladimir Tikhonov,
Department of East European and Oriental Studies,
Faculty of Arts,
University of Oslo,
P.b. 1030, Blindern, 0315, Oslo, Norway.
Fax: 47-22854140; Tel: 47-22857118
Personal web page: 
http://www.geocities.com/volodyatikhonov/volodyatikhonov.html
Electronic classrooms: East Asian/Korean Society and Politics:
                        http://www.geocities.com/uioeastasia2002/main.html
                        East Asian/Korean Religion and Philosophy:
                        http://www.geocities.com/uioeastasia2003/classroom.html

----------
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://koreanstudies.com/pipermail/koreanstudies_koreanstudies.com/attachments/20030811/8c80c7af/attachment.html>