In N Korea, learning to hate U.S., Japan starts early

North Korea is just a puppet of CHINA, so should we be surprised??

When North Korea opens up, it is the people on top who will find themselves the targets of the hate and anger they spread through campaigns like this.

I'm not from the United States but I'm sure there are numerous examples of racial discrimination and  indoctrination aimed at American children, fed to them (by their own government - hey! It's sanctioned) through propaganda-filled tv programs, animated movies, comics and songs and video games. 

Sounds like France...

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/opinion/article/Seattle-is-closer-to-France-than-to-Texas-1137867.php

"They drew the Statue of Liberty with fangs or in chains or being run over by a wicked Uncle Sam on a motorcycle. And they drew George W. Bush: Bush riding a tank to war; Bush taking over the world; Bush as a liar; Bush as a monster. There were a few lighthearted drawings of Hollywood and Las Vegas and fast food (hamburgers, always hamburgers) but, predominantly, from ages 8 to 18, the French students sketched images of a fierce and fearsome country. One cartoon summed up American villainy with a series of three hands. The first was a fist representing Stalin's Russia. The second was a saluting palm, representing Hitler's Germany. The third was another fist clutching a cross, representing Bush's America."

bass4funk, you're really resorting to your on-topic/off-topic card?

....three journalists from The Associated Press, including an American...

Nothing wrong with a bit of balance by mentioning that the US of A is calling the kettle black.

Yes, I can do that. Or...... I can take it here. Put things up for discussion, see what other peeps have to say about it.

Cause that's what this here is, right? A news-related opinion sharing forum/discussion board? Are you telling me I can't?

I'm not telling you anything, but that you were on topic, when you want to go back and get on the old liberal hypocrisy of bashing Bush, you can do that on a different thread. Last I read, this topic thread was NK kids starting early to hate the US. No correlation, just reminding you.

Ah North Korea, a country that is frozen in time...

Well, then you take your list of complaints to the UN, because there are many countries, that are doing it, remember that.

Yes, I can do that. Or...... I can take it here. Put things up for discussion, see what other peeps have to say about it.

Cause that's what this here is, right? A news-related opinion sharing forum/discussion board? Are you telling me I can't?

Right! Because invading countries, killing people and occupying their lands isn't insulting, rude and obnoxious.

Well, then you take your list of complaints to the UN, because there are many countries, that are doing it, remember that.

I will enjoy my day.

Thank you very much.

I see we like to insult and make rude and obnoxious general statements. Nice try, NOT going to take that bait, not today.

Right! Because invading countries, killing people and occupying their lands isn't insulting, rude and obnoxious.

Peachy!

Enjoy your day, please.

I'm pretty sure at least 80% of Americans aren't even be able to point out on a map the countries they are brainwashed to hate.

I see we like to insult and make rude and obnoxious general statements. Nice try, NOT going to take that bait, not today.

@Tmarie

Oh, you mean he forgot to add in the fact about the pipeline?

Wasn't a secret and was vital, but you are going way off topic with this, how about getting back to the real issue shall we? We don't need to go back and bash Bush, the man is gone and retired. Thought the topic was about NK hating the US.

From other articles I've read, the North Korean people are starving, and their quality of life is zero. Even though they are young, how much do you think the general population actually believes this message? As an example, Hitler could actually indoctrinate the youth of Germany because despite being a lunatic murdering jackass, he did begin to bring economic prosperity and national pride back to Germany. If the government of NK is bringing nothing to the table (figuratively and literally) then their teaching are hollow. The teachers and kids might pretend to agree and support this line of thinking, but only because they are afraid not to. Makes it all the more pathetically sad than something to cause worry.

The hate starts early in South Korea as well.

Barbara Demick's 'Nothing to Envy' gives some excellent insights into anti-American feeling in North Korea. The leadership presents itself as a heroic example of a country which stands free from Yankee imperialism and barbarism and refuses to kow tow to it. I suppose it's one of the few things to be proud of after decades of starvation, power cuts and a functioning medical system. Come on people, you can't seriously compare Fox News to North Korean propaganda. North Korean propaganda is at least semi-educated.

Bush's "axis of evil" included Iran, Iraq, and North Korea

Bolton's "Beyond the Axis of Evil" include Cuba, Libya, and Syria

Should they be afraid?

Oh, you mean he forgot to add in the fact about the pipeline?

Nice one, Tmarie!

I'm pretty sure at least 80% of Americans aren't even be able to point out on a map the countries they are brainwashed to hate.

Clemens-san

That's right. Because search on an atlas, Googlemaps, anywhere you like and you can't find a country labeled:

TERRORIST

**bass4funk

So, the whole reason for the U.S.A. to send in thousands of troops, kill tens of thousands of people including women and children, lay waste large areas of cities was because the Taliban wouldn't hand over ONE MAN? A bit over simplifying it, and a bit of over exaggeration, I have to say.

I tend to agree, but that is what Brother Fadamor informs us (scroll up a bit and you'll find the post).**

Oh, you mean he forgot to add in the fact about the pipeline?

If you are a North korean and you lost your families, you will never see them again or luckily you meet them decades later after Korean family union after 2000 and then the US government shouted : STOP!! No more family union!! This is a dangerous propaganda dirty trick the North is doing to undermine our 'alliance'! Are you outraged and feel being humilated with the least hope of humanity being scrapped in the most unhuman way? You cant blame their hatred, this is what America has inflicted over the Korean people, in the south there were no such education of hatred but the South Korean has expressed their frustration as well like the North!

bass4funk,

I'm pretty sure at least 80% of Americans aren't even be able to point out on a map the countries they are brainwashed to hate.

bass4funk

So, the whole reason for the U.S.A. to send in thousands of troops, kill tens of thousands of people including women and children, lay waste large areas of cities was because the Taliban wouldn't hand over ONE MAN?

A bit over simplifying it, and a bit of over exaggeration, I have to say.

I tend to agree, but that is what Brother Fadamor informs us (scroll up a bit and you'll find the post).

They learn to sing, dance and ride unicycles, and at 4 p.m. they get a snack and soy milk.

44 comments and nobody is going to say anything about the fact that they teach kids in kindergarten to ride unicycles? God knows I had a hard enough time riding a bike with training wheels when I was that young. For what possible purpose could learning to ride a unicycle serve? Maybe it's because they don't have enough money for 2 wheels? One must have a good sense of balance to kill "American bastards"? This is going to keep me up all night guessing...

So, the whole reason for the U.S.A. to send in thousands of troops, kill tens of thousands of people including women and children, lay waste large areas of cities was because the Taliban wouldn't hand over ONE MAN?

A bit over simplifying it, and a bit of over exaggeration, I have to say.

One drawing shows an American soldier crushing a girl with his boot, blood pouring from her mouth, her eyes wild with fear and pain...... The fact says they were much cruel and brutal than propaganda, why didnt that North Korean ministry of propaganda bringing up the 'Mahmudiyah killings and gang rape of a 14 year old girl by US troops occured on 12th March 2006 in a house of Yusufiyah? That will saving a lot of cartoon drawings and more accurate to make people believes!

The only reason the Taliban were taken on by the U.S. was because they wouldn't hand over Bin Laden. When the U.S. went into Afghanistan to get Bin Laden, the Taliban fought and were ousted from Kabul.

So, the whole reason for the U.S.A. to send in thousands of troops, kill tens of thousands of people including women and children, lay waste large areas of cities was because the Taliban wouldn't hand over ONE MAN?

That's far worse than I thought. It's pure insanity.

@JadeDragon

I really admire your honesty and sheer bluntness of what is for the majority of Japanese people are very highly touchy issue. If you say anything to fact of the the atrocities that the Japanese committed against the US and its neighbors, you get a lot of denials and or excuses. I think Japan in many ways like NK has still very strong nationalistic views, but it's more hidden, finely polished. I just seriously have a problem with a lot of Japanese history text books during WWII writing or editing things in them that reflect Japan in a very positive light. You think that in 2012 there would be proper and corrected revisions, but....

tmarie: Every foreigner you know? Don't know what world you live in, but I work with well over 100 fellow foreigners and none of them said anything about being yelled at as being a hooligan at the last world cup. In fact, many of them told stories of how they actually enjoyed watching the world cup in bars in Tokyo with their mates, foreign and Japanese alike. There was the occasional good-natured ribbing going on, but nothing racist. Not saying it doesn't happen, but never to the "every foreigner I know" extent. In fact, I hear more racist rantings on JT than in daily life.

Who said I didn't enjoy watching the games with J friends in bars here? The two aren't related. I lived in a huge city and everyone complained about the comments. Ask your coworkers and I'm sure they agree.

Nothing racist about claiming how hooligans (how convenient that those shown were always foreigners on the news) were going to come and take over and cause problems? Ha! The only people who caused problems were the Japanese from what I recall.

Glad to see you aren't saying it doesn't happen. It does. And racism here is at the institutional level which is many ways is actually the worst kind out there.

America is doing anti-Koreans, anti Iran, Anti Russia and Anti China propaganda everyday through their medias, a mass brainwashing program by distorting the truth and deceieves the people of America to hate certain countries that they considered as hateful! Well done, double standard!

It sure would be nice to have some pictures of all these things they saw.

Another insightful post there Reiki. I am really beginning to enjoy your posts as of late. Sorry didn't mean to put you on the spot or anything haha. Yea I have kinda wondered that myself. Yet every government is to blame in a since for it's own propaganda. As long as it fits within one's own agenda, thus keeping it's population in the dark. That is the problem when you give power to a few individuals or an individual which carries their misguided ideology through the population. Hitler was one of the most dangerous indoctrinators of all time. How can one person have so much influence over an entire population? After all Hitler would have been nothing without the people blindly following him of which they did in mass. Patriotism is fine but nationalism we would be better off without. After reading this I am beginning to wonder if there is any hope for North Korea left at all. Are they beyond the point of no return? While there isn't anywhere the anti-Americanism in Japan like it is in North Korea. Schools still teach a mostly false history of which Japan is seen as the victim.

Japanese text books clearly paint a very different picture of history then what actually happened. I wouldn't want to gauge at how much Anti-Americanism there is in Japan. Although I wager it is no more then from any other foreigner or Gaijin present there. There is still some strong nationalistic views though which are clearly very anti-west. Although how must of that comes from school vs the government's own propaganda I don't know. Being Japanese myself I know of how strong the group mentality plays within society here. Although I am also proud of the fact that we Japanese do and will speak up even though it is in the minority. We don't all blindly follow what is fed to us so unlike North Korea. So we can come to our own conclusions. I admit when i first met my husband I had some serious reservations. Many of my concerns were of coarse completely false. I am ashamed I spent so much of my life thinking I knew the west when I clearly did not. That I am truly thankful for as fate has looked good upon me. I try not to think about that to much as is disrespectful but I agree that we all can stand a little re-education. ^-^

Those Poor Kids, this article took me back to my childhood at ten years old going to PA Advancement Middle School I had the luck to have friends born in different countries form S Korea, China, Palistine, Peurto Rico and India. My luck to be born in the US. Good times.

Isn't the US propaganda against Islam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and China just about the same?

I constantly meet Americans who still think that Saddam Hussein was the guy who planned and carried out 9/11.

And I constantly meet people who think Osama Bin Laden was innocent. Just because you know stupid people doesn't mean they were made that way due to "US propaganda". I was in America that whole time and when the Bush administration announced they were sending troops to Iraq I distinctly remember asking, "WHY?! Our issue was with Al Qaeda and Bin Laden, not Iraq and Hussein!" If the dreaded "US propaganda" actually existed, why wasn't I indoctrinated?

People with half a brain know the people of Iraq, Afghanistan and Islam in general are not the problem. Even the Taliban isn't really the problem. The only reason the Taliban were taken on by the U.S. was because they wouldn't hand over Bin Laden. When the U.S. went into Afghanistan to get Bin Laden, the Taliban fought and were ousted from Kabul. They're still around and may STILL ultimately be in charge of Afghanistan if they get elected into office. Nothing the U.S. can (or should) do if that happens.

Pretty much every foreigner I know who was here at the time was yelled at numerous times by adults AND kids because of what they were being taught.

tmarie: Every foreigner you know? Don't know what world you live in, but I work with well over 100 fellow foreigners and none of them said anything about being yelled at as being a hooligan at the last world cup. In fact, many of them told stories of how they actually enjoyed watching the world cup in bars in Tokyo with their mates, foreign and Japanese alike. There was the occasional good-natured ribbing going on, but nothing racist. Not saying it doesn't happen, but never to the "every foreigner I know" extent. In fact, I hear more racist rantings on JT than in daily life.

@Clemens

So true. And they practically eat up anything Fox and the like feed them, weapons of mass destruction included

Not true, so you that everyone that watches FOX is brainwashed, generalizing again are we? Thank God we have MSNBC and CNN that are always 100% truthful in their reporting each and every time. Well now I can relax in deep comfort knowing that.

Every country has a bit of Propaganda, some more than others, but on the NK side definitely more so without a doubt.

Well NK's avowed aim is to bring down imperialism, just as the US's is to destroy communists. I don't think there's any way to "fix" that, save one side destroying the other.

True, but in the case of the US, dismantling communism would be a better term than obliterating it which is quite the opposite of what the NK want to do.

They wouldn't want a starving NK on their doorstep, it'd create a dangerous situation where NK would probably attack China and South Korea in order to get food and other living resources. It'd be a very destabilising situation.

I don't think China wants that either, as far as NK attacking China even in that dire of situations I highly doubt that would ever happen. "you don't bite the hand that feeds you" If NK did that. there would be serious hell to pay, not to mention, NK would be essentially cutting off their own lifeline and ONLY ally they have left. Nope, not going to happen.

Isn't the US propaganda against Islam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and China just about the same?

To be honest the only time my nieces and nephews ever hear anything about any of those countries is from media outlets. Unless you're in the deep south the only thing they teach about those countries is that China has a great wall and that Islam is a religion. If they said anything else they'd be opening themselves up to a pretty massive lawsuit.

US schools tend to put a more positive spin on the revolutionary war and the world wars and they normally ignore the War of 1812, Korea, and Vietnam.

My point being that in the US there is a certain level of pro US spin in the schools but US students and adults also have easy access to outside sources of information via the internet and a massive collection of differing opinions via media outlets and literature.

The idea that one of their favorite games is beating a US doll with clubs and stones is disturbing and a far cry from western propaganda which is nothing more than muddling facts at worst.

North Korea isn't going to be changed from without. Only when it's people have had enough of the deprivation will they actually do something about it. The U.S. will be content to guard the 38th Parallel and let North Korea implode on its own. We can't prevent what they tell their children, but the truth of matters always manages to be eventually revealed - even in such a closed state as North Korea.

I can't decide! Is this story about their propaganda, or a perfect example of ours?? Is this about how the North Korean government get their people to hate us, or is this how our government and media get us to hate North Koreans??

Excellent point!

The point is, this article is about North Korea's CURRENT system, something that is happening right now in this day and age and all you have to say about it is how terrible Japan was as if that excuses any other country of their current actions.

Were you here when the world cup was? The news, government and schools were going on and on about hooligans. Pretty much every foreigner I know who was here at the time was yelled at numerous times by adults AND kids because of what they were being taught. This crap isn't in Japan's past. It is still here, still being carried on though the teachings are just tamer. Still very much an "us" vs "them" mentality here.

The British army touched the white house in washington back in early 19thcentury was an unexcusable crime against a nation then why did the atrocities done to all Korean people were neglected and forgotton!?

just-a-bigguy: the burning of the White House was not "inexcusable" in that Britain and America are friends and allies today. American children (as far as I know) do not learn to hate the British and fantasize about killing them. In much the same way, the British have forgiven America for declaring war in 1812.

The North Koreans learn from an early age to hate. Much like as in Orwell's '1984', (cold) war is the gel that keeps North Korea together. It replaces religion as the opium of the people. Hatred and fear of the Americans keep the population from looking at its own oppressive regime.

North Korea doesn't know South Korea as much as it think it does. They may as well be from two different planets as are nothing alike. While there is some of the older generation which still hold ties with the north. That is quickly fading away. Most South Koreans I know or have spoken to have no desire to be reunited. Many fear a reunification may bring a similar fate as what has happened with the former Soviet Union which hasn't gone so well for them as we know. You kinda have to look at it this way. Imagine the confederate south never being reunified with the north after the civil war. Add some 150 years onto that then the confederacy collapsing. After that period of time being separated then then suddenly reunified. Something tells me we wouldn't be the same country we are today.

How well do you think the south would have assimilated into a society under it's Constitution of which it would not have recognized?

Even to this day many southerners have strong feelings about it. Even though it happened over a century ago. The south still celebrates confederacy days even though it is more symbolic then anything now days. In some states the confederate flag is raised along with the American flag. Not saying there are strong feelings of separatism within the west. Although there are some states which display strong feelings towards that, like Texas. Even in their tourism brochures they state

"Texas, it like a while different country lol."

Yea more truth to their thinking on that then not. While the time line is a bit different here with North/South Korea the attitudes are similar. Many South Koreans have stated.

We have worked to hard to get where they are now. Is it worth jeopardizing that for the sake of reunification?

Tough call but here is where lies the problem. When you en-doctorate from such a young age it is almost impossible to reverse that thinking. How well do you think the North Korean population would adjust to what is basically a completely different South Korea! Simply put, North Koreans are intentionally trained not to lead but rather to follow passionately, vigorously, and with all their strength. Ju-che which is a commonly used saying in north Korea. This is said to mean self-reliance in the service of our great leader.

The content of Ju-che is self-avowedly designed to ensure that North Koreans live in a state of permanent childhood, obeying the Great Leader as the only parent and leadership figure deserving whole-life devotion.

So is there any hope to change this ideology? Though the North Korea government continues to actively suppress the leadership development of its citizens through their birth-to-death immersion in Ju-che. A growing number of North Korean defectors especially the 20,000 or so i believe living in South Korea provides a great opportunity for them to be actively involved.

This will help them to understand how to help individual North Koreans recognize and develop their own leadership potential. Thus equip North Korean leaders to train other North Koreans, which thereby creating a possible leadership base for a future North Korea. One which recognizes not only one Great Leader but a nation of truly great leaders!

This of coarse will of necessity involve not only leadership training but a guided process of helping individual North Koreans rethink their fundamental identities, role and purpose in their own lives and in the world. Although we are all victims of this in some form are we not? As the saying goes,

What matters is not what any individual thinks, but what is true. A teacher who does not equip his pupils with the rudimentary tools to discover this is substituting indoctrination for teaching.

Kinda like Mass Media lol.

Isn't the US propaganda against Islam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and China just about the same?

I constantly meet Americans who still think that Saddam Hussein was the guy who planned and carried out 9/11.

So true. And they practically eat up anything Fox and the like feed them, weapons of mass destruction included. "They showed us a satellite photo so it must be true." Yeah, right! As real as China's numerous high rise buildings we saw during the Olympics there, and the once a year paraded North Koreas missiles made of cardboard, plastic and polystyrene foam the quality of props used at tv show studios.

North Korean propaganda?

Isn't the US propaganda against Islam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and China just about the same?

I constantly meet Americans who still think that Saddam Hussein was the guy who planned and carried out 9/11.

North Koreans only have the propaganda they are given.

But a similar thing could be said about Americans too.

Let's please try to understand each other.

Sooooo... any way to fix this? we can't let NK keep like that for decades. US(the international police) should act.

Well NK's avowed aim is to bring down imperialism, just as the US's is to destroy communists. I don't think there's any way to "fix" that, save one side destroying the other.

As long as China props up the North Korean puppet state, things will continue as they are.

China has to do that. They wouldn't want a starving NK on their doorstep, it'd create a dangerous situation where NK would probably attack China and South Korea in order to get food and other living resources. It'd be a very destabilising situation.

I can't decide! Is this story about their propaganda, or a perfect example of ours?? Is this about how the North Korean government get their people to hate us, or is this how our government and media get us to hate North Koreans??

Well, I am taking it with a grain of salt.

SimondB, Saddam, meat grinders, well said.

I will add James Bond high tech caves in Afghanistan.

@Virtuoso

I am perfectly aware of Japans history and all the evil it brought upon Asia and itself so stop trying to jump the gun and assume I have posted with blind ignorance of the past. The point is, this article is about North Korea's CURRENT system, something that is happening right now in this day and age and all you have to say about it is how terrible Japan was as if that excuses any other country of their current actions.

@OMGhontoni

No one is saying you have to love everything or even anything in this country. Also no one is saying your opinion isn't valid if you do have issues with certain cultural or social aspects of this society My single point is, why in every article, no matter how irrelevant it may be someone comes in and turns it into a attack on Japan. Every country has it's bad and good points (well maybe not all as this article shows) and everyone should be free to acknowledge and speak on them, however I just don't see the point of constantly coming onto a Japanese news website on nearly every article and banging on about how everything in Japan is terrible and anyone that doesn't agree is some sort of idiot that can't think for themselves. It's always the same guys, post the same stuff with the same agenda. I just don't see this kind of stuff happen in other countries, maybe Japan is a soft target for Internet tough guys, I dunno....

Really? that's all you have to say? I really can't understand all the Japan hate on this site. Regardless of what the article is about a bunch of people find ways to turn it into an attack on Japan or Japanese culture. If you all hate Japan so much then what on earth are you doing on this site?

It isn't "all" we have to say. Hatred? Pointing out that Japan has done the exact same thing is hatred? Heck, is me pointing out that the mayor of Tokyo stated that if the bid one hits Tokyo the SDF shouldn't waste their time looking for survivors but go and kill Koreans and Chinese? He states that a few years ago. Am I hating Japan for pointing out how tired I am of them playing the victim when they really are no different or better than those they claim are evil and not anywhere near the level of the Japanese? How is that an attack?

What are we doing on this site? Reading and commenting. Just like you.

Teaching anti-Americanism and anti-Japanese in North Korea are just some of the many reasons why the U.S. has military bases on Okinawa and elsewhere in Japan.

I don't belive a word of this story. Smacks of Sadam feeding people into meat grinders. And if this story is true how dissapointed the NK's will be when they find out that the average american is more interested in Paris Hiltons escapades then they are about NK doing anything.

Even though i think East Germany was much less isolated than NK, i hope you're right. But from the likes of things, it'll take quite a few more years for the Demilitarized Zone to become peacefully inhabited. .

They have already reunited for the '04 Olympics to be represented as a single country. The North Koreans remember that. They all know that South Korean population means them no harm. All that stands in the way is a political system that wants to keep to itself and will continue launch rockets that fizzle out due to defective components. The older people have a sense of national pride, younger ones, below 30 and above 10 simply live in fear and hopelessness. If you had seen one of the photos of women crying over Kim Jong Il's death, their faces showed no grief, but a fear of what government action will come next... a fear of death, a fear of being arrested for not crying enough... i'm absolutely serious

The North Korean has pretty good reasons to hate the yankees and Japan. If have seen the touched earth of North Korea after US air raids during Korean war, the massacre of Korean people and thousands of families broken and never seen again , all of these brutalities made every normal human beings cant control their anger! The British army touched the white house in washington back in early 19thcentury was an unexcusable crime against a nation then why did the atrocities done to all Korean people were neglected and forgotton!? Because America is massive and Korea is small....the logic that haunted the whole world how they view who is right and wrong!

"Someone did it to someone else in history" - the perfect excuse to brainwash, threaten and starve an entire nation.

@just-a-bigguy,

Communist imperialism has caused a lot of pain not just in Korea, but also Viet Nam, Cambodia, and the Eastern Europe...

Marching in and executing people never ends well, and trying to convert unwilling people to a communist ideology leads to failure, resentment, and a "robin hood" mindset, that the population feels it is their right to quietly steal from the government, if the government has seized what has rightfully belonged to them.

The U.S. denies having nuclear weapons in Korea.

That was true nut meaningless when a nation was threatened by a big bully: We will destroy you with nukes! You have nothing to choose but fighting back! America respects nothing but fist!

In a third, a man wearing a helmet marked “U.S.” in English is on his knees begging for mercy as he is pummeled on the head with a stick.

I'll guess they don't teach Geneva conventions in the kindergarden:-) To be fair the way the western nations try to find loopholes in it in the first opportunity, but at least they pretend to recognize it.

The North Korean has pretty good reasons to hate the yankees and Japan. If have seen the touched earth of North Korea after US air raids during Korean war, the massacre of Korean people and thousands of families broken and never seen again , all of these brutalities made every normal human beings cant control their anger! The British army touched the white house in washington back in early 19thcentury was an unexcusable crime against a nation then why did the atrocities done to all Korean people were neglected and forgotton!? Because America is massive and Korea is small....the logic that haunted the whole world how they view who is right and wrong!

@REMzzz

Curiosity and the human nature of wanting creature comforts cannot be eradicated.

Even though i think East Germany was much less isolated than NK, i hope you're right. But from the likes of things, it'll take quite a few more years for the Demilitarized Zone to become peacefully inhabited. .

It is true that all countries employ propaganda to some extent. But it is too easy to point at this and say it is "evil" or "evil-er" and go around proudly puffing out your chest.

The situation in N Korea is an interesting read, but never lose sight of the fact that it is just the other side of the same coin. Every day, we are inundated by propaganda of a different kind, and all of us hold some viewpoints and opinions that are wildly biased.

I hold on to the hope that one day, N Korean leadership will either be ousted peacefully or change their policies from within, and the threat of war will be defused. And while I have zero wish to see the current status quo remain, I reject empathically the idea that N Korea is evil or that these practices are anything beyond plain pragmatism. It does not matter what kind of propaganda it is, communist, nationalist, nazi or capitalist, it is still propaganda. That is all.

All countries brainwash, and use schools as a primary location to start the process early. The only difference is the brutal nature of this indoctrination, and the inability for the population to get any alternate points of view besides that which is thrust upon it...

NK: the most butthurt country in the world. Seriously, the leaders of that country need to get over it already, put the wellbeing and happiness of their people first, and make love, not war.

@Vesperto,

You think? They all know that their South Korean brothers are living well and not being oppressed, even if not everyone is well off. A four year old wouldn't understand, but a 15 year old would. They are still Korean, with a common culture and ancestry. They would reach out to each other. It's like the Berlin wall coming down... at some point people get tired of hating and isolation, of government hypocrisy. Curiosity and the human nature of wanting creature comforts cannot be eradicated. They are not mindless, selfless robots that will give up everything for a fat lobster-eating bastard when their own child is malnourished and will inherit nothing but crumbling roads and a vague idea that someday the sacrifices must end when the goals are achieved.

Remember Romania, the riots of '89. Remember why it happened. Yeah. It was also a communist regime with forced austerity and strictly regulated television, newspapers, a profound lack of free speech, not to mention the ever-present Securitate hiding in the shadows of daily life, ready to grab anyone that they suspected of expressing disagreement with the state policies. But the public patience had its limit. The austerity policies were the center of simple discontent. Formerly compliant people booed the president in a televised speech and since there was no delay in the live broadcast, the whole country saw a glimpse of that for a few seconds. Protests erupted, and when factory workers were brought in by train to beat up the protesters they joined in instead. Politburo officials, seeing all this sided with the populace, since it was the only way to retain some power.

In China, the slow reform toward a capitalist economy was also with the approval of those in power. Things change, you can't keep people chained down and hungry forever.

I really can't understand all the Japan hate on this site. Regardless of what the article is about a bunch of people find ways to turn it into an attack on Japan or Japanese culture. If you all hate Japan so much then what on earth are you doing on this site?

I really cant understand why, whenever someone makes a statement of fact about history, culture, anything that is not lauding the wonder of this archipelago, that suddenly it becomes about "you hate Japan", "why are you here if you hate it so much", "you people are always attacking Japan" blah blah blah.

Realism is not hatred. You can love Japan but still see it for what it is. But blind allegiance and inability to see reality is even more scary - as this article clearly demonstrates.

pexa02@have you ever read a history book? Don't you know how Japanese were indoctrinated during the war? I suggest you start with Saburo Ienaga's "The Pacific War," Chapter 2: Thought Control and Indoctrination. Here's an excerpt: Starting in 1925, active duty military officers were assigned to every school from the middle school level up . . . and military training became part of the regular curriculum. [from 1926] youth training centers were established in every city, town, and village as part of a four-year program of 400 hours of military instruction for males whose formal education ended at elementary school. From nursery school through high school, students were told what they would learn and what they would think. . . . the system . . overtly and directly implanted militarism in the minds of Japanese schoolchildren.

But without China, Korea would have reunited years ago for economic reasons.

That's the problem with indoctrination from an early age in a nearly isolated state: you just can't be sure of anything. If they have no means of - or will to! - comparing their misery with the outside world, how are they not to assume that's standard?

Without China, starvation and lobsters would continue, that's just human nature.

As long as China props up the North Korean puppet state, things will continue as they are. The average family will starve and Politburo will continue to gorge on lobster, while pretending nothing is wrong. But without China, Korea would have reunited years ago for economic reasons.

In 1942 you could have changed the dateline to Tokyo and you'd pretty much have the same story

Really? that's all you have to say? I really can't understand all the Japan hate on this site. Regardless of what the article is about a bunch of people find ways to turn it into an attack on Japan or Japanese culture. If you all hate Japan so much then what on earth are you doing on this site?

US(the international police) should act.

If the US "acts" both China and NK will strike back. Yearning for a nuclear war, are we? 'sides, the US is not the international police.

Sooooo... any way to fix this? we can't let NK keep like that for decades. US(the international police) should act.

In 1942 you could have changed the dateline to Tokyo and you'd pretty much have the same story.

" the systematic indoctrination of [...] starts as early as kindergarten" This is the scary bit: 1984 meets Brave New World.