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Najczystsza Rasa. Propaganda Korei Północnej (2010)

by B.R. Myers(Favorite Author)

3.93 of 5 Votes: 4

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN

review 1: This is a surprisingly interesting book - the author sets out to show that North Korea has two 'sets' of propaganda, one is mainly used internally, the other is shown to the world. The outdoor propaganda is Juche Thought, a relatively inconsistent quasi-Communist waffling no-one really bothers to understand or 'fix'. The internal propaganda (called 'the Text' in the book) is interesting - a racist national set of ideas, initially copied from the Japanese under Hirohito, and then amended over the decades. The Koreans are the 'purest' people, and since they're so 'pure' they need protection from the outside world from the Dear Leader, the most Korean Korean. The Koreans are a child-like race too pure, under constant threat from outside evils such as 'Yankees', diverse 'pupp... moreet regimes' of the Yankees like the South Koreans, and other threats to their purity. It's a little bit like North Koreans see themselves like one of these overbred dogs who can't walk up stairs on his own.This is all very interesting to learn, especially as the depth of Western media's reporting on the DPRK can be summarized as 'look at these weirdos lololol here's the weather' Myers seems to have strong opinions on other Western DPRK researchers, and since I know very little about North Koreans, I can't judge how accurate he is. In fact, if what this book says it's true, it's going to be much, much more difficult to change the political situation in North Korea than it was in East Germany - East Germans saw the economical success of West Germany and wanted the same which was one of the factors leading to collapse, North Korea sees the economical success of South Korea and treats it as a sign of their 'unpure' depravity. Even if the military leadership is replaced or eliminated like in Iraq, people won't be cheering - you can't just replace an entire mythology, taught over 50 years, over night and think people will accept you.Sadly this book is a bit short, and was published before Kim Jong-un became leader/president/head honcho. I would've liked to read what Myers thinks of Kim Jong-un - he certainly seems to portray the 'child-like' in the North Korean mythology very well [1]. As a biologist, I would have also liked to read more about the 'scientific' side of the racist myth, since the Soviet Union had their own science (Lysenkoism) and ran experiments etc. Does that scientific side even exist?Bonus fact: You can read this book pretending it's about an alien race on Venus and it still works!Recommended for: People interested in authoritarian regimes, different ways to view the world, Korea, communism, and those who like to read excerpts from strange, alien novels.Not recommended for: People who like to cling to their belief that North Korea is led by a bunch of bumbling fools.[1] Seriously, on all official pictures he looks like a fat baby.
review 2: I picked up this book while at a conference in Seoul. While travelling, I usually try to find something at the local book store about the local culture or history, so when I saw this volume about North Korea,... with a recommendation from Christopher Hitchens, I nabbed it. The book offers a candid look at the history of the Korean peninsula, as well as the complicated internal and external view of the North Korean regime. Myers also effectively conveys the similarities and differences between the ideology underlying the North Korean leadership and those that might appear similar, such as the Chinese and Soviet dito. less

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