I gave a talk to some very bright high schoolers a few weeks ago, about how they should think about North Korea when they read about it in the news. Here is the gist of what I tried to get across: (thread)
Show this thread
-
3. It is difficult to do so, but try to put yourself in the DPRK's position. They are a small, poor, weak, isolated country. They have one half-friend (China) who benefits from their being a point of attention for the rest of the region. They are otherwise surrounded by enemies.
Show this thread
The DPRK view of the US is "that country that killed *millions* of our civilians during the Korean War, but who we ultimately fought to a standstill." The DPRK view of the US is, "a country that has nuked cities, overthrows governments, reneges on its deals."
-
-
From their perspective, we aren't the good guys, we're the massive, rich, powerful, evil empire. We're Darth Vader; they're the rebels. We're Goliath; they're David. In their eyes. Is this right? It doesn’t really matter, except where these views shape their behavior.
Show this thread -
Think of every movie in which a scrappy group of fighters hold back against terrible odds while the barbarians are at their gates. Think of every movie where the last soldier in the bunker hits the switch and kills himself and much of the enemy in his dying gasp.
Show this thread -
If you back them into a corner, they might do "crazy" things. If they feel all is lost, they might do "crazy" things. If they feel there is no hope, watch out. The same as we might, the same as most proud people might.
Show this thread -
If the US tries to decapitate their leadership, or destroy their nukes, expect them to feel like they are in a "use it or lose it" scenario. Expect them to have prepared for this. Expect them to be willing to make the US or our allies eat a nuke in such a situation, if they can.
Show this thread -
To continue the empathy: what does the DPRK want? Most of all, they seem to want to feel that the US is not going to try to "decapitate" them. That's why they are making nukes. That's why many governments have tended to want nukes — for security.
Show this thread -
The US has spent the last 75 years saying that nukes == security. Don't be surprised when a weak, vulnerable country buys into that logic. Don't think that you are going to convince them to give up their security with threats. It has never worked that way.
Show this thread -
4. (Bonus point) Don't believe it when people say the North Koreans are stupid, are incapable of technical feats that are now decades old, etc. Their scientists and engineers seem competent enough to do this kind of work. They have been working at this for *decades*.
Show this thread
End of conversation
New conversation -
-
-
This is not the DPRK's "view", these are the facts. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not to their own "facts". It is also a clear FACT: who is exhibiting aggressive behavior, and who is responding defensivly in kind. https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/09/04/what-the-media-isnt-telling-you-about-north-koreas-missile-tests/ …
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
The US being a country that has nuked cities, overthrows govts &reneges on its deals is not just the view of DPRK...it's fact.
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.