The Vegan Marxist
29th January 2011, 19:15
Ever since the socialist rise of Peoples Korea in 1948, heated debates between the left and right have spurred all across the globe on where each stood towards the Socialist regime. Gaining recognition of its Marxist-Leninist credentials by global socialist countries ranging from Cuba, Vietnam, China, Laos, etc. an ideological civil war of recognition between those solely of the revolutionary left is ongoing.
What came as a posters comment on an article, Rev. Han Sang Ryol Sentenced to Prison Term in S. Korea (http://redantliberationarmy.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/rev-han-sang-ryol-sentenced-to-prison-term-in-s-korea/#comment-2688), a comment that brought to light what many of us on the revolutionary left consider as ultra-leftism:
The KCNA wont mention the 8 socialists who were arrested in South Korea and face sentencing because they are for proletarian revolution on BOTH SIDES of the DMZ.
See: http://en.internationalism.org/node/4172″
So what exactly did these 8 socialists call for when it came to Peoples Korea?
..the capitalist North Korean state [...] has absolutely nothing to do with the working class or communism, and is nothing but a most extreme and grotesque version of decadent capitalisms general tendency towards militaristic barbarism
This internationalist declaration (http://en.internationalism.org/icconline/2006-north-korea-nuclear-bomb) also went on another point as well:
Denounce unreservedly the hypocritical campaign by the United States and its allies against its North Korean enemy which is nothing but an ideological preparation for unleashing [...] their own preemptive strikes of which the working population would be the principal victim, as it is today in Iraq.
The problem we then see here is the primary contradiction between imperialism and national liberation. Although the 8 socialists latter calls for the end of Western imperialism, their former call is nothing but a different way of supporting the Wests imperial agenda.
The so called capitalist North Korean state with the general tendency towards militaristic barbarism is actually ..the worlds most centrally directed.. economy, according to the CIA World Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kn.html). As far as its militaristic barbarism goes, according to Professor Hazel Smith (http://sites.google.com/site/nzdprksociety/commentary/the-dprk-is-not-a-strong-military-power-by-hazel-smith--professor-of-international-relations--warick-university), with a population of around 23 million, Peoples Korea spends only around $2 billion (US$) on its Defense Budget. Whereas, when compared to south Korea, with a doubling population of 49 million, they spend close to around $20.7 billion (US$) on their Defense Budget. In other words, north Koreas so-called militaristic barbarism (http://www.michaelparenti.org/NorthKorea.html) is a pipsqueak when compared to south Koreas military might, and even more so when compared to the US.
When it comes to their nuclear capabilities, knowing very well of north Koreas not-so-large military strength when compared to those who continue to threaten them, Marxist-Leninist historian Michael Parenti said (http://www.michaelparenti.org/NorthKorea.html) it best:
After years of encirclement and repeated rebuffs from Washington, years of threat, isolation, and demonization, the Pyongyang leaders are convinced that the best way to resist superpower attack and domination is by developing a nuclear arsenal. It does not really sound so crazy. As already mentioned, the United States does not invade countries that are armed with long-range nuclear missiles (at least not thus far).
So, as we can see above, for north Korea to protect its people from Western imperialism, a nuclear ambition is by far the most effective measure of defense.
When the Soviet Union collapsed on the December of 1991, Peoples Korea was left to fend for itself, having to go through an economic downturn, famine, and imperialist acts of aggression. Despite all obstacles that were presented, Peoples Korea was able to successfully pull through.
Today, large-scale international food aid deliveries have allowed the people of North Korea to escape widespread starvation since famine threatened in 1995, again according to the CIA World Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kn.html). Instead, the population continues to suffer from prolonged malnutrition and poor living conditions. Though, what the CIA World Factbook refrains from pointing out is the reason behind said malnutrition and poor living conditions.
According to former US President Jimmy Carter (http://www.cartercenter.org/news/editorials_speeches/jimmy-carter-speech-korea-university.html), the leaders and people have suffered from economic sanctions and diplomatic exclusion for more than fifty years.
To understand the level of disaster these economic sanctions deliver that were brought on against Peoples Korea by the US (+allies), according to John and Karl Mueller (http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/55009/john-mueller-and-karl-mueller/sanctions-of-mass-destruction), they have contributed to more deaths during the post-Cold War era than all weapons of mass destruction throughout history.
To this day, the US has gone about an ongoing increase of these economic sanctions (http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/crs/rl31696.pdf) against Peoples Korea, resulting to:
Limits on the export of goods and services.
Prohibition of most foreign aid and agricultural sales.
A ban on Export-Import Bank funding.
Denial of favourable trade terms.
Prohibition of imports from North Korea.
Blocking of any loan or funding through international financial institutions.
Limits on export licensing of food and medicine for export to North Korea.
A ban on government financing of food and medicine exports to North Korea.
Prohibition on import and export transactions related to transportation.
A ban on dual-use exports (i.e., civilian goods that could be adapted to military purposes.)
Prohibition on certain commercial banking transactions.*
So, having to know now where Peoples Korea stands today on the political spectrum of class struggle, one should easily come to the conclusion that Peoples Korea is on the side of socialism and against the capital-imperialist forces worldwide. Thus, making the internationalist declaration (http://en.internationalism.org/icconline/2006-north-korea-nuclear-bomb) by the 8 imprisoned south Korean socialists a reactionary call for imperialist aggression.
My initial response (http://redantliberationarmy.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/rev-han-sang-ryol-sentenced-to-prison-term-in-s-korea/#comment-2691) to the commenter who shed light on the 8 imprisoned socialists in the first place was this:
These 8 socialists clearly uphold an indirect imperialist opposition against the DPRK then. Tell me, if the DPRK were to destabilize today, who would this profit more? Those of the DPRK, or the imperialists trying to do just that? Clearly it wouldnt be the former. Instead, the latter makes more sense.
And Im telling you now, which I hope you come to understand, even if a true socialist revolution took place in the DPRK (Im curious as to what you constitute the first revolution as), what would the imperialists then do? Just back off and go home? Youre out of your mind if you think this is so.
Instead, wed see more aggressive sanctions increased against the DPRK, thus placing the DPRK within the same conditions it pertains to today.
Im against the jailing of these 8 SKorean militants, but their ultra-leftist position against the DPRK is reactionary and ultimately plays hand-in-hand with the imperialists agenda.
As I pointed out, my support goes out to the freedom of those 8 imprisoned south Korean socialists. Having said that, we must not shy away from criticizing ultra-leftism when it presents itself. For reality stands clear, reactionary politics such as this goes only in favor to that of the imperialists, and only does harm to those who need our support now more than ever.
Stand in support with Peoples Korea; Stand in opposition against Western imperialism.
Red Love & Salutes!
What came as a posters comment on an article, Rev. Han Sang Ryol Sentenced to Prison Term in S. Korea (http://redantliberationarmy.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/rev-han-sang-ryol-sentenced-to-prison-term-in-s-korea/#comment-2688), a comment that brought to light what many of us on the revolutionary left consider as ultra-leftism:
The KCNA wont mention the 8 socialists who were arrested in South Korea and face sentencing because they are for proletarian revolution on BOTH SIDES of the DMZ.
See: http://en.internationalism.org/node/4172″
So what exactly did these 8 socialists call for when it came to Peoples Korea?
..the capitalist North Korean state [...] has absolutely nothing to do with the working class or communism, and is nothing but a most extreme and grotesque version of decadent capitalisms general tendency towards militaristic barbarism
This internationalist declaration (http://en.internationalism.org/icconline/2006-north-korea-nuclear-bomb) also went on another point as well:
Denounce unreservedly the hypocritical campaign by the United States and its allies against its North Korean enemy which is nothing but an ideological preparation for unleashing [...] their own preemptive strikes of which the working population would be the principal victim, as it is today in Iraq.
The problem we then see here is the primary contradiction between imperialism and national liberation. Although the 8 socialists latter calls for the end of Western imperialism, their former call is nothing but a different way of supporting the Wests imperial agenda.
The so called capitalist North Korean state with the general tendency towards militaristic barbarism is actually ..the worlds most centrally directed.. economy, according to the CIA World Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kn.html). As far as its militaristic barbarism goes, according to Professor Hazel Smith (http://sites.google.com/site/nzdprksociety/commentary/the-dprk-is-not-a-strong-military-power-by-hazel-smith--professor-of-international-relations--warick-university), with a population of around 23 million, Peoples Korea spends only around $2 billion (US$) on its Defense Budget. Whereas, when compared to south Korea, with a doubling population of 49 million, they spend close to around $20.7 billion (US$) on their Defense Budget. In other words, north Koreas so-called militaristic barbarism (http://www.michaelparenti.org/NorthKorea.html) is a pipsqueak when compared to south Koreas military might, and even more so when compared to the US.
When it comes to their nuclear capabilities, knowing very well of north Koreas not-so-large military strength when compared to those who continue to threaten them, Marxist-Leninist historian Michael Parenti said (http://www.michaelparenti.org/NorthKorea.html) it best:
After years of encirclement and repeated rebuffs from Washington, years of threat, isolation, and demonization, the Pyongyang leaders are convinced that the best way to resist superpower attack and domination is by developing a nuclear arsenal. It does not really sound so crazy. As already mentioned, the United States does not invade countries that are armed with long-range nuclear missiles (at least not thus far).
So, as we can see above, for north Korea to protect its people from Western imperialism, a nuclear ambition is by far the most effective measure of defense.
When the Soviet Union collapsed on the December of 1991, Peoples Korea was left to fend for itself, having to go through an economic downturn, famine, and imperialist acts of aggression. Despite all obstacles that were presented, Peoples Korea was able to successfully pull through.
Today, large-scale international food aid deliveries have allowed the people of North Korea to escape widespread starvation since famine threatened in 1995, again according to the CIA World Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kn.html). Instead, the population continues to suffer from prolonged malnutrition and poor living conditions. Though, what the CIA World Factbook refrains from pointing out is the reason behind said malnutrition and poor living conditions.
According to former US President Jimmy Carter (http://www.cartercenter.org/news/editorials_speeches/jimmy-carter-speech-korea-university.html), the leaders and people have suffered from economic sanctions and diplomatic exclusion for more than fifty years.
To understand the level of disaster these economic sanctions deliver that were brought on against Peoples Korea by the US (+allies), according to John and Karl Mueller (http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/55009/john-mueller-and-karl-mueller/sanctions-of-mass-destruction), they have contributed to more deaths during the post-Cold War era than all weapons of mass destruction throughout history.
To this day, the US has gone about an ongoing increase of these economic sanctions (http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/crs/rl31696.pdf) against Peoples Korea, resulting to:
Limits on the export of goods and services.
Prohibition of most foreign aid and agricultural sales.
A ban on Export-Import Bank funding.
Denial of favourable trade terms.
Prohibition of imports from North Korea.
Blocking of any loan or funding through international financial institutions.
Limits on export licensing of food and medicine for export to North Korea.
A ban on government financing of food and medicine exports to North Korea.
Prohibition on import and export transactions related to transportation.
A ban on dual-use exports (i.e., civilian goods that could be adapted to military purposes.)
Prohibition on certain commercial banking transactions.*
So, having to know now where Peoples Korea stands today on the political spectrum of class struggle, one should easily come to the conclusion that Peoples Korea is on the side of socialism and against the capital-imperialist forces worldwide. Thus, making the internationalist declaration (http://en.internationalism.org/icconline/2006-north-korea-nuclear-bomb) by the 8 imprisoned south Korean socialists a reactionary call for imperialist aggression.
My initial response (http://redantliberationarmy.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/rev-han-sang-ryol-sentenced-to-prison-term-in-s-korea/#comment-2691) to the commenter who shed light on the 8 imprisoned socialists in the first place was this:
These 8 socialists clearly uphold an indirect imperialist opposition against the DPRK then. Tell me, if the DPRK were to destabilize today, who would this profit more? Those of the DPRK, or the imperialists trying to do just that? Clearly it wouldnt be the former. Instead, the latter makes more sense.
And Im telling you now, which I hope you come to understand, even if a true socialist revolution took place in the DPRK (Im curious as to what you constitute the first revolution as), what would the imperialists then do? Just back off and go home? Youre out of your mind if you think this is so.
Instead, wed see more aggressive sanctions increased against the DPRK, thus placing the DPRK within the same conditions it pertains to today.
Im against the jailing of these 8 SKorean militants, but their ultra-leftist position against the DPRK is reactionary and ultimately plays hand-in-hand with the imperialists agenda.
As I pointed out, my support goes out to the freedom of those 8 imprisoned south Korean socialists. Having said that, we must not shy away from criticizing ultra-leftism when it presents itself. For reality stands clear, reactionary politics such as this goes only in favor to that of the imperialists, and only does harm to those who need our support now more than ever.
Stand in support with Peoples Korea; Stand in opposition against Western imperialism.
Red Love & Salutes!