The Impossible State

 

Have just finished reading an intriguing book entiled The Impossible State by Victor Cha. Prior to reading this book, I knew next to nothing about North Korea apart from the usual media treatment of the country which inevitably portrays the country in a bad light.

 

Victor Cha is the former Director for Asian Affairs at the National Security Council. During his role as an adviser he spent some time in Pyongyang so is in a very good position to comment on that country. He treats the subject objectively giving us both the good and bad points.

 

Of course there are plenty of bad points, such as the political prisoners, low wages, and no real individual thought process. Everybody is expected to treat the leaders of the country ( the Kim Dynasty) with the utmost reverence. It is fair to say that who ever the leader is, is worshiped like a god.

 

Obviously the fact that North korea possess nuclear weapons makes it a state that other countries tread very carefuly around, and allows it to get away with it's digressions. Victor Cha argues that the only way to stop this cycle of threat and appeasement, is for unification of the two countries. A costly. but ultimeately necessary excercise.

 

Victor Cha states that given the oppertunity the Korean people would flourish , once the politics have gone.

 

I enjoyed reading the book, which gave a fascinating and objective view of a little known state.