“The North Korean regime depends upon isolation from the outside world to maintain its grip and pursue its international objectives. The regime is deadly afraid of what it terms 'ideological and cultural poisoning': that is, of foreign media, international information, cultural exchanges, and the like. We should be saying: Bring on the 'poisoning'! The more contact that enslaved population has with the outside world, the better.” So concluded Nicholas Eberstadt – who holds the Henry Wendt Chair at the American Enterprise Institute -- in an article, “Wishful Thinking Has Prevented Effective Threat Reduction in North Korea,” published in the February 29, 2016 issue of National Review. Here are the portions of his essay that focus on North Korea’s ideology and ways to weaken it.
- Our policy is a failure because our public and our leaders do not understand our adversary and his intentions.