Canada is sticking marbles up Kim Jung-un's butt

In a "man-bites-dog" story that news editors and bloggers love, North Korea and Iran attacked Canada’s human rights record at UN forum. A few thoughts:

1) North Korea and Iran are correct! Canada does have problems and it may have some legitimate human rights abuses. Even some "First Nation" people in Canada went to Geneva to complain about Canada's human rights record.

North Korea and Iran making that point is similar to the Soviet Union attacking America in the past about the treatment of black Americans. It was the moral equivalency game--"Oh, sure, we keep 98 percent of our population enslaved to the state. But look at what you are doing to 12 percent of your population."

So, yes, North Korea and Iran are correct. But it brings to mind something Jesse Jackson used to say: "Content without context is pretext."

Meaning, information without context doesn't tell us very much. Or as economists like to ask: "Compared to what?"

If you say that Canada has a lousy human rights record, well, compared to what? Compared to North Korea? Iran? Compared to what Geneva says it should be?

* * *

By the way, it was a good thing that the Soviets made that claim, that is probably the only real contribution those Commie bastards make to humanity.

2) Yes, I know that some idiot may quote me as saying North Korea and Iran are correct without the context.

To be clear, I regard the point from North Korea and Iran with the same level of seriousness as I regard a professional conspiracy theorist. They may make a good point occasionally and may even connect the dots about something evil a government is doing or has done. But then, as soon as they finish saying something that makes sense, they will next tell you that the government is sticking iPods up their butts.

Chang Ha-Joon

3) North Korea and Iran are also playing the Chang Ha-Joon foolish consistency game. Things are either true 100 percent of the time or they are not true. That's one of the games Chang played in his wildly popular book "23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism."

After all: Who can say that Canada has no human rights abuses? Governments do all kinds of evil things. Even some people from Canada are denouncing the country's human rights record. That means, according to North Korea and Iran, that Canada has human rights abuses.

A child who steals a candy bar and a terrorist who kills innocent people are both criminals, using Chang's "all-or-nothing" reasoning.

What happens to North Koreans in North Korea who denounce the country's human rights record? That's what hard labor, gulags and public executions are for! Destroy those people and North Korea no longer has a human rights problem.

In Canada? First Nation people get welfare and government support. If they play this human rights issue well, they may even get their airfare and other expenses paid for by the Canadian government (if they aren't already doing so) to travel to Geneva to complain about Canada's human rights record.

If I were in charge of propaganda in North Korea or Iran, I would invite a First Nation chief from Canada to tour the country, giving speeches about Canada's awful human rights record.

And then there is the final question: How many North Koreans would move to Canada and how many Canadians would go to North Korea if they did an Unsatisfied Citizen Exchange Program?

Casey

Grand Chief David Harper

From the National Post article:

“Canada has not been listening to civil society, labour and indigenous voices in Canada,” said Meera Karunananthan, a Council of Canadians campaigner who was in Geneva this week, along with others, challenging Canada’s human rights record.

Grand Chief David Harper of the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimaka, who also travelled to Geneva, said “1,880 First Nation homes in Canada do not have clean running water.”

Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada, said there is concern among civil society groups about Canada’s ability to implement the UN recommendations.

"Yoegi Anjuseyo!"

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Rich talking back

The rich are talked about very often in negative terms, but how often do the rich respond in kind? Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart, who inherited most of her money but apparently has also done very well with it, recently railed against class warfare and had some advice for the non-rich : "There is no monopoly on becoming a millionaire," she writes. "If you're jealous of those with more money, don't just sit there and complain. Do something to make more money yourself - spend less time drinking, or smoking and socializing and more time working." She complained about politicians raising taxes, regulations that slow investment, and other anti-business policies that harm the poor. "If you want to help the poor and our next generation, make investment, reinvenstment and businesses welcome."

2020-07-24 Pandemic Tutoring

The question comes in various forms, as a request, a recommendation, a plea, an insinuation, an accusation, and sometimes (or most of the time) it is a demand and complaint at the same time. In my in-box yesterday: "And I wanted to know if TNKR also transitioned to online services as any other educational institutions globally under the pandemic." This was from a previous volunteer who is now in the USA, so I took more time to answer him, and will expand it now so I can share it with others asking. As context, TNKR started in 2013 as an informal volunteer group connecting North Korean refugees with volunteer tutors. In 2016, we became an official organization despite lacking funding. Mainly because we have limited resources we keep focused on our main mission, but try to expand based on the needs of North Korean refugee learners. We have developed a learner-centered organization that has a great reputation among North Korean refugees. That means we are not a social club or re...

Michael Breen discussion at 10 Magazine

Yesterday I attended a discussion with writer Michael Breen, hosted by Barry Welsh. Very often, when I attend a speech or discussion about a topic I know a lot about, I often think about ways the speaker/facilitator/discussant could have done better. But I didn't feel that way about Breen, it was one of those times that I really felt like I had a lot to learn and should listen more than talk. He's been in Korea for three decades, working as a reporter, commentator, communications specialist. He reminds me of Andrei Lankov in that his analysis seems to be based on observation of how things work rather than trying to get the world to fit his biases. I don't know him, so his friends may say he is a raging ideologue, but that's not the impression I had yesterday and based on his writings. Michael Breen (L) and Casey Lartigue I first read his book The Koreans about a decade ago. It was a delightful read, that was both warm to Koreans but also critical at times. Yes...

Humanitarian with a guillotine (Korea Times, February 1, 2013) by Casey Lartigue, Jr.

Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan said the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, `` I’m from the government, and I’m here to help .” For many well-intentioned activists, politicians, and intellectuals, that should be updated as: ``We are here to help you. You’re under arrest.” For example, ``sex workers” around the world oppose anti-prostitution laws. Prostitutes may not know the theoretical arguments but they do know in reality that prohibiting prostitution means they lack protection in dealing with abusive pimps and madams, violent patrons and crooked cops. Locally, a Korean woman busted for prostitution recently appealed to the courts pleading , ``I cannot survive without this job. I don’t want to be treated as a criminal for making a living the only way I can.” How should someone who genuinely wants to help her respond? If you say ``arrest her” then you are qualified to be a “harmful humanitarian.” In your desire to help, you have elimin...

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