2014-01-21 Swiss, free market and NK issues overlap

Yesterday was another one of those funny interesting days in my life. I was so busy with the usual Monday morning catching up before rushing to a noon meeting with Johanna Poole. She is another dynamite unsung heroine for the cause of NK human rights.

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* Then my next appointment showed up--Henrique Schneider, chief economist of the Swiss Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises. We were scheduled to talk about the economy in Switzerland to get ready for a discussion I would be moderating a bit later. He has been to North Korea to deliver lectures on economics, but before yesterday, he had only focused on economic issues when it came to North Korea. Well! Johanna and I fixed that! I got him to commit to raise at least $2,500 to help rescue at least one refugee from North Korea or to support the adjustment of a North Korean refugee here.

[As I have previously written, I am not interested in going to North Korea, I'd prefer to spend time and resources on helping people escape or adjust.]

http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2012/12/137_127749.html

* After that discussion, Henri and I caught up on some things. We have known each other for about three years, but we have mostly emailed. It was a delightful conversation, he had more questions about human rights issue in North Korea and about North Koreans who successfully escape.

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* I then moderated a Freedom Factory Co. Ltd. discussion at which Henri gave a one-hour lecture to several heirs of SMEs in Korea. He discussed the situation in Switzerland with comparisons to Korea. There are some featured speakers who have a prepared presentation that they must get through. And then there are speakers who don't mind being interrupted, welcome questions and challenges. I sensed that with Henri, confirmed it, so that made the session more lively because we peppered him with questions for almost two hours. He said several things about Switzerland that shocked the folks there, but then when he learned about some of Korea's policies, he was in utter disbelief.

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* We then wrapped up the day with another speech by Henri, this time to several professors who teach at Samsung. They were a particularly active group, it was useless for me to try to moderate them. They were as animated as six-year old kids at a candy buffet. So we had another great session, with everyone leaving the session more educated than when they arrived.

Henri comes to Korea about three or four times a year, so we will be holding a larger session for him next time around. I will be sure to remind him about supporting a North Korean refugee's escape or adjustment.

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Common Sense on North Korea (Korea Times, April 2, 2012)

By Casey Lartigue, Jr. As interesting as Kookmin University professor Andrei Lankov’s writings are, there is nothing quite like attending one of his lectures. He can barely restrain himself behind the podium, often pointing and waving his arms. I also enjoy his unscripted speeches, but his answers in Q&A sessions are like the difference between watching Michael Jordan shoot baskets in warm-ups and an actual game. I have finally discovered the secret behind Lankov’s consistently solid analysis about North Korea: Use common sense. At an Asan Institute conference last summer, he argued that North Korea watchers should try to understand North Korea from its perspective. Don’t most people know that you must understand the mindset of others you are dealing with? Yet, common sense in theory gets ignored politically. From the North Korean perspective, nuclear weapons are the best thing they’ve got going. They will NOT give them up easily, even if President Obama ...

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."

Get rid of that watermelon!

Part 1: When I was a youngster I used to collect Confederate money, posters and photographs with caricatures of blacks, and "No blacks allowed signs." I loved the money because it was a reminder of how far the sorry Confederacy had fallen. I had one poster of a dark-skinned black boy munching on a watermelon. I would look at that small poster and wonder, "What in the world is wrong with anyone wanting to eat watermelon?" Yes, white people, I'm talking to you. Your parents, grandparents, and other ancestors who thought making fun of blacks for eating watermelon were crazy ! Even people who say that nothing has changed in race relations must acknowledge that the many stereotypes of blacks are no longer prevalent. But then, there are also some ready to remind us of days-gone-by by debunking stuff that doesn't need to be debunked today. According to the Washington Post: The sound you just heard was yet another racial stereotype going kersplat ! Some ...

To be a good volunteer, use your brain (Korea Times, December 5, 2012)

By Casey Lartigue, Jr. There is probably an unwritten rule that a celebrity offering to do volunteer work for a good cause should immediately be embraced. Well, that’s not what happened to Jeong So-dam, the glamorous Korean cable TV announcer when our paths crossed on Nov. 29. Ms. Jeong was the MC of an event about American political philosophy hosted by the Association for Economic Evolution. During my speech about American libertarianism since 1940, I discussed my volunteer work for North Korean refugees. After the speech, Jeong approached me, asking how she could help. I gave her the same tough love I give to potential volunteers by asking: “Who are you?” After all, if you are Bill Gates, then open your wallet. If you speak four languages, then help with translation work. So I first stress to potential volunteers: Use your brain. Tell us about your skills and interests so together we can figure out your initial role. Jeong was good-natured about it, rather than c...

Why I won't go to North Korea (Korea Times, December 27, 2012)

By Casey Lartigue, Jr. “Have you ever been to North Korea?” This is the question I am almost always asked here in South Korea when people learn that I have become an activist for North Korean escapees. My response is curt: “No.” “Do you plan on going?” they ask next. My answer remains the same: “No.” When they start to ask a follow-up question, I cut them off: "No." People are often just trying to make conversation, I know, but I am blunt for a reason: I am not interested in going to North Korea as long as North Koreans are held captive. I could go one day, but for now, I can do without a government-guided tour by " men-stealers and women-whippers ," to borrow a phrase from American abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison. I don’t mean to criticize people who have gone to North Korea for political, educational, business, religious reasons or just plain curiosity. However, some people push me on the issue, ― and I push back. A good friend wh...

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