2015 6/28-7/04 World Bali Conference

I am back from almost a week in Indonesia at the World Bali Conference. So many wonderful memories and moments.

* Three speakers about NK presented. At many conferences, I am the leading speaker on NK issues. But at this event, I was the third most important speaker about NK--that's because both Yeonmi Park and Shin Dong-hyuk spoke. :-)

* I kicked off the talent show by swing dancing with Kenli Schoolland, then rapping to a song from the 1990s. It has been on while since I have rapped in front of an audience without the lyrics on the screen, so I did have to practice a few times in advance. I had meant to thank Shruti Sharma, she is the one who has been stalking me about rapping at one of these conferences. :-)

* Special thanks to Li Schoolland and Ken Schoolland for inviting me to participate again in one of their conferences. It started back in 2012, when they visited South Korea, I had the privilege of hosting them in Seoul. Then in July 2012, I joined their conference in Shanghai (I discussed Michael Sandel's book "Justice"). I also joined in 2014 in Shanghai, discussing my activism with North Korean refugees. 2015 was my first opportunity to address the International Society for Individual Liberty.

* I am not a traveler, but I have done a lot of traveling this year for events--Kathmandu, USA twice (Florida, North Carolina, D.C., Massachusetts), Bali. My next trip scheduled trip is not until November, when I will be speaking at Harvard University again.

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2020 comment: Was Zoom even around back then? It is dominating now, but as soon as humans can be humans again, meeting at conferences, I bet they will. We might practice social distancing for a while, but people will start meeting again as soon as it is possible. I sometimes hear people ask this new online world has proven that many meetings are not necessary. Sure, even before I wonder about many pointless meetings. But many meetings and conferences aren't just about the content, but the experience. We could have the Bali World Conference today via our computers, but it could not have been as special as the actual event was back in 2015.

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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."

Random photos from today

I went walking around today. Whereas some people like to go walking in the mountains, I enjoy walking around in the city. Well, not D.C. or other cities with many homeless, crazy and/or armed people walking around... * * * Here's where I had lunch today. About $1.90 for a hamburger hamberger. * * * Ha-ha! Bet you never would have guessed that Batman is a drinking place in Korea! * * * Man Clinic? The Koreans walking by seemed to be very curious about why I was taking a photo of a "Man Clinic." They may know something I don't know...Actually, I wasn't curious enough to go in and find out what it was... * * * Right down the street from the Man Clinic...there's a Love Shop! I love the euphemism. "Love Shop" sounds much better than Sex Shop. I'm guessing that if you don't go to the "Love Shop" to buy condoms that you may need to visit the Man Clinic a short time later? * * * Nobo...

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...

Last weekend: Suicide, Kim Young Ha, NK

Credit: Joanne Cho Event 1: Friday night I went to a talk given by Fulbright junior researcher Joanne Cho. She did a great job putting together statistics about some of the most commonly cited reasons that so many Koreans commit suicide. Probably the most provocative tidbit: Cho watched 86 dramas from the spring of 2012 to now, she says that 63 had "scenes depicting or discussing suicide" in a favorable light (as a way to solve problems, that troubled people can be forgiven for their sins and are even seen as sympathetic). Another interesting tidbit: While it is often cited that Korea is number one in the world in suicide (among countries reporting reliable statistics), what I had not realized or had forgotten is that Korean men are number 8 in the world compared to men in other countries with reliable statistics, Korean women are #1 in the world when compared to women in other countries. My questions for the speaker: 1) What was a finding in your research th...

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