Comments on: Alejandro Cao de BenÃ³s Interview â€“ Part 4

By: Owen Hilton

Owen Hilton — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 08:09:45 +0000

Mockery has its place, but without wit it merely reflects badly on its perpetrator (and UK parliamentary proceedings can supply many examples of that phenomenon).

However, it is good to see that at least two readers see some value in considering the contents of Alejandro Cao de BenÃ³s’ remarks rather than allowing themselves to be blinded by self-righteous indignation.

By: Sonagi

Sonagi — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:22:26 +0000

First, “mendacity,” and now “mendacious.” Are you doing some word-a-week thing to enrich your vocabulary? I prefer to characterize Cao’s interview responses as the lies of a lying liar.

By: Joshua Stanton

Joshua Stanton — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:14:08 +0000

So we shouldn’t think of Cao as a fat white guy strutting around North Korea in a Mao suit, we should think of him as a “public representative” of an unrepresentative and illegitimate regime who is nonetheless cloaked in sovereign immunity from ridicule and criticism as he seemingly leaves no abhorrent, hypocritical, or mendacious thing unsaid. Because snarky blog comments are no less an atrocity than anything that happens in those camps that Cao says don’t exist, and which are, to the people of North Korea at least, well beyond the boundaries of permissible debate on “the history of North Korea and the plight of its citizens.”

By: biff

biff — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:52:28 +0000

If you deplore infantile remarks, the internet is not the best place for you, Owen. I suppose you would have hailed for Hitler, even though you disagreed with him personally. All very noble of you, sir. Very commendable.

Sure, Alejandro is a great representative of NK. He grew up in Spain and he can’t even speak Korean. Give me a break. “Seriously consider” whether Kim Jong Il is the greatest man in human history. Yeah, let me go do that now…

By: kushibo

kushibo — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:24:59 +0000

While Owen Hilton makes a valid point somewhere in there that our own view, as opponents of the Pyongyang regime, seems empty if we are not able to rebut his claims and instead only stick to mockery and name-calling, he should recognize that such substantive analysis and punditry is done elsewhere on this site. To some degree, being able to comment on such willful ignorance provides something akin to comic relief as we pore over the goings-on of such a horrific entity as the DPRK government. Surely, Mr Hilton, you can recognize that? That said, the I do see some value in the interviews in that it may provide some insight into what's in the heads of the North Korean elite, particularly (as The_Incredible_HUK notes) fears of North Korea becoming the Inner ChÃ¡oxiÄn Autonomous Region.

By: Sonagi

Sonagi — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:07:43 +0000

Most of the “infantile” comments are ridiculing a remark that most Westerners regard as racist. Racism communicated in formal language is still racism. I differ with your apparent belief that the only appropriate response to an absurd statement is a polite, logical rebuttal. Mockery has a place in public debate, and no group demonstrates this more effectively than UK Members of Parliament.

By: Owen Hilton

Owen Hilton — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:54:14 +0000

It is not necessary either to be a supporter of the North Korean government or to be a defender of Alejandro Cao de BenÃ³s to deplore the infantilism of many of the comments that appear in this thread. Like him or not, Alejandro Cao de BenÃ³s is a public representative of the regime and his remarks should be considered seriously, and their value assessed accordingly. Simply to hurl abuse can only reassure its object that his critics have run out of arguments.

By: biff

biff — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 08:18:30 +0000

Owen:

If you carefully look through this site, you’ll see that there’s a lot of rational debate about the plight of North Korea and its citizens. But there aren’t a lot of serious, reasonably intelligent folks who can support the Kim regime or people like Alejandro who are essentially its puppets (if you disagree with this, please point out the major criticisms Alejandro has made of the Kim regime).

If you want a rational debate, bring it, but defending Alejandro is pretty laughable, and I should note that Joshua has been pretty strict about name calling on this site, and has chastened me for commenting on Alejandro’s sexual predilections. I’m personally am certainly not above having some fun at an intentionally useful idiot’s expense.

By: Owen Hilton

Owen Hilton — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 03:48:14 +0000

You could say that, particularly if your perspective is that of one who believes that the history of North Korea and the plight of its citizens is not worthy of rational debate.

By: Joshua Stanton

Joshua Stanton — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:00:19 +0000

Or, you could say that the complete absence of North Korean “netizens” from this thread has kept the tone far more civil than it would otherwise be. Sort of depends on your perspective, doesn’t it?