Freedom House I: General Observations

I walked out of the conference with eleven pages of handwritten notes. Clearly, that exceeds the level of your own interest, so I’ll break the postings up over time, as I get the chance to write them. Overall, it ran like the Tokyo train system–on time, efficient, and more than able to accomodate the large crowds it attracted. There were between 300 and 500 people there, depending on the time of day, the peak being when Sharansky and Kang Chol Hwan shared the stage. Media were present in strong numbers and were well accomodated (including Barbara Slavin, “who makes no secret of her loathing of the Bush Administration“). The speakers were interesting without exception. The only speaker who lacked a captivating stage presence was James Leach, who held the crowd’s attention through substance of content, through its affection for his role in getting the NKHRA passed, and because he was the first speaker.

At times, the tone approached that of a bilingual revival tent . . . ironically, never more so than when Rabbi David Saperstein spoke. The event had a very Judeo-Christian feel: two rabbis, a Jewish dissident, a Christian dissident, and a collection of ministers, pastors, and leaders of church groups.

Gordon Cucullu and I had a chance to talk about his upcoming book and his contribution to the AEI special issue at some length. I’ll be on the lookout for more of his pieces there. I’m also pleased to report the falsity of the Joongang Ilbo report that the “Kim Jong Il’s Crimes Against Humanity” display would be removed to avoid giving offense before next week’s six-nation talks. The exhibit was there on prominent display, and nothing appears to have been watered down.