What are the capitalists of the world afraid of?-article by Russian friends of the DPRK

What are the capitalists of the world afraid of?

10.10.17

https://work-way.com/blog/2017/10/10/chego-boyatsya-kapitalisty-vsego-mira-oblik-revolyutsionnoj-kndr/

Today, the whole world can see the naked hypocrisy of some permanent members of the UN Security Council, who claim to favour "a peaceful solution to the Korean question" and try to paint themselves as "neutral intermediaries", but in reality actively support the US in their very real economic war against the DPRK.

As a result of the latest sanctions against the DPRK – adopted by the Security Council at its 8042nd session on September 11, 2017 (see here) – all UN member countries are prohibited from selling to North Korea a long list of goods, including textiles (!). The sale of gas and oil products is reduced to the absolute minimum needs of the population.  A ban has been imposed on DPRK labour, on joint ventures with the country and any investments in it. UN member countries are obliged to inspect all sea vessels if they are suspected of carrying goods from or to the DPRK.

These sanctions would not be possible if members of the UN Security Council did not openly lend their support to US imperialism, trying to deprive a small sovereign country of its right to self-defence. Thanks to them the DPRK has actually lost 90% of its foreign trade.

Until recently, many Russian friends of the DPRK have tried not to comment on the course adopted by the ruling circles of the Russian Federation on the Korean issue in the UN Security Council, where, let's not forget, the Russian Federation still has the right of veto, inherited from the USSR and won with the blood of our fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers – the soldiers of the Soviet Army following the great Victory of the Soviet people in the Second World War. Many naively believed that, as the saying goes, "if you don't touch it – it won't stink", especially since numerous pro-Kremlin trolls on the Internet kept insisting that "in fact, Russia supports the DPRK", but, for some reason, it does it "secretly". But, as one of our foreign comrades rightfully remarked, why impose these sanctions in the first place, if they're not to be observed? And how is this support expressed? In the never-fulfilled promise by Russian Railways to help reconstruct the North Korean railroads? In a ferry service from Vladivostok that was suspended as soon as it began operating? In the constant justifications of the Russian authorities to their American "partners", that the trade of the Russian Federation with the DPRK is practically zero?

This is the picture we recently found on the Internet. It truly reflects reality…

Double standards? See below

Putin introduces sanctions against the DPRK

Putin tells south Korean President sanctions against the DPRK are useless

It is absolutely clear that Russia's hostile position towards the DPRK in the UN Security Council plays only in the hands of the United States. What would be the situation on the Korean Peninsula if the DPRK did not have missiles and nuclear weapons? Any rational person, observing international events in the past 20 years, will immediately see that there would be a new Iraq or Libya. So would it be in Russia's interest if US troops appeared not only in the Baltic and Ukraine, but also at our Far Eastern borders?

But obviously, those who these days decide the Russian Federation's foreign policy, confuse their personal interests with those of the state. This is the only way to interpret Peskov's claim that "Russia's position on the DPRK meets national interests." "Translated" it means: "The position of the Russian Federation on the DPRK is beneficial to the comprador and semi-comprador financial oligarchy and high officials in Russia, who spit on the interests of the people of Russia, and dance to America's tune because they are trembling for their capitals, deposited in American banks.

By publishing a selection of photos of daily life in the DPRK, with our comments, we want to show to our readers how north Korea lives and why it is so hated by the capitalists of the world.

We know this country firsthand; we have many real friends there. We have seen with our own eyes how the country has been changing, how it has developed economically, scientifically, and culturally over the past decade. And we have seen that the changes taking place are not made in the interests of a handful of compradors – as it happens in Russia – but in the interests of the overwhelming majority of the people of People’s Korea. That is why the capitalists of all countries – the US, Russia, China and others – are so fearful of the DPRK. And the stronger its economy, its science, its technology, the higher the living standards of its population, the stronger that fear grows. After all, if the realities of life in the DPRK cannot be hidden, slandered, ridiculed, then perhaps the people of these and other countries will also start demanding socialism!

Several years ago, many foreigners, sadly, used to laugh at the DPRK. Today people no longer laugh. As information about real life in the DPRK filters through, people start to wonder why all the lies about this country. Tired of the empty words and demagoguery of Russian politicians, people in Russia start to admire the fact that in the DPRK words translate into deeds that it does not bend under US threats. Many people  start to speak out loud in response to the imposition – in our name – of the shameful "UN" sanctions: "Leave the Koreans alone! They have the right to live as they want; they have the right to self-defence, especially since they can only rely on themselves in today's world."

Pyongyang at night...

…and in the morning

Pyongyang is one of the world's most beautiful, pleasant, greenest and safest cities.  But those who have never been to North Korea can be excused for not knowing anything about it. The president of the Russian Federation has visited the DPRK, although that was a while ago. Judging by his recent comments about "the grass they eat there", he is not aware how much the country has changed, how far forward it has moved and is moving. (By the way, Koreans do it grass, it's a Korean tradition. Even Koreans working in Russia collect fern in the forest and eat it after special preparation).

Chollima is a legendary winged horse that could fly 1000 "li" a day. No one was man enough to tame it, so Chollima flew into the sky. The DPRK's Chollima Movement is associated with the mythical horse. Chollima is a symbol of progress and the nation's movement forward. Today, Chollima is being superseded by Mallima: that winged horse is 10 times faster. The country is developing now at the "pace of Mallima", as the DPRK's currently most popular song tells us.

April, in Pyongyang. April, when the country celebrates its biggest holiday – the birthday of its founder, President Kim Il Sung – is one of the most pleasant months.

Winter in Pyongyang. The Triumphal Arch commemorates the Korean people's struggle for Independence from the Japanese occupiers.

Pyongyang celebrates. Not all celebrations are marked with fireworks – only the most important ones.

A view of the Triumphal Arch from the Park of Culture and Recreation, one of Pyongyang's favourite leisure spots. The fun rides here are very modern, in no way inferior to European or Chinese ones, and the prices for them are purely symbolic.

"Okryu", one of Pyongyang's most popular restaurants. Much of the DPRK's architecture is inspired by traditional models.

The Juche Tower. As our Korean comrades say, it is the only monument in the world dedicated to ideas. It was erected in the early 1980s. At the top is an observation deck for visitors. It offers a wonderful panoramic view of the city, and the monument itself is exactly opposite the main square of the capital - Kim Il Sung Square.

View of the Taedong River.

The new Pyongyang International Airport terminal, built according to the latest technology. Without the sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council under false pretexts, airplanes from many more countries would land here. But, of course, this day will come.

Mirae Street (Future Scientists Street) is one of the newest and most beautiful streets in Pyongyang, built in record time.

Moving into a new apartment (note the door!). It is common when people move into a new apartment for government officials to pay a visit to the new occupants to get their opinion on the new housing. The average apartment is about 100 sq. meters per family. The apartments are free of charge and already furnished. Among the tenants of these new houses are representatives of different professions, many workers and scientists.

In April 2017, at the celebration marking the 105th anniversary of President

Kim Il Sung's birth, the many foreign reporters gathered in Pyongyang were told to expect "an important event". They informed the world that the DPRK must be preparing a new missile test or a nuclear bomb. Imagine their surprise when the next day they were invited to the opening of a new street in Pyongyang, Ryomyong Street. The opening ceremony was attended by Marshal Kim Jong Un. The Korean comrades laughed and said to the foreign media: "Tell the world that this street is our response to US sanctions!"

The construction of this street was timed to coincide with the anniversary. But it had to be suspended for almost two months because of floods in North Hamgyeong Province. Workers had to be urgently transferred there. Nevertheless, the new Pyongyang street was delivered on time!

After last year's floods in North Hamgyeong Province, almost 40,000 new houses for the affected rural residents were built in just two months. The whole country helped to build them. Naturally, all houses were provided to people fully furnished free of charge.

Rural houses built in North Hamgyong Province after the devastating floods.

Massive construction is under way not only in Pyongyang, but throughout the country. These, for example, are new houses for farmers – not "mansions for the elite".

Songdowon International Children's Camp

This cable car was built quite recently, together with the new railway connecting the camp. Everything is made in the DPRK. Switzerland and other Western countries refused to sell cable cars to the DPRK under the pretext of "UN sanctions" – which Russia supported. It is very embarrassing to read how medicine, sports equipment (including, for example, hockey sticks, skis and bows for archery), medical equipment and even chocolate fall under international sanctions.

The DPRK has found an expert on international law who is ready to contest the legality of sanctions. But this Irish lawyer charges 5000 Euros per hour. And the sanctions recently imposed by the UN Security Council are aimed at completely depriving the DPRK of the opportunity to earn foreign currency. And so the DPRK leadership reasonably decided that it was better to spend whatever funds are available to develop the national economy.

The DPRK government appealed to the UN Secretariat with a request to convene a forum of experts in the field of international law to assess the legal basis and legitimacy of the UN Security Council "resolutions", but it has not received any response from the Secretariat, although nine months have already passed.

The DPRK has also repeatedly appealed to the UN Security Council to discuss the serious threat to international peace and security posed by the aggressive and provocative large-scale military exercises conducted jointly by the United States and south Korea. But these requests were never included in the agenda of the UN Security Council, they were simply ignored.

Korean kids in winter

In the DPRK, the academic year starts on 1 April and the longest hollydays are in winter. This is partly due to energy shortages. But recently the energy industry has been successfully developing, despite the sanctions. Alternative sources of energy – especially solar energy – are widely used. The use of solar panels, including for street lighting, is greater than in many European countries.

As the Korean song says, "peace is at the end of our bayonets…" How true!

Recently opened rest home for war veterans. Naturally, everything here is also free. In the DPRK, the care for veterans is real, not just on paper.

During military parades, Pyongyang residents warmly welcome their defenders, spontaneously give them flowers and even let off firecrackers when the procession stops for a minute! By the faces of the soldiers, one can tell that this day is truly special for them. Preparations for the parade usually last a whole year. Some even suffer injuries while rehearsing the "dance marching" unique to the Korea People's Army. But time invested in rehearsals guarantees a flawless performance!

The "Juche" tank developed by North Korean engineers.

Not many people know that the DPRK produces its own cars and trucks. And recently, it began production of its own light aircraft.

The Korean People's Army Choir is one of the most popular musical groups in the country.

"In four years there will be a garden city here."

The Korean People's Army is a working army. While defending the country, soldiers also work hard at its construction sites, unlike NATO idlers and thugs...

After a hard day's work, it's time to party! KPA soldiers relaxing.

Koreans celebrate the successful launch of a new ICBM. In today's world, only strong defence and modern weapons can guarantee the people of the DPRK a peaceful life.

The people of Pyongyang greet the hero rocket men, who arrive in the capital for a rest after the successful tests.

The missile industry is the pride of the Korean people. North Korean youth are now dreaming of exploring outer space. Instead of hailing the scientific successes of the Korean people, the so-called "international community" is trying by every means to hamper them. And yet the peaceful exploration of outer space is the legitimate right of every sovereign state.

The Samjiyon Ice Sculpture Festival is held every year in February.

Ri Se-Gwang, gold medallist in gymnastics at the Rio Olympics, was labelled by the media "the saddest Olympic champion." But those familiar with Koreans know that they are naturally reserved.

Mass dances are a typical North Korean way of celebrating. They are uniquely beautiful and every foreigner is welcome to join in.

A concert by the recently formed "????" ensemble.

Korean musicians are familiar with the entire world's classics, as well as modern music. For example, you can hear them sing Italian popular songs, Rossini operas or arias from Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin". And, of course, the DPRK has its own operatic genre – the revolutionary opera, with works like "Sea of Blood", "The Flower Girl" and "True Daughter of the Party". In the photo, one of the DPRK's leading tenors.

In the DPRK, socialist development also means respect for traditions.

State Duma Deputy from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Kazbek Taysaev presents a collection of scientific and technical literature to DPRK diplomats. (We note that he hasn't yet been accused of violating "UN Security Council sanctions", like some other friends of the DPRK in Russia...)

The DPRK has many friends in all parts of the world, despite US efforts to intimidate developing countries, demanding that they break diplomatic and economic relations with the heroic people of Korea.

The most beautiful and touching side of the DPRK is human relations and the way people care about each other and about the country, and the country, in turn, cares about the people. Of course, to experience this, you need to visit there and perhaps more than once. In order to understand North Korean society, you need time and a desire to learn and think.

Before the UN Security Council approved the latest round of sanctions against the DPRK – aimed at strangling its economy and sending it economically, scientifically and technologically back to the Middle Ages – President Putin said the following about the DPRK's self-defensive nuclear missile program:

"Yes they [the citizens of North Korea] will eat grass, but will not give up this program."

From this, many people – both in Russia and abroad – concluded that the Russian president not only understands, but also recognises the futility and cruelty of the sanctions. But they were wrong. That was on the 5th of September. And on September 11, the UN Security Council, including the Russian Federation with its right of veto, voted for new sanctions against the DPRK. Those same, useless and cruel sanctions.

So what logical conclusion can be drawn from this? Does the Russian president want the Koreans to eat grass?

In early Soviet times, the famous literary character Ostap Bender said: "I have lately had serious differences with the Soviet authorities. They want to build socialism, I don't."

The Soviet Union no longer exists. But these words do come to mind. Except everything is reversed.

President Putin wants north Koreans to eat grass.

And we, friends of the DPRK, don't want this. Not because we are "bored", like Ostap Bender was. But because we are ashamed. We are ashamed of what Russian diplomats in the UN Security Council are doing in our name, contributing to the economic strangulation of a small neighbouring country that has always been friendly to us. Yet they pretend to support "a peaceful solution to the situation on the Korean peninsula."

A spokesman for the Institute for US Affairs at the DPRK Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently stressed the following in connection with unfair comments circulated recently:

"European countries, and other surrounding countries, with no independent opinion of their own, by supporting US declarations that present the sanctions and pressure as diplomatic means for solving the problem of the Korean peninsula, are merely trying to justify their dastardly actions. They say they support the sanctions and pressure in order to bring a peaceful solution to the problem of the Korean peninsula.

The risk of political and economic sanctions and pressure aimed at the total strangulation of sovereignty, the right to exist and the right to develop of a sovereign state is no different from the military action of a war of aggression. And this cannot be justified as peaceful and diplomatic action." (KCNA, 30 September, 2017)

Anyone who has observed the economic development of the DPRK with their own eyes for the past five years, has seen that this development is not just in words – not in slogans about what will be "by 2020" and then postponed to "by 2025" etc. – but in facts. Its aim is to improve the life of all the people, not just self-serving elites.

We want to share with you, our readers, what we saw in the DPRK. So that you understand what you are really trying to prevent and what the so-called "great" bourgeois powers are trying to disrupt.

We hope that we have shown this to you.

In conclusion

An ancient Korean fairy tale recorded in pre-revolutionary times by the Russian writer Garin-Mikhailovsky goes like that:

- "Such is the law, and by law you are illegal."
- "Or maybe it's not me, but the law that's illegal?"
- "Everything is possible."

- "Who writes the laws?" the boy asked.
- "People" they answered.
- "Are you people?" the boy asked.
- "We?" The guests consulted each other and answered: "We are the People".
- "Then it's up to you to change the unjust law" said the boy.

We are people, ordinary people. And it depends on us to change the unjust law. And even if we can't change it, we can refuse to comply with it.

We do not have capital in US banks, any property in the USA. And we, unlike Russian compradors, cannot be intimidated by American sanctions.

In 1950, a Frenchwoman, Raymonde Dien, lay across railway tracks to stop trains carrying weapons sent by the imperialists to fight the war in Indochina. She was not a revolutionary; she simply did not want more war, any war.

And if we don't want war, if we don't want our own country to be devastated by war, we must now stand in the way of a new war, a war that is now being waged by economic means by the united capitalists of the world against the heroic people of the DPRK. Because the pattern is obvious, and proven repeatedly by history: first shamelessly impudent economic sanctions, and then an armed clash; at first many small, "local" wars, and then a great war, into which the entire capitalist world will be drawn.

It is easier to stop this great war now, by fighting against all economic sanctions, against the right of certain countries to impose them on other countries. What's more, such a struggle would also benefit bourgeois power in Russia: its comprador capital is itself under sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation by the United States.

R. Oboyev