Answering Mr Palin.

                                   

An interesting subject raised at the meeting of the Juche Idea Study Group and UK KFA on Saturday . How do answer Michael Palin's comment to his guide that 'people in the West , are free to criticise their leaders' . Firstly , Palin's DPRK guide answered the point very well in a balanced way pointing out that it would be like criticising themselves . To expand on this ,basically in the DPRK the leader,party and masses are united in single ,integral , harmonious whole . Secondly , Palin may well be technically wrong because there are still laws in the UK and other capitalist countries,that restrict free speech . For example in the UK there is the offence of 'lease majesty ' for critcising the monarchy but it is rarely used . Moreover there are sedition laws which were used in the past . The wealthy and powerful can suppress critcism of themselves through libel and defamation laws which gave them the power to bankrupt those who write or say things they do not like. Most rich people do not care what people say or write about them because they are so rich but from time to time libel laws are invoked . Thirdly , Palin made a totally false and bogus equation between the DPRK leadership and politicians in capitalist countries . In the DPRK the leadership is supported by the entire population: there is virtually a 100 per cent turnout in the elections and 100 per cent support for the candidates. Respected Marshal KIM JONG UN is the true people's choice . In capitalist countries leaders are elected by a minority of the total electorate and actually represent in reality a small and narrow section of the population . In fact it is a wrong assumption by Palin and many others that politicians in parliament actually hold real power, this is really held by the bosses of the big companies , bankers , landlords and senior civil servants , they are not elected and cannot be criticised because usually they are invisible to the public . Finally , what Palin does not realise is that the 'freedom' of criticism ' of leaders in Western countries does not actually change anything at all. A homeless man can curse the government all day but he will remain homeless , nothing will change .
In fact the DPRK consitution does guarantee the right to complaints and petitions . Under DPRK law complaints have to be properly investigated and addressed .