Korean 180 C-problem set 14 - Essay Example

Q 41 A) It is true that North Korea’s political ideology is not theory or science, but is rather doctrine and dogma because it is all based on the totalitarian leadership of the family is in power. Failure to comply with the ideologies that are set forth by the leaders will lead to punishment because it is seen as an attack on this leadership. Therefore, what Kim Jong Il and his father before him say, is what goes within the country. This means that there is no possible way that their political ideologies are based on science, as they are much too subjective.

The people in the country are being used as tools for the leaders to achieve that political environment that they desire, but not one that will necessarily work.B) The myths in North Korean ideology are considered backward-looking because they are past events that have been brought into the present and given specific meaning. Many of these events are fabricated or exaggerated, which makes them different from the historical events, but acts as a tool of rallying the population for the country’s cause.

For example, there are myths about how the country once operated as a Communist state where everyone only took what they needed. This myth is used in order to show the population what the ideal society would look like. This is an effective manner of manipulating the population into acting according to the government’s political ideologies. C) Ideology prevents North Korea from moving forward into a modern society because it is very difficult for outsiders to understand the political ideologies that are held in the country.

Since it is difficult for outsiders to understand, it is also difficult for outsiders to understand how the populations could take these ideologies seriously, which means that the rest of the world sees North Koreans as being less sophisticated than people of other nationalities are. D) Even though the idea of Juche is based on national pride, North Korea has received help from other communist countries. While this is somewhat awkward, it is justified because Kim Il Sung argued that the most important thing is to strengthen the Communist movement worldwide because this would end up being in North Korea’s best interests.

Kim said that internationalism and patriotism are interchangeable because they will both further the international Communist movement, which is something that would help North Korea in the long run. This was simply a manner of Kim getting the help he needed from other countries without losing the nationalist support in his own country.E) Juche is pragmatic because it makes North Korea’s position clear on every issue in which it becomes in involved. Since anything that does not come from the mouth of Kim Jong Il is automatically regarded as a mere rumor, the country’s political ideologies and foreign policies are very pragmatic.

Juche is also pragmatic as a tool of preserving Kim’s power, as no questions are ever asked, since questioning the leader is a punishable offence.