Opaque Lucidity

Ted Turner, Useful Idiot

At some point in the past ten years or so, Ted Turner went around the bend. The curve in the road of his life turned him from merely a bothersome liberal into what Stalinists used to call a useful idiot; that is, someone in the West who is not a communist but who still carries water for the cause.

Turner has just returned from a visit to Korea, where he tried to convince leaders of the North and South to turn the DMZ into an “international peace park”. Logistical problems aside (landmines, anyone?), this is possibly the most naïve thing I have ever heard an adult say. But Turner won’t let mere logic stand in the way of his crusade. He was on CNN with Wolf Blitzer a couple days ago, talking about his impressions of North Korea. This is my favorite snippet (entire transcript here):

Blitzer: "But this is one of the most despotic regimes and Kim Jong Il is one of the worst men on Earth. Isn't that a fair assessment?"

Turner: "I didn't see, I didn't see any, I didn't see any brutality in the capital or out in the, on the DMZ. We went, we visit, drove through the countryside quite a bit to get down to Panmunjom and Kaesong. We traveled around. I'm sure we were on a special route, but I don't see, there's really no reason, North Korea's got enough problems with their, with their economy and their agriculture. I think they want to join the western world and improve the quality of life for their people just like everybody else. And I think that we should give them another chance. It doesn't cost us anything. We already have agreements. And North Korea never posed any significant threat to the United States. I mean, the whole economy of North Korea's only $30 billion a year. It's less than the city of Detroit. It's a small place, and we do not have to worry about them attacking us."

This is an example of the classic leftist fallacy that everyone wants to be honest and forthright if given the opportunity. In other words, a criminal is only a criminal because he hasn’t been given the chance to be honest.

The starvation in North Korea really exists.. The concentration camps really exist. The missiles really exist. The nuclear program really exists. Kim Jong Il’s extravagant and arrogant lifestyle really exists. Ignoring them or wishing them away will do nothing. No amount of kindness from the West will turn the hard hearts in Pyongyang.

Allowing yourself to be blinded as Turner has allowed himself to be is not only foolish, but dangerous as well. Truth is a rare commodity in North Korea; Turner has swallowed the lie hook, line and sinker.