In a message dated 10/9/06 1:44:43 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> Condemn US and Canadian foreign policy for encouraging North Korea. > > North Koreaâs nuclear test did not surprise anyone who has > actually been listening to the statements of the Democratic > Peopleâs Republic of Korea (DPRK). In doing my photography work, I > have traveled to both sides of the Korean DMZ, the line that keeps > the Korean peninsula artificially divided. I have come to see an > enormous gap in how Canadaâs media reports on North Korea, and the > damage this causes to advancing peace and security in the region and > in developing an intelligent Canadian foreign policy. > > Sadly, since January 2002, the war-hawks in the Bush administration > have relied on the North to react from the very corner the west > has stuck them in. Without the âaxis of evilâ bogey man > popularized by the US media (and Canadaâ s alike) there would > be less sales of US weapons systems in Asia, and little rationale > for the Star Wars program. Does Canadaâs media report on DPRK > reaction to joint US/South Korea war games and their routine âmock > invasionâ of the North? Instead we get sensational and inaccurate > reports of the 'Dear Leader' living a playboy life, his Hollywood > fetish and crazed dictator tendencies. > > Can someone gently remind Canadians that we are still technically > at war with Korea? North Korea is doing old fashioned gun-boat > diplomacy because thatâs the only avenue left for them. If > Canadians genuinely cared for the plight of the Korean people, we > would promote peace and security of the Korean peninsula. It was > 53 years ago 45,000 Canadian troops came back from the Korean War, > and we still have not signed a peace treaty and brought security > to the region. Ottawa and Washington are complicit in this nucleur > proliferation. It is time Canada breaks with the US' embargo > rhetoric and end this cold war deep freeze. Despite starting > diplomatic relations with the DPRK in 2003, Canada continues to deny > their request for an embassy in Ottawa. > > The US could have avoided all this by agreeing to North Koreaâs > decades-long request for bilateral talks. The capitalist west should > stop the double standard of supporting only select developing > countries, while trying to overthrow ones with a different economic > system. By advancing development loans the DPRK has requested to > deal with its severe famines, we would engage them to join the > global community as a sovereign nation. By following through on > the 1994 US-DPRK agreement to normalize relations, the DPRK could > finally redirect itâs precious resources from military defenses, > to the real needs of the Korean people.  > > Perhaps the silver lining in the DPRK nucleur test is that > more Americanâs will see the dismal failure of the Bush > administrationâs pre-emptive strike policy, and possibly vote him > out of office. > > Irwin Oostindie Vancouver > > A Canadian view on North Korea: > > My photo work titled âAxis to Grindâ was sponsored by > Canadaâs Department of Foreign Affairs & International Trade and > toured Canada in 2004-05. AXIS TO GRIND photographs and digital > works by artist Irwin Oostindie reveals how North Americaâs > misrepresentation of North Korea stands as an obstacle to peace and > reunification for the Korean peninsula > > Irwin Oostindieâs North Korea photos on CBC: > http://archive.cbcradio3.com/issues/2004_01_09/index.cfm?Page=08 > (required Flash) > > âBeyond the Rhetoricâ my North Korea work reviewed at: > http://www.cankor.ca/issues/152.htm#six > > Interviewed by CNN journalist on her NKZone site (scroll down): > http://nkzone.typepad.com/nkzone/2004/02/axis_to_grind_q.html > > Occasionally available online at http://www.axistogrind.com/ > > AXIS TO GRIND was featured on various radio, print and TV > interviews, including a feature segment on CBCâs The Hour with > George Stromboulopoulos. > > A most inspired 3 minute music video looking inside > North Korea (download video from UK band Faithless): > http://www.astateofmind.co.uk/upload/movies/faithless320.zip > > A Canadian perspective on North Korea: http://www.cankor.ca/ >  A North Korean view on nucleur testing: > http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/HJ06Dg01.html # distributed via <nettime>: no commercial use without permission # <nettime> is a moderated mailing list for net criticism, # collaborative text filtering and cultural politics of the nets # more info: [EMAIL PROTECTED] and "info nettime-l" in the msg body # archive: http://www.nettime.org contact: nettime@bbs.thing.net