We are the rogues for North Koreans (for some Italians too)
Il Giornale, April 28th, 2013
Pyongyang and Iran report Canada to the UN for human rights violations. Ridiculous? Yet in the West some countries agree
It is not that awkward as it may seem at first blush: the North Korean regime has attacked Canada within the UN accusing it of human rights violations. It is the same regime which incidentally has just carried out its third nuclear experiment threatening its neighbors and the US, which is starving and detaining in fields its people, who are actually forbidden everything. As customary at the UN, all the other thug states in chorus joined in blasting Canada, like Iran “we are concerned about violations of human rights, about child sexual exploitation in particular.” China “We are dismayed about widespread racial discrimination”; Cuba “Racism and xenophobia”; Egypt “Racial discrimination at the workplace”, and here goes North Korea. They worry about: “The right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression”. It is not surprising that these discussions are raised at the UN considered that all democratic countries, including ours, are accustomed to widespread admiration of countries whose regimes are liberticidal and violent.
Why that happens is unknown; yet it occurs since the time the URSS was depicted like an earthly paradise by numerous politicians and eminent intellectuals (to name one, Italo Calvino, went on a famous journey to the URSS, that he later depicted as a fresh, naïve, honest, and consoling country… )
People also have a liking for North Korea, as shown two nights ago on the TV show Otto e mezzo, "la 7", when italian journalist Lili Gruber when she interviewed philosopher Gianni Vattimo who declared that things are not “as depicted by you, information that belongs to the imperialists” whom “he doesn’t trust at all”. He skated over the question why he doesn’t spend some time there then. After all, this fondness for regimes which hate freedom, women, Christians, and Jews is shared. Vattimo also deeply loves Iran, that he said he hopes will get its nuclear bomb as soon as possible, he also likes the Muslim Brothers’ Egypt, who, unlike Monti, were freely elected; on the contrary he reiterates his hate for Israel at all times, whereas he adores Palestinians, including Gaza. Back from Cuba he admits being “one of those Western intellectuals fascinated by South American dictators and caudillos [commanders, T’s. N.] … Castro hugged me and I took his face in my hands with some tears in my eyes”.
Concerning the tears caused by Castro, Vattimo is certainly not alone: there are many who cry because of him, for instance people are incarcerated for crimes of opinion and their families who struggle for their liberation. Vattimo said that between love for freedom and love for Castro, the latter prevails. It also prevails, just one example among many, for Mr. Oliviero Diliberto, leader of Italian Communists, who enthusiastically praised Cuban society and economy, comforted that Raul will not change the island’s socialism. He doesn’t care about the lack of goods and freedom. He is manifestly enthusiast. An adjective that can liberally be employed, still in the Latin American context, for the ex Camera speaker Fausto Bertinotti after Chavez died. He defined Chavez’ Venezuela “a key player for redemption and renaissance”. This view is basically also shared by Don Andrea Gallo, a famous opinion maker priest, who in his public eulogy defined Chavez “a great statesman” and refers to his Venezuela as "a Country which pursued the road of liberation, of union of different cultures and fight of capitalism”. We can’t help but wonder what this crowd is still doing in Italy.
How is that a man of learning such as Nobel Prize Dario Fo has fought against the participation of Israeli famous and even leftist authors in festivals and meetings? Is it a racial matter? Lastly, our topsy-turvy touristic Encyclopedia can’t overlook Beppe Grillo, who actually stands out. The 5 Star movement leader, whose wife is Iranian, acquired great admiration for Iran “whose economy is flourishing, people have jobs”. Ahmadinejad, for him, does not mean to wipe Israel off the maps: “He’s just saying so. After all, also when Bin Laden’s speeches appeared, my father-in-law, Iranian, would explain to me that all translations are filtered by an international agency, named MEMRI, with a Mossad agent behind it”.
According to Grillo all we know about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is deceitful because transmitted at its media origin by MEMRI. What is certain is that he found out that women in Iran are "the core of the family. Our fears arise from what we do not know”. Basically, for him, not only women but all people in Iran are doing well and enjoy good economics and good politics. Maybe he’d do well there as well.