As some of you may be aware of, Dennis Rodman has been making a number of trips to the communist country known as North Korea. In a piece by DuJour magazine, he claims that Kim Jong-Un's uncle was never executed or fed to any dogs.
He goes on by saying that he now fears that the U.S., not the DPRK, will prevent him from going back home in the future.
When you read the whole interview, he even address his take on the labor camps there.
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A focal point in any international relationship is always context. Has Mr. Rodman stumbled upon a venture that really has allowed him to see North Korea as the people there see it? Or is he being misled by Kim Jong-Un?
If the U.S. government has warned him repeatedly that he may not be let back into the country, for what purpose does this serve? Would not the U.S. want him to return to the country that has not only made his wealth, but that he claims to love so much?
There is of course the side of all these stories given at face value. If Mr. Rodman has stumbled upon something unique, what exactly is it?
It really makes you wonder what exactly is the purpose of foreign ambassadors today if it took a celebrity basketball player to finally get a U.S. citizen welcomed into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea? Should the U.S. embark on a new capitalist style of foreign relations, rather than career diplomats who only learn about the country they go to at home? Is on-the-fly diplomacy the wave of the future?
If the U.S. government has warned him repeatedly that he may not be let back into the country, for what purpose does this serve? Would not the U.S. want him to return to the country that has not only made his wealth, but that he claims to love so much?
There is of course the side of all these stories given at face value. If Mr. Rodman has stumbled upon something unique, what exactly is it?
It really makes you wonder what exactly is the purpose of foreign ambassadors today if it took a celebrity basketball player to finally get a U.S. citizen welcomed into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea? Should the U.S. embark on a new capitalist style of foreign relations, rather than career diplomats who only learn about the country they go to at home? Is on-the-fly diplomacy the wave of the future?
The story as reported by Huffington Post:
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Former basketball star Dennis Rodman says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did not execute his uncle Jang Song Thaek.
In fact, Rodman says he saw Thaek on one of his famous trips to North Korea.
North Korean state media confirmed in December 2013 Thaek was purged on allegations of corruption, drug use and a long list of other "anti-state" acts. Reports from North Korean state media claimed he was executed.
In fact, Rodman says he saw Thaek on one of his famous trips to North Korea.
North Korean state media confirmed in December 2013 Thaek was purged on allegations of corruption, drug use and a long list of other "anti-state" acts. Reports from North Korean state media claimed he was executed.
An excerpt from the DuJour Magazine interview:
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DJ: Have you ever seen anything alarming in your time there?
DR: It’s just like any other country, you go to Russia, Germany, you’re gonna see soldiers all over the place. You see soldiers that carry guns and sit at the airports. It’s just like that.
DJ: But the difference is that in North Korea there are hundreds of thousands of people suffering and starving in labor camps.
DR: You name any country in the world… Which country does not have that ***? Every country has that.
DR: It’s just like any other country, you go to Russia, Germany, you’re gonna see soldiers all over the place. You see soldiers that carry guns and sit at the airports. It’s just like that.
DJ: But the difference is that in North Korea there are hundreds of thousands of people suffering and starving in labor camps.
DR: You name any country in the world… Which country does not have that ***? Every country has that.
There are more questions than answers here. Is Rodman being deceived? Has he found a new style of international diplomacy? Is this the newest trend in capitalism? Remember he claims not to get paid by the North Korean government, meaning he goes there on his own free will.
Are even the stories of labor camps real, or perhaps exaggerated?
And the big question: Can celebrities make good foreign ambassadors?
