Google Bamboozled by North Korea?
As if there isn’t enough trouble in the world, the executive chairman of Google Inc., Eric Schmidt, has taken it into his head to visit North Korea. Schmidt is touring the world’s leading totalitarian state as a member of a private group led by a former U.S. congressman, cabinet secretary, United Nations ambassador and New Mexico governor rolled into one, Bill Richardson — whose previous trips to North Korea have served mainly to dignify the Pyongyang regime.
Richardson’s current roadshow, with Google’s Schmidt in tow, seems to have generated some excitement at North Korea’s state propaganda organ, the Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA. KCNA has revamped its web site, including a new gmail contact address (though the address apparently doesn’t work) and more colorful variations on the same old propaganda, including a special section on North Korea’s recent ballistic missile test “Successful Satellite Launch.” The site also features such classics as an account of the launch in Ecuador of the works of third-generation dictator Kim Jong Un, glorifying the revolutionary accomplishments of his late father, tyrant Kim Jong Il, and his grandfather, the Stalin-installed founder of the North Korean state, Kim Il Sung. On this same retooled KCNA web site, the private visit led by Richardson is heralded as “Delegation of Google Corp. of U.S. Arrives.”
Schmidt has been secretive about what exactly he hopes to accomplish on this trip. Richardson, who wants to meet with an American that North Korea, as part of its chronic shakedown racket, is now holding hostage in its prison system, has hinted to the press that Schmidt is tagging along to North Korea because he is “interested in some of the economic issues there, and the social media aspect.”
If anything here sounds like the beginning of some glorious new era in which North Korea is about to throw open its digital gates to the world wide web, and invite the starving inmates of Kim’s gulag to post their personal opinions on Facebook, think again. North Korea’s regime loves technology — but on its own terms, for carefully restricted use, for specially selected purposes, which boil down to keeping the Kim regime in power. North Korean officials are expert at hornswoggling American dreamers who arrive in Pyongyang hoping to promote some peace-loving bargain, from former president Jimmy Carter in 1994, to the New York Philharmonic, which, between North Korea’s 2006 and 2009 nuclear tests, serenaded the Pyongyang elite in 2008.
Hoping that liberal one-statist-to-another magic works with North Korea like it does with islamists, probably.
I’ll bet that every word, every sound, every gesture, that Eric Schmidt has made while he was there, even when he was using the crapper, was recorded and is the subject of intense scrutiny. He might learn a thing or two about privacy and not being evil. He has visited the innermost circle of Hell.
Google is interested in being the first in the door – and money. After dealing with China, Google has a pretty good system of how to operate in oppressive regiemes. They know there is an upper class in NK that wants access to the outside world (if to escape when the sh*t finally hits the fan) and they have money to pay for it. A few filters and limits is just the cost of doing business.
That’s right, follow the money. Will Goggle write of millions in revenue just because a customer is a tyrant starving his own citizens? Of course not.
Whether as long time self-proclaimed Nork goo-roo, as 2 term governor of New Mexico or as losing out on joining Barack’s cabinet due to some shaky money dealings during his tenure as governor, Bill Richardson is an idiot.
In the news recently are intimations that Mrs. Un has had a baby girl AND Mr. Un has been making nice noises towards South Korea.
So the boy child ruler has been painted as “softening”.
When it comes to at hornswoggling American dreamers, don’t forget Christopher Hill who was hornswoggled by NK promises into releasing a whole wad of frozen North Korean cash.
North Korea? What, did the contract with Zimbabwe fall through?
I could see Goggle’s founder, still being young and idealistic, hoping for a positive revolution in Egypt; but Schmidt is an experienced top level executive. What future market does he see in such a poor, inward looking country? The only reason NoKo hasn’t collapsed is that no one wants to pick up the pieces.
Where is the English Language version of the new site, or is there one yet?
The English version is often good for a laugh … and I don’t see any of the stories you’re referring to on the old site.
D
[Ed. - You're right, I'm not sure why, but the link to the English language web site now defaults to Korean. I've added another link to the post, which should get the English language version: http://www.kcna.kp/kcna.user.home.retrieveHomeInfoList.kcmsf?lang=eng . If that doesn't work, next thing is to hunt on google for kcna.kp ]
LOL. Mr. Eric Schmidt wants to learn more about NK’s social media ? Kim Jong Un’s people barely have sufficient rice and clothing–the VAST majority don’t (Can’t) own computers or cell phones. I’d love to see Google’s expected NK ROI statement based on such a population. The last thing N. Koreans care about is “social media.” These people are slaves and suddently KJU wants to bring them into the 21st century and link them so they can communicate about all the good he’s doing ? This clown fears a revolution–he’s seen the Arab Spring and understands the back channel communications underlying it (cf Twitter).
You’d think that the head of Google would have Googled NK before setting up a trip based on such a stupid agenda. And since I do not believe Mssr Scmhidt is stupid, I’m left to ponder, like the author, exactly WHAT does the NK leadership hope to gain from Google ? Wheat, rice, nuclear fuel rods, missle delivery systems–what ? Wait. Those already come from Pakistan, ME countries or China.
Reunification is the only way to improve the NK’s lot in life. But at what expense to SK ? W/E German reunification managed to largely undo most of Russia’s socialist influence, as they had accomplished what NO one else in the world could do…create a lazy German.
April is coming.