Forceful patriotism

 It's interesting to note the extent of indoctrination on people. And how much affects them.

So I was watching DW documentary on North Korea and I am torn between understanding their lifestyle and trying to respect their culture.

As we probably know by now, the human mind is the greatest asset we have. Once you mess with the mind, both literally and otherwise, the person is lost.

So from the documentary that spanned over the period of 8 years (due to restricted movements), I discovered that they are programmed into a certain way from thinking from a very young age.

Their childhood education consists of learning Maths, Sports and singing. Yeah, they sing about the glory of the nation and how great their leader is.

Azin, they chant the songs all the time, without getting tired of it at all. Another peculiar attribute of them is the stature and pictures of the leaders littered across the country.

And that's not all. You always acknowledge the pictures/statutes anywhere you see them.

If you are walking, you stop and bow in greeting.

If you are on a bike, you have to stop your bike and stroll the area.

If you're driving, you actually have to slow down your car on the statutes.

They said it's like their Jesus Christ just much more.

And let me shock you the more... Their capital city Pyong-Yang is another thing altogether.

You just can't pack and relocate there oo. You must be invited by the state. So it's only high influence citizens that live there.

Plus, if you finally get accepted to reside there, you've got to keep to the law cos there is a possibility of you facing temporary or permanent exile (depending on your crime).

It's as though patriotism is forcefully imposed on them.

They wholeheartedly believe that Pyong-Yang is the best city in the whole world, the greatest.

And they don't call the president by his name oo. It's "The Great Leader."

Of course, the media is controlled. The only movie you can watch is the one provided by the state (of which is mainly aired on the streets).

And you know how the messages will be. It's either it's promoting the state, teaching you the importance of patriotism and what happens to culprits.

And same movies air over and over again. Let me just add that the movie qualities look like something out in the 80s.

Yeah, in case you didn't know before, the Korea dramas you watch is South Korea.

Let's not talk about their outfits, hair cuts, etc. I once saw a post that stipulated the consequences of certain trivial crimes there. It's brutal.

It's fascinating to discover all of this.

And I can't help but imagine how their lives were before.

What was the country before they two Korea nations divided?

How did those who lived before them accept the new system?

It reminds me of reading Mona Elthaway and Khalid Hosseni vividly describe the lives in the Middle East prior to the overtake by the Talibans.

The pattern is same in all the cases. These people that would later become tyrants always come off as being the saviours of the people.

Soon after acquisition of power, the story changes. And they become even worse than the government they condemned.

But what I have not yet grasped is how easy it is to force people into docility. The forceful imposition of dictatorship with the indoctrination masked as the good will of everyone.

I say this cos I see same pattern arising in this country. It's so easy to wield control over the mind of human beings... We should be careful and thread very carefully.

As for North-Korea, we will see the progress/outcome of the country in the long run. I am still amazed with the contrast between it and South-Korea.