South Korea's Delusion
Philadelphia
hat is it about democra-
cies that at critical
moments they delude
themselves into thinking
that they can contain their totalitarian
enemies through a policy of niceness?
In the 1930s, the British and French
leaderships believed that appeasement,
accepting Adolf Hitler's annexation of
Czechoslovakia, would satiate the
German dictator's aggressiveness.
In the 1970s, three American presi-
dents thought that detente with Leonid
Brezhnev would make it possible to
build a U.S.-Soviet "structure of peace."
In the 1990s, four Israeli prime
ministers engaged in a "peace process"
that offered Yasser Arafat substantial
rewards on the expectation that the
Palestinians would then accept Israel's
existence.
Each of these forays in diplomacy
harmed the democratic states' interests.
The 1930s appeasement stimulated
German demands, increased tensions,
and partially caused World War II.
The 1970s detente helped build
Soviet military power and encouraged
Kremlin advennirism, culminating in
its invasion of Afghanistan.
The 1990s peace process persuaded
Daniel Pipes is director of the Middle
East Forum and author of Militant
Islam Reaches America. E-mail:
Pip es @MEFo rum. o rg
Since the Korean war of 1950-1953,
the North-South confrontation along
the 38th parallel has been perhaps the
most consistently venomous and tense
of any on the globe, with the North
permanently menacing an invasion of
the South.
With the possible exception of
Saddam Hussein's Iraq, no regime on
earth matches the North Korean for
repression of its own people and
aggression against neighbors. The
North's monomania for building up
its military forces means that these are
(in the words of one U.S. general) get-
ting "bigger, better, closer and dead-
lier."
For decades, the central fact of pub-
lic life in South Korea had been the
threat from the North — how to
deter it, prepare for it, remain vigilant
against it, and defeat it.
At the same time, the bal-
This is where, as Eberstadt
ance of power generally shift-
rightly notes, South Korean
ed in the South's favor. As the
policy "has inadvertently set in
North's economy has gone
play powerful forces" that
from disastrous to catastroph-
could not only jeopardize
ic, the South has become an
South Korea's military alliance
industrialized and rich coun-
with the United States but
try. As the North's leadership
could "trigger a major dimin-
DAN TEL
has gone from megalomaniac
ishment of American influence
PIP ES
to deranged, the South's has
in the Pacific." East Asian sta-
Spe cial
become increasingly demo-
bility and economic growth
Comm entary could lastingly be harmed were
cratic and responsible.
This has led to a confidence
this to happen.
in the South and the election in
South Korea's policy of
December 1997 of a former dissident,
wishful thinking, in shOrt, potentially
Kim Dae-jung, as the Sou,th's eighth
endangers not only its own welfare,
president. He instituted a "sunshine pol-
but also that of its entire region.
icy" to reduce tensions with the North
Which returns us to the question:
by encouraging political, business, cul-
Why do democracies lull themselves
tural and family links with it. He
into thinking they can tame an enemy
declared the North "our compatriot"
with smiles and generosity? Key factors
and promised "there will no longer be
would seem to be:
war."
• An inability to imagine evil: citi-
The "sunshine policy" makes the
zens of successful states mirror image
outside world swoon, of course; Kim
and assume that the other side could
received the Nobel Peace Prize in
not be that different from their own.
2000 in recognition of his work for
• A fatigue: having to be vigilant,
"peace and reconciliation." It also has
seemingly without end, inspires wish-
fill thinking.
deeply influenced perceptions in
South Korea.
• Self-recrimination: a tendency to
Opinion research shows a surge in
blame oneself for a foe's persistent
enmity.
hope and trust toward the North that
is accompanied by a burgeoning hos-
Knowing how badly prior cases of
tility to the United States and the
appeasement turned out, we can only
tremble while watching the South
37,000 American troops stationed in
South Korea as a tripwire to protect it
Koreans march down the same path of
from the North.
folly.
ing a Palestinian terror attack.
In contrast, the hundreds of
Israelis — children, women and men
— who have been brutally killed,
and the thousands that have been
injured in a campaign initiated and
directed by Arafat and his associates,
have generally been ignored.
However, a slow change is taking
place among - some of the more sin-
cere and serious members of groups
that advocate for international peace
and human rights. The Palestinian
strategy, based on bus-bombings,
attacks on restaurants and other
forms of terrorism, is gradually being
recognized as fundamentally
immoral.
After ignoring this inhuman bru-
tality for over a year, human-rights
groups now issue carefully balanced
reports that also condemn
Palestinian support for terrorism and
the incitement to hate. In general,
Israelis take every day, will
"political correctness" still
send a powerful message to
produces at least equal criti-
the bombers that even their
cism directed at "Israeli occu-
strongest supporters will not
pation" for causing economic
tolerate attacks.
suffering and "humiliation,"
This experience will give
but eventually these myths
them some understanding of
also will be exposed.
the fears and terror that we
To go further and demon-
GERALD M. Israelis live with.
strate a serious commitment
STEINBERG
By visibly riding the buses,
to the principles of non-vio-
Special
international peace advocates
lence and opposition to ter-
Commentary may also contribute to direct
ror, these activists also have
deterrence and prevention of
to become visible on the
attacks, thereby saving inno-
Israeli side. One of the best
cent lives.
ways to redeem their very frayed
A growing number of Palestinians
moral credentials and credibility
have begun to openly criticize the
would be to ride the Israeli buses.
leadership — including Arafat as
well as the heads of Hamas and
Learning About Risks
other terror groups — for conduct-
ing and encouraging suicide-homi-
Media images of "peace campaign-
cide bombings during the past two
ers" getting on and off the buses in
years. Continuing with this strategy
Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other places,
and taking the same risks that
STEINBERG on page 43
Palestinians that Israel was weak, lead-
ing to an outbreak of suicide bomb-
ings and other violence under way for
two years now.
But, ignoring this disastrous record,
yet another democratic state (U.S.-
backed South Korea) is deep in the
throes of making nice to another
totalitarian enemy (communist North
Korea), as Nicholas Eberstadt persua-
sively shows in the fall issue of the
National Interest.
Threat Of North Korea
Ride Israel's Buses
Ramat Gan, Israel
he thousands of self-pro-
claimed "peace activists"
and "human-rights moni-
tors" that pass through
Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport generally
head in one direction -- straight
toward the Palestinian territories.
For this group, as well as the jour-
nalists and many of the diplomats
that follow the same route, the
Palestinians still have an ideological
monopoly on suffering. With no
knowledge of Middle Eastern history
or Jewish links to Israel, they flock
to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's
compound to demonstrate their soli-
darity when he is under siege follow-
Gerald M. Steinberg, a professor, is
director of the Program on Conflict
Management and Negotiation Political
Studies at Bar-Ilan Universi t y. E-mail:
gerald@vms.huji.ac.il
10/11
2002
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