Now I’m not a history teacher in any fashion or facet ,and I don’t work for Google SO this is not a history lesson on/about North Korea. If you find this post interesting, and would like to know more about what is known of North Korea I encourage the reader to research the subject further.
Most people have a basic idea of a what a cult is and often wonder how so many “normal” people would join a cult in the first place. Cults are like drugs in their fun at first its all parting, everyone is smiling with joy and its fun. Yet just like drugs while its fun at the beginning you suddenly find yourself struggling with a serious addiction problem that dominates your life, and wondering to yourself how the hell you ended up at rock bottom?!
Now the next question is how could someone convert an entire country into a unthinking, all accepting, submissive, and STRICTLY obedient cult? The answer is as follows and as you’ll see this kind of total domination of a whole society isn’t accomplished in days, weeks, months nor years, an undertaking of this magnitude takes DECADES of relentless conditioning spanning three generations of like minded family. The insanity began in 1948 when Kim II-sung took control of North Korea as their invaluable leader (he was in fact a rather run of the mill dictator). Still Kim II-sung set the stage of mass social repression, and when his time was up he handed of leadership to his son Kim Jong-il who grew up by his father’s side, and fully backed his father teachings on how to rule a country with an increasingly iron fist. Finally after Kim Jong-il’s term of chaos came to an end he like his father he turned over leadership to his son Kim Jong-un who was completely indoctrinated by his father Kim Jong-il to believe as he and his grandfather Kim II-sung did in how to govern the nation of North Korea. So now we know when it started and the 3 key players that perpetuated the cult mentality to achieve ultimate power over North Korea just like their father’s before them had worked tirelessly to implement. That though explains nothing of what terror tactics (combined with the cult brainwashing) that was used by the ruling family to render North Korea into an unquestioning, docile and utterly susceptible population.
The basic concept of cults used in this case to enslave a entire nation of people is rather quite simplistic equation. First you cut of cult members from the outside world, friends and family basically any and all outside ideas/influences. Obviously when it comes to North Korea your entire family and friends are indoctrinated as well into the cults belief system. Still North Korea’s self imposed isolationist mentality meant eliminating any and all outside influences of the world outside their boarders so NO INTERNET, smartphones, newspapers, tablets,magazines or tv/radio programs. Second you over work the people unrelentingly for 14-16 hour day 7 days a week so they are effectively functional but exhausted physically. Third since you over work your people you then also under feed them, cementing not only the physical exhaustion, but also accomplishing mental fatigue as well. Anyone who has experienced low blood sugar can personally identify with the toll it takes on your mental faculties causing confusion and inability to talk straight due to incoherent thought patterns. The last piece in the process of breaking a persons free will is sleep deprivation which is usually achieved by blaring air horns in the middle of the night for mandatory bullshit meetings. Sleep deprivation alone can cause mental deterioration causing acute paranoia, auditory and visual hallucinations, and can lead to insanity even death. Now when you compound physically exhaustion with deceased mental capacity and tie it all together with sleep deprivation you’ve effectively broken a persons spirit as they slowly lose their personal identity, thoughts and feelings making them susceptible to brainwashing/mind control.
Now while the above tactics have been proven to work on various groups inevitably someone will realize its all batshit crazy and will ultimately defect, and when the truth behind the cults real intentions are made public. Once this happens the cult is dismantled (by choice or outside force) disband due to infighting or just wither away like a common weed. So how can someone not only transform a country into a cult permanently without a treat of revolt, revolution or resistance?! This is where North Korea’s family ongoing family dictatorship had to really up their game and become increasingly creative to insure their indoctrination remained unquestioned. Remember when I said there was no TV or Radio shows, what I meant was any outside tv/radio sources. The ongoing dictatorship sponsors ONLY GOVERNMENT SPONSORED tv and radio shows that in all reality are a 24/7 non stop propaganda machine run for and by the Dictatorship. All tv and radio programming is basic as it gets as its and endless stream of propaganda proclaiming the endlessly magnificent accomplishments of Kim Jong-un, his father Kim Jong-il and his grandfather Kim II-sung and glorifying their various victories in defending North Korea from evil outside entities, and how much they did to improve the country and lives of its people (which is a the biggest lie of them all)
The assault on the senses doesn’t end there by a long shot. Emulating George Orwell’s classic novel 1984 (coined the term “Big Brother Is Watching”) the current leader Kim Jong-un as well as his family before him PLASTERED his picture all over, posters, giant wall murals, paintings, statues and even t-shirts. This is so no North Korean citizen can walk more then 3 feet without seeing one of the dictators faces so your constantly reminded of who your ruler is and his family before him. It also helps to separate North Korea from the rest of the evil outside world and boost the leaders image in the public eye is to not have a president or a king, but rather a SUPREME LEADER (if that shit isn’t straight out of a Cult 101 textbook I don’t know what is) Another way to instill undying and absolute devotion like a cult it helps to throw lavish parades and ceremonies again exalting the lives and accomplishment of The Supreme Leaders. Now this has to be an all day affair with thousands of participants and on lookers, and you can use the same template to create your own holidays too and celebrate them the same way. Lastly in a retro kick back to WW2 install a national network of air raid sirens that can double as a PA. Once the system is installed The Supreme Leader can spread more lies and garner more admiration by utilizing the PA through out the day to further prove his great omnipresence (i.e. Government daily morning exercises/calisthenics, or Supreme Leader parades announcements, bullshit news or reassuring the utter trust and infinite loyalty a citizen should have for their Supreme Leader(s)
To insure continued servitude of generations to come North Korea like countless others (i.e. Hitler Youth) before them have, exploit the children. While the constant barrage of pro Supreme Leader propaganda seems like it would be quite sufficient its not. In school there are virtually no actual classes (Math,Science eye) but daily lessons that severe no purpose but to promote the greatness of The Supreme leader and father as well as grandfather through stories and songs alike. So essentially the only topic ever discussed is how great The Supreme Leader is, what great shit he’s done for the people and country alike, and that you should have ETERNAL and UNDYING Love and loyalty to the Supreme Leader. this is furthered by the Korean Children’s Union which is a political organization for kids 7-13 years of age where the kids pledge to build up strength to defend their nation/Supreme Leader.
The title of Supreme Leader adds a convenient has a god like quality which has been exploited as well to get the citizens of North Korea to remain obedient beyond a shadow of a doubt. Just like the controversial comedy with Seth Rogan and James Franco called “The Interview” (controversial because of North Korea’s horrendous hate for the content of the movie. Seriously the last time some shit like this happened was when the Muslim’s were outraged by Salmon Rushdie’s writing of the book Satanic Verses) the citizens believe The Supreme Leader is a deity or even a god to the point if he said he doesn’t shit then thats a indisputable fact among the people of North Korea.
Another piece of the puzzle is the all familiar fear factor. While The opponents of The Supreme Leader have disappeared, been thrown in prison for life without any type of trial, and simple executed wasn’t uniting the citizens. It only motivated their compliance through the fear of imprisonment or death for even thinking a single negative thought about the Supreme Leader. To further unify the citizens under the gneiss of The Supreme Leader there had to be a common enemy that without the Supreme Leader would invade, conquer and destroy the North Korean culture. Earlier on in North Korea’s dictatorship the Japanese and Landowners who were demonized as North Korea’s public enemy number one. North Korean’s where told the Japanese and landowner’s wanted nothing more than to invade North Korea, conquer it and its people, and them systematically destroy the culture of North Korea. Now as time went on and the face of global politics changed so did North Korea’s universal nemesis. The threat of the Japanese and landowners gave way to the intense hatred of America. All joking aside currently the Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un is vehemently damning America and informing his people that EVERY problem in/with North Korea is directly linked to America because America hates and wants to invade North Korea just as the Japanese. If you don’t have enough to eat its because America wants to starve you, not enough money well thats because America is full of capitalist greed so they don’t want others to have money, stub you toe well America moved the chair so you’d stub your toe. We are the playing Satan to North Korea’s God being the Supreme Leader.
Lastly even with its strict and unyielding self imposed isolation North Korea’s Supreme Leader(s) realized it was in fact impossible to totally cut North Korea off from outside countries. So if they couldn’t prevent the periodic visitation of foreigners then they did the next best thing which is to control the visits. Again just like in movie”The Interview” and the documentary “Dennis Rodman’s Big Bang in Pyongyang” when a visitor is invited to come visit North Korea everything they see and do is dictated by the directives of The Supreme Leader (you can’t freely walk around anywhere period), and everything you say/do is closely monitored as your assigned a government agent as your only tour guide and accompanied buy several soldiers your entire trip beginning to end. This is obviously because the North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un has plenty to hide such as he’s starving his people, committing human rights violations, wide spread poverty, executions, embezzlement and misappropriation of funds, and food shortages (a problem when you can’t conduct business with the rest of the world) to name a few. To accommodate this North Korea again relies on propaganda (The Supreme Leader tells the world from time to time or if asked that North Korea is nothing short of Utopia where food is plentiful, business is booming, everyone is happy and wealthy and other various lies, and good old bullshit staging. This is not a joke they just like in the movies listed above North Korean has set up fake grocery stores over flowing with food to show visitors, but in reality is 100% fake. They also show visitors a good bit of the pomp and circumstance surrounding The Supreme Leader (like events, holidays, parades and such showing how much the North Koreans love their Supreme Leader, their country of North Korea and couldn’t be happier if they tried. Bottom line is it a smoke and mirrors 3 ring circus pony show.
In conclusion North Korea still remains steeped in mystery what we have learned is as bizarre as it is troubling, a country who uses and abuses its expendable citizens for their own personal gain and glory. As I wrote that I realized how eerily it parallels Americans current presidential problem.
Presented By Les Sober