Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

June 2, 2009 (LPAC)—Lyndon LaRouche today reiterated his call for the Obama Administration to engage in serious diplomacy with North Korea, to avoid the situation in North Asia blowing up in a needless confrontation. LaRouche observed that it is known that North Korea is in some phase of a leadership succession process, and the country is also facing famine and other forms of economic catastrophe.

"The challenge is to get them to open up, and for the U.S. to find out what the story is. A high level Presidential emissary should go to Pyongyang and meet with their top leadership. Ask them: 'What is your problem? Maybe we can help.' In short, we need to engage in actual diplomacy," LaRouche explained.

"Diplomacy is all about getting the other side to tell you what they want. This is especially important, when you have a relationship between a great power and a lesser power. Very often, aggressive behavior by a lesser power is aimed at getting help in solving a problem. So, the key to good diplomacy, under such circumstances, is to be generous. This will help you in the long-run," LaRouche added.

- Profit Versus Development -

LaRouche elaborated, citing the problem that has become more pronounced, globally, in the post-Soviet era. "Under the globalization system, most governments around the world, including that of Russia today, have gotten so obsessed with making money—making a profit—that they fail to implement policies that actually improve the productivity of their economies, that insure actual economic development. In Russia, just to cite that as an example, you have a priority on raw material extraction, especially oil and gas, for monetary gain. There is no real investment in infrastructure, in high-technology industry, in scientific education. The world is gripped by Adam Smith British ideology. That is the sin of globalization. Either you destroy globalization, and put productivity and development over quick-fix monetary profit, or global civilization is going to be destroyed—very soon."

LaRouche concluded that "Most conflicts in the world today stem from this disease. Everybody is behaving idiotically. Why not focus on the real enemy: unemployment and hunger? With that as a starting point, and with patient American diplomacy, we can solve this North Korea situation, relatively easily."