No I mean like why choose Israel-Palestine as the conflict for gauging how serious someone is as an anti-imperialist? Why not choose the DPRK as a gauge instead? It's demonized to a far greater extent than anything else, including PRC. Do you think it's unreasonable to use the DPRK as a gauge given the extra difficulty in breaking past related propaganda, while Palestine is much easier?
I really don't agree with your take that DPRK is more demonized to a "far greater extent" considering there is an actual war with people dying constantly in Palestine. They are both demonized in their own ways. The media/state department demonize the DPRK, but south korea is not actively invading and killing people like Israel is to Palestine. Both supported by the US, one is definitely worse right now. Both the DPRK and Palestine have extreme amounts of propaganda associated with them, and there is nuance here with how sanctions work, but currently, right now, I do fear for Palestine and its people greatly because there is an actual active war being waged on them. The DPRK is at least semi-protected by China, and while the cease fire never truly ended there isn't the same type of escalation involved the same way it is in Palestine. I hope you can understand what I'm trying to say, I don't think it also has to be some white or black scenario where if someone has a shitty opinion on Palestine but a good opinion on DPRK, I just don't just throw out all of their opinions because their opinion sucks on Palestine. I would absolutely accept that the person has at least tried to understand the situation they maybe cared about more in that situation. It's just an arbitrary bar I've come to use on people if I'm unsure of their standing. If I get to know them more, this can also easily change, just as I can probably explain to them why I think they should reconsider how they feel about both those conflicts.
The reason I say that DPRK is demonized to a greater extent is because they aren't placed in a victim role in western imagination. How many people before this week do you think have even heard of the word 'Palestine' compared to 'North Korea'? The reason DPRK is faring better is because they can defend themselves with a state, not so much due to the propaganda leveled at it. I agree with everything else you're saying, I was just curious why you didn't use the more (in my mind) demonized gauge.
I can't really break down exactly why I always think or do what I do in a certain way tbh with you. But I do think that Palestine is heavily associated with Hamas which has become another word for "terrorism" in the US at the same time. Also because I know actual Palestinians and they also helped radicalize me when I was still figuring things out, and it has made it just slightly more personal. I've witnessed the tears and stories of explaining to me why they can't hire a babysitter because they're so worried if one of the parents isn't with their child at all times they will be lost or separated forever. Shit like that effected me on a much more personal level. I'm constantly more worried about the people of Palestine, I think the DPRK has for the most part, done an incredible job providing for the people as best they can with what they have. I don't think the average person in the DPRK live in constant fear like they do in Palestine. The DPRK does have a much more sizeable standing army at the very least, Palestine smuggles or jerryrigs everything they make, it's a bit harder for them to defend themselves.
I think things could be a lot better if the US wasn't such a barbaric country for both of those places too. But Palestine is on my mind a lot more than the DPRK, and personal bias is a thing too. I know at least one person who has actually been able to visit the DPRK on a tourism type deal, but they were more in it for the thrill of going there than having some other feelings for wanting to be there/check it out.
No I mean like why choose Israel-Palestine as the conflict for gauging how serious someone is as an anti-imperialist? Why not choose the DPRK as a gauge instead? It's demonized to a far greater extent than anything else, including PRC. Do you think it's unreasonable to use the DPRK as a gauge given the extra difficulty in breaking past related propaganda, while Palestine is much easier?
I really don't agree with your take that DPRK is more demonized to a "far greater extent" considering there is an actual war with people dying constantly in Palestine. They are both demonized in their own ways. The media/state department demonize the DPRK, but south korea is not actively invading and killing people like Israel is to Palestine. Both supported by the US, one is definitely worse right now. Both the DPRK and Palestine have extreme amounts of propaganda associated with them, and there is nuance here with how sanctions work, but currently, right now, I do fear for Palestine and its people greatly because there is an actual active war being waged on them. The DPRK is at least semi-protected by China, and while the cease fire never truly ended there isn't the same type of escalation involved the same way it is in Palestine. I hope you can understand what I'm trying to say, I don't think it also has to be some white or black scenario where if someone has a shitty opinion on Palestine but a good opinion on DPRK, I just don't just throw out all of their opinions because their opinion sucks on Palestine. I would absolutely accept that the person has at least tried to understand the situation they maybe cared about more in that situation. It's just an arbitrary bar I've come to use on people if I'm unsure of their standing. If I get to know them more, this can also easily change, just as I can probably explain to them why I think they should reconsider how they feel about both those conflicts.
The reason I say that DPRK is demonized to a greater extent is because they aren't placed in a victim role in western imagination. How many people before this week do you think have even heard of the word 'Palestine' compared to 'North Korea'? The reason DPRK is faring better is because they can defend themselves with a state, not so much due to the propaganda leveled at it. I agree with everything else you're saying, I was just curious why you didn't use the more (in my mind) demonized gauge.
I can't really break down exactly why I always think or do what I do in a certain way tbh with you. But I do think that Palestine is heavily associated with Hamas which has become another word for "terrorism" in the US at the same time. Also because I know actual Palestinians and they also helped radicalize me when I was still figuring things out, and it has made it just slightly more personal. I've witnessed the tears and stories of explaining to me why they can't hire a babysitter because they're so worried if one of the parents isn't with their child at all times they will be lost or separated forever. Shit like that effected me on a much more personal level. I'm constantly more worried about the people of Palestine, I think the DPRK has for the most part, done an incredible job providing for the people as best they can with what they have. I don't think the average person in the DPRK live in constant fear like they do in Palestine. The DPRK does have a much more sizeable standing army at the very least, Palestine smuggles or jerryrigs everything they make, it's a bit harder for them to defend themselves.
I think things could be a lot better if the US wasn't such a barbaric country for both of those places too. But Palestine is on my mind a lot more than the DPRK, and personal bias is a thing too. I know at least one person who has actually been able to visit the DPRK on a tourism type deal, but they were more in it for the thrill of going there than having some other feelings for wanting to be there/check it out.