The Problem with Peace

Recently, the news media has been all abuzz about the coming peace talks with North Korea. Some arguing that U.S. President Donald Trump should be praised for the achievement, others pointing out that a peace has been in the works for years thanks to various members of the South Korean government, and others going in countless other directions with their various perspectives and agendas. I personally find this development quite interesting and I am rather curious to see what all comes out of it in the end. That being said, there is a problem here.

North and South Korea are two countries that have been in a state of war for many years, more than a generation, and the reason goes beyond the scope of a simple border dispute and well beyond the scope of little blog like mine. Really it points to an issue that is larger than this particular war and this particular peace talk. You see, there is a problem with peace.

The problem is this: long term, ongoing war or opposition is not economic or geographic or even political, it's ideological. We are dealing with a country that has for years raised up it's ruling family as gods among men whose every whim is to be obeyed and whose likeness and presence are to be worshiped and revered without question. This is a country where the unwanted and the disagreeable are disposed of or confined. This is country whose entire culture has been subverted by the whim of single man and his family for decades. This is a government that wants to dominate its people dealing with governments that want to lead their people.

This very issue can be seen here in the US in the ongoing struggle between the two primary ideological groups. So-called Liberals and Conservatives are not merely political groups with misaligned perspectives, they represent completely different paradigms in regard to society, government, and public policy. We won't see any real change in their relationship unless we see real change in the underlying beliefs that inform their positions. What we do see is the increasing villainization of both sides by the other and an even further breakdown of either side's ability to empathize with their counterpart.

Don't get me wrong, peace is wonderful, peace is great, but we have to define what real peace is before we can celebrate. In the case of the Koreas, unless some new revelation comes out, nothing has changed in the mindset of the Kim family or the North Korean government and so any peace that is brokered will be at best a cease-fire. Any government that maintains the basic premise that oppression is acceptable will inevitably find itself in conflict with governments and people who do not.

So while I look forward to the talks and the future that will come from them, I'm not ready to throw my hands in the air and rejoice. Who knows, maybe the North Korean government is really having a change of heart or maybe they think they can be a bit like China; ostensibly maintaining their style of government while allowing a few controlled bits of freedom so they can be more economically viable. Whose to say what the future will bring for these two nations and the world at large? Hopefully if hostilities are halted here and now then we may yet see real peace and real change in the future. Hopefully we can all learn to not only reach across the aisle, but to cross it and sit down; if for no other reason than to talk rather than yell.