Kim Jong-un doesn’t scare anyone; his colonial masters do

If everyone in Washington knows something, it isn’t true. – yours truly, adapting Paul Wells’ Second Rule of Canadian politics

Today there is outrage – and well-deserved it is – at the motion-picture industry’s spectacular fold on The Interview. What would have been a slipshod comedy that fed the mistaken notion that a tyrannical regime can be swept away by the elimination of its leader (one would think Lenin and Mao’s deaths would give purveyors of this notion some pause) has become a symbol of the craven appeasement that runs through the moguls of the “creative community” (to be fair, the labor side – i.e., the actors – don’t seem to share the weakness, for now).

Yet for all the bandwith used on the subject (from National Review to Mark Steyn and back again), one critical factor is being completely ignored: Kim Jong-un’s de facto colonial masters, i.e., the Chinese Communist Party.

By itself, the Kimist regime controls less territory than Vladimir Putin wants from Ukraine, is engaged in mass malnutrition, and has trouble keeping the lights on. How can this ten-cent general (as my old history teacher would have called him) strike fear into so many hearts? Only because the CCP backs him to the hilt – or to use their phrase, they are “as close as lips and teeth” (Syndey Morning Herald).

Sadly, no one – certainly not this president, but certainly not his predecessors either – has held Zhongnanhai accountable for its northern Korea colony.

That has to change. Fifty years ago (roughly), John Kennedy refused to play a similar game with Cuba. He flatly and forcefully held Moscow directly responsible for anything Fidel Castro tried to do with his new nuclear arsenal. The Soviets got the message, and after negotiations, said arsenal were removed. One can argue about Kennedy’s performance during those negotiations, but one cannot question the wisdom of linking the benefactor to the would-be belligerent.

A similar mindset must take hold today. The CCP must suffer consequences for their colony’s behavior. Of course, for this matter, the consequences should be reasonable: legislation reducing film tax credits or deductions for any project involving mainland China (admittedly, that’s a little crude, but I only came up with it about an hour ago), use of “prosecutorial discretion” to come down harder of visa violations and/or copyright infringements from same, or – if we really want to make a point – accelerating arms sales to Taiwan (which would be a good idea anyway).

The Chinese Communist Party has built alliances with anti-Americans around the world: the Kimist regime, the mullahcracy of Iran, Bashar Assad, Putin, etc. Yet they have repeatedly escaped any serious repercussions. That needs to change – and it needs to change now. Otherwise, Zhongnanhai’s allies will be emboldened to do a lot worse than a movie cancellation.

As an aside, this incident should also remind us that our deeply cherished liberties at home require strength and power abroad, but that’s for another post.

@deejaymcguire | facebook.com/people/Dj-McGuire | DJ’s posts

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