Re: Amsdem on Korea

[Martin Hart-Landsberg <marty@xxxxxxxxxx>]

No, I did not meant a greater North Korea.  North Korea is certainly not
my model of socialism.  But I do think a process of reunificaiton that is
shaped by progressive forces looking for a way out of the crisis in both
North and South could well open up possibilities for the creation of a
dynamic working class-led socialist movement and the building of an
economy that is generally responsive to working class aspirations.  I
should add that at present the governments of both North and South Korea
would probably stand opposed to the development of such a movement but
that the crisis on both sides of the border do open up new possibilities.

I do think that Korea is a very important country to study.  There is a
very strong set of socialist traditions underlying both South and North.
And I think that the working class movement in the South is very
exciting in terms of its democratic orientation and political
motivation.

If I can do a bit of self promotion, my own thoughts on all of this
(including the North and reunification), are spelled out in my forthcoming
book (probably February) from Monthly Review: The Imaginary Line: A
History of Korea and US Foreign Policy from division to reunification.
This book builds upon my earlier work, the Rush to Development:  Economic
Change and Political Struggle in South Korea (Monthly Review, 1993).
Neither of these will be found in book stores in South Korea where books
critical of the "system" are not carried.

Marty Hart-Landsberg
On Fri, 12 Dec 1997, Rakesh Bhandari wrote:

>
> Marty wrote:
>
> >    And it is hard to see how greater freedom for
> > domestic and foreign capital to move money and operations is going to
> > promote a more domestically centered, nationally controlled, worker
> > centered, stable economy.
>
>
> Do you mean by a "nationally controlled, worker centered, stable economy"
> Stalinism with a human face--that is, "socialism in one country" (sic)?
> Hasn't this ideal already been realized by North Korea? Is the argument
> here that the North Korean model would achieve dynamic economies of scale
> if the market were enlargened by reunification?
>
> rb
>
>
>