Why We’ll Play Pyongyang
Music Director of the New York Philharmonic, Lorin Maazel, discusses (subscription required I think) why the orchestra is visiting North Korea.
Money quote:
I have always believed that the arts, per se, and their exponents, artists, have a broader role to play in the public arena. But it must be totally apolitical, nonpartisan and free of issue-specific agendas. It is a role of the highest possible order: bringing peoples and their cultures together on common ground, where the roots of peaceful interchange can imperceptibly but irrevocably take hold. If all goes well, the presence of the New York Philharmonic in Pyongyang might gently influence the perception of our country there. If we are gradually to improve U.S.-Korean relations, such events have the potential to nudge open a door that has been closed too long.Alas, where to begin. If the Maestro is suggesting that the Communist dictators of North Korea have brainwashed their people to think all Americans have horns, well maybe the concert will disprove that since they will see a hornless concertmaster and orchestra. But beyond that? And we need to "gently influence the perception of our country there"? Such clichéd thinking is embarrassing. As much as the Left pretends otherwise, the Cold War was not won by concerts or figure skaters or dancers. It was won by Ronald Reagan building our defenses to the point the Soviets knew the game was up. The Reagan Doctrine was Rollback, not Containment. Unfortunately, Maazel and the Philharmonic in Pyongyang is a very tired variation on the theme of cultural exchange used endlessly in the Containment Era. A much more historic and full-throated approach would have been for Maazel to say simply: Kim Jong-il, Set Your People Free, and we will visit. Instead, the New York Philharmonic will become a North Korean propaganda tool. UPDATE: Post-concert comments here.
February 21st, 2008 at 7:58 PM
Why don’t you grow up? We’re borrowing Billions from Communist China, and useing it to buy Oil from Muslims. The interest we pay Godness China, they use to build up their Military and promote Communism in south America. The World will take a big breath and say Thank You God when George Bush gets the hell out of the White House.
February 22nd, 2008 at 10:25 AM
Yes and Reagan raised taxes to pay for the Build up of our Defences. It was Russia trying to Charge their Build up that destroyed their economy. Notice anything???????