A Lesson In History

From 1910-1945 Korea was forcibly annexed by the Japanese Empire. Korean daily life, government, business and culture were systematically wiped away and replaced by the Japanese way of life. During the annex, the Imperial Japanese Army kidnapped, tortured, plundered, raped, and mass murdered Koreans. Following Japan's defeat in World War II, the United Nations split Korea in two. The Soviet Union administered the North and the U.S. administered the South - badly I might add.

Within all of this hardship, a messenger of hope and change was elevated to the fore. This messenger was born to a "middle class" family, and was educated in a foreign land - for at least part of his life. He shouted a message of hope, change and unity. He wanted to better the lives of all Koreans by the unification of the North and South. He argued that the past administrations had damaged the peninsula and had ignored the wishes and needs of the people. He argued that he was a patriot who cared about the poor and downtrodden and under his leadership the peninsula would flourish. People flocked to him - he was their messenger of change - their hope - he was their "Great Leader," their "Eternal President." He was Kim Il-Sung.

His ties to shady organizations were well-known. He was a Soviet sympathizer and his religious background was questionable (raised Protestant, actually athiest.) He and his band of guerillas confiscated the property and wealth of their former Japanese occupiers and other wealthy individuals they branded as Japanese sympathizers, and "redistributed it. Later, under the guise of hope and change, He and his army invaded South Korea proclaiming it a "Great War for the Liberation of the Motherland." There were more than 2 million civilian casualties as a result of his campaign - and that is just what can be tallied - there were more leading up to his ascension. There were nearly 1 million military deaths - North Korean, South Korean, Chinese, American and U.N. There were more than 1.2 million military injuries or reports of missing in action from those forces as well. Despite failing to win the war which resulted in more than 4 million casualties that can be tallied, he proclaimed a victory over the aggression from the U.S.

A personality cult begins to form around him - wherein he and his eldest son occupy a messianic position. He is the "The One."

Despite his rallying cry for hope and change, the political system he employs, is a social egalitarian, communist regime which he has, himself described as: "The Juche idea means, in a few words, the idea that the people's masses are the owners of the revolution and construction, and that the power for the revolution and construction also comes from the people's masses." Millions continue to starve, to die, to be tortured or to disappear under this regime. This regime which "spreads the wealth around" (in theory anyway) is a history lesson - one, which if we are not careful may repeat in profound ways.

The messianic messenger of hope and change - the One, may be our next President. He brings with him questionable ties, questionable religious beliefs, questionable plans to redistribute the wealth under the guise of fixing or unifying our great nation. When I see him and what he stands for, I see this:

He views the current administration as equal to the Japanese occupation
He sees the current economic downturn and war in Iraq = the harrowing times following that occupation
His current message of hope and change = the Great Leader's march into South Korea and the subsequent carnage that resulted

The result of this view - the very prospect of an Obama presidency = the suppression of freedoms, the seizure of private property and the redistribution to the undeserved of the hard work of the masses.

Sure, an Obama presidency would not be as severe, as disabling as murderous as the North Korean government - however, do we even want to be dangerously close? Do we want to have any similarities with a regime like North Korea or Cuba? Do we want to elevate a man who admires the rhetoric? Do we want what so many died to avoid?

It sounds extreme, I know. But something in my gut tells me that we move in that direction - be it ever so slightly - with an Obama presidency. When we en masse except his ideas, we are no different than those who sought and accepted the change brought by the likes of Kim Il-Sung or Fidel Castro. When we en masse except those ideas without questioning their import or the result of employing such ideas, we open ourselves up to repeating history. That repeat of history need not be violent or overt. The slightest changes have far reaching consequences. We may not find ourselves in a prison camp - but our freedoms will diminish. We may not be jailed or killed for dissent, but our voices will be stilled. We may not find ourselves homeless and starving and eating tree bark to survive, but we will become dependent upon our government for necessities we may now take for granted.

Do I wish this to come to pass? NO. But I do believe that the changes Obama would bring - inch us ever more closely to the changes brought by the man discussed above. I fear for my country - and am voting against Obama in two weeks. I pray it is enough.