Moscow Times

July 21, 2000

EDITORIAL: A Medieval Vision of 'Modernity'

Kim Jong Il , it seems, is "an absolutely modern man." He was "well-informed," says President Vladimir Putin, adding that "discussion was possible on any subject," and that the Russian and North Korean leaders found common ground on most subjects and enjoyed "good personal relations."

We can think of many adjectives for Kim Jong Il f weird, reclusive, totalitarian, dictatorial. But "absolutely modern" doesn't spring to mind. And we have a hard time believing discussion and common ground could be found "on any subject" between Kim and the leader of any other democracy.

In fact, one wonders what Putin and Kim discussed that left Putin so charmed and enthusiastic. Economics? Press freedoms? Those who "struggle against the state"? Those snazzy Mao jackets Kim favors?

Certainly it must have been nice for Putin to be cheered by thousands in Pyongyang. But surely President Putin understands such crowds are created at government order f that the cheering is less out of sincere respect or liking of Putin than of fear of the state?

In fact, we can't help wondering what the point is of going to North Korea. Was it just to keep moving f from England to Spain to Italy to Chechnya, by jet and submarine and paddle boat f instead of actually ruling?

Or perhaps it was merely to score some cheap points in the "debate" with the Americans over the national missile defense the U.S. White House is proposing. If so, that is really quite lame: NMD is a bad idea and the Americans should abandon it. But for those who oppose NMD, the goal should be to gain and hold the moral high ground f not to surrender it overnight by talking up one of the world's last and most odious dictators.

President Putin does not seem to understand that no one trusts Kim because he is a reclusive totalitarian who has reduced his people to eating grass to survive. By gushing about him as a peaceful man in need of purely peaceful missiles, Putin convinces no one and instead fritters away his own fading credibility f and Russia's as well.

And in the process, Putin again raises doubts about his own dedication to leading a democratic state. It is interesting that while Putin is again away enjoying discussions "on every topic," prosecutors again moved in for another round of harassment of NTV's Vladimir Gusinsky. They also moved to reopen the case against retired Navy captain Alexander Nikitin, whose only crime seems to have been wanting to warn his countrymen of a major environmental catastrophe.

This time, of course, no one worried that Putin would be "embarrassed" on his foreign trip f his host more likely congratulated him on the news, and the North Korean press corps is not exactly a tough crowd.