It's likely a combination of both.
Those that aren't brainwashed are afraid of what will happen if they challenge the 'leader' that has a mob of brainwashed people to serve his every
whim. Further, discerning who really supports the regime and who just goes along with it is no easy task. Not only do you run the risk of being
looked at suspiciously for having meetings; but you also run the risk of talking to the wrong person. Perhaps you piss off someone who believes the
regime's dogma, and they turn you in. Perhaps you pick up an under-cover operative of the regime.
However - you can pretty-much be assured that any North Korean who has stepped outside of the blissfully ignorant North Korean territory is not
brainwashed - at least, they don't believe the dogma (that stipulates the rest of the world is jealous of North Korea and that the leadership of Kim
Jong Il and his father were the only things keeping the evil, greedy, envious world at bay). However - they are likely people with powerful
connections inside the country and will remain loyal to the regime - where they can come back home and be treated as gods and pick their flavor of
grade school child that evening.
While that may be pretty #ed in the head by our standards - I do have to say that North Korea is a rare case of a dictatorship that appears to be
quite content with things staying the way they are. The regime knows that, if they actually invade and (miraculously) capture South Korea; their
regime would soon collapse in the face of a culture that had not been suppressed since the advent of radio media (and would have none of the nonsense
North Korea accepts as true). So, they never will invade.
They won't use nuclear weapons - not offensively, at least - for the same reason.
They are simply content to be gods in their little corner of the world and shout insults at the rest of the world as a way of appearing tough to their
populace.
I do wonder about this new leader, and whether or not he will abandon such a calculated stance in the future - giving way to ambition or
adrenaline-backed delusions of grandeur.... but I would imagine he's had this explained to him throughout his life; and that the current regime would
work their own angles to prevent obviously compromising behavior.
www.youtube.com...
Interesting little deal on North Korea.
