Peace activists led by US feminist Gloria Steinem cross Korean border

[IDemo]

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

Paju, South Kora: A group of women peace activists, led by American feminist Gloria Steinem, has made a rare crossing of one of the world's most militarised borders to promote reconciliation between North and South Korea.

Shortly before midday on Sunday the group of 30 activists rode by bus through the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas after spending several days in Pyongyang – a stay that triggered criticism they were being used as propaganda tools by the North.

The group had originally wanted to cross the DMZ through the Panmunjom "truce village", where North and South Korean soldiers stand just metres apart in a permanent, Cold War face-off over the border.

But South Korea opposed the plan and the women finally agreed "with regret" to Seoul's preference for the road crossing on the western part of the border, entering South Korea near the jointly run Gaeseong industrial complex.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/peace-activists-led-by-us-feminist-gloria-steinem-cross-korean-border-20150524-gh8n7t.html

[oberliner]

1. What do you make of this?

It seems like they maybe should have called out the NK dictatorship for their brutality at some point. It would imagine that the only people in NK that they met were those that the Dear Leader allowed them to meet and that they said what the Dear Leader wanted them to say (or will be killed/imprisoned shortly thereafter).

[IDemo]

2. I don't think that would have gone well for them

I respect Gloria Steinem and Medea Benjamin, I just don't know what they thought could actually be accomplished by engaging this regime. The protester in the photo apparently feels anything short of a military action equates to being a tool of Dear Leader.

[oberliner]

3. Agreed

That's why I'm not too impressed by this whole endeavor. It would've taken real bravery for them to speak out against Dear Leader. I'm not sure what doing what they did actually accomplishes. But I am open to hearing other perspectives.

[mimi85]

4. Not bad for an 81 year old woman.

Damn, when did THAT happen? Now I feel ancient!

[duhneece]

7. 81 yrs old? I hadn't realized.

At l64, I actually feel young, like I can be an activist, raising awareness, doing whatever I feel called to do for years ahead of me.

[mopinko]

5. waging peace is taking small steps.

i salute these women. they know the risks, but they are taking steps anyway.
it might be just a tiny step. but that is how peace begins.

[oberliner]

6. There were no risks

They were part of a PR stunt orchestrated by the NK dictatorship.

Speaking truthfully and forcefully against Dear Leader would have been truly courageous.

[Blue_Tires]

15. +1000

[GGJohn]

8. What risks were they taking?

They were part of a propaganda stunt by the Norks, albeit, maybe not consciously, but still, a propaganda stunt.

[Sgt Preston]

9. Gloria Steinem worked for the CIA.

[mopinko]

10. under kennedy.

hardly relevant.

[mopinko]

12. what claptrap.

google gloria steinem and the cia, and get rense and infowars.
lay down with dogs, get up with conspiracy theory fleas.

and by the way that "masonic hand sign" is a well knows sign for that juicy part of the female anatomy.
give me a break.

[Sgt Preston]

16. That's your opinion.

More here.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a1M9EAly2hog

[mopinko]

17. it is full of misogynist spew.

and tinfoil bullshit.

i am not arguing that the cia is not full of scheming bastards, but to equate what steinem did to- women's lib is all a cia plot is just absurd.

eta- thank you to the jury for hiding that bs.

[reddread]

18. before Kennedy

totally relevant.

[davidpdx]

14. While I respect Steinem I don't see this amounting to anything

The North Korean regime will have to collapse for there to be peace. Until then Kim will continue to brutally murder his own people including women. If Steinem wanted to do something, maybe highlighting women's issues would have been a better choice rather than a "fake" march across the boarder.