North Korea

While the People’s Liberation Army does not even conduct military exercises with the North Koreans — the government in the North forbids such contact with outsiders — Chinese military strategists adhere to the doctrine that they cannot afford to abandon their ally, no matter how bad its behavior, analysts here say.

 

Doesn't matter how many people say "the enemy of my enemy is my ally" - it's still not true.  Ignoring the bad behaviour of allies doesn't make it go away; it makes you culpable.  By continuing to ignore the threat of the North Korean state not only to its neighbours and possibly the US, but to its own people.

 

I remember living in South Korea during the September 2011 attacks on the US; to my Korean friends, it seemed a tragic but distant "over there" problem.  They lived in the shadow of a much more present threat.  I had the chance to set foot in North Korea at Panmunjom and look North Korean soldiers in the eye - they are made of the same flesh and blood as are their Southern cousins.  The gap between them is less a matter of walls, landmines and flags than it is one of culture, experience and fear, but both of these chasms can be bridged.

 

Someone just has to see the path and be willing to lead people forward.  China could be that leader; their leadership could build some positivity into China's brand and increase their international respect quotient in the process.  To do that, though, they need to stop looking at themselves as a future umbrella and instead see themselves as drops in the ocean. 

 

There stands a train station in South Korea with a sign that says "To Pyeongyang;" everyone will be a little better off when that train can leave its station.

 

I'd Rather Have a Stone than a Cake

False leaders seek to divide their people over small matters, hoarding the best resources from others.  They chow down on the beef while telling the people to eat cake and encourage them to fight over it.  Those who are aggressive take the cake by force and jealously hoard it from others, left cakeless.  The cake tastes great in the short term but leads to gut rot over time and no one gets the nutrition they need. 

This is not leadership - it's a recipe for social malaise.

 

True leaders seek to bring people together so all may achieve great things collaboratively and together, share the wealth.  They entice the people with a strong vision and encourage them to partake and benefit through sharing.  These leaders put the stone in the soup and lead others by example.  When their work is done, the people say "amazing, we did it all by ourselves."  Thus, society grows stronger and collectively more sustainable.

Lao tzu refers to this kind of leader as The Master.

 

Which type of leadership is dominant today?  Which do we need, now more than ever?