Gentlemen Please!

The point about 'Folk Histories' and 'National Attitudes' is that they are not driven by fact, they are driven by PERCEPTION.

As far as the North Korean people are concerned, the USA (or the UN) WERE the invaders, not because of fact, but because that's what they have been taught for the last Fifty-odd years.

By the same token, I have spoken with Americans who solomnly declare that the USA has never lost a War (?!!!) when challenged over Vietnam, that was put down to the collapse of the South Vietnamese while the War of 1812 was declared a victory because impressment of (nominally) British born seamen* from American ships ended (Ignoring the fact that the cause for impressment - the Napoleonic Wars - had ended and the Invasion of Canada had failed badly) - Again, this was not a matter of Fact, but of Perception, they had been taught that way, if not by the schools, then by the likes of Hollywood and TV.

I'm sure that I, and everyone else on this forum, have similar problems as none of us grew up in isolation.

It's not what 'Nation A' plan to do (or not) to 'Nation B', it's what the people of 'B' believe that will shape their attitudes.
It's never about what really happened, it's what people believe.

Tom (Walrus)


* The official excuse for impressment of seamen from foreign ships, More honoured in the breach than the observance