Kim Jong-un, the evil and megalomaniacal 鈥淒ear Leader鈥� of North Korea, would be a comical figure with all his eccentricities and delusional foibles, except that his strange ways are part of a cruel regime that keeps millions of his compatriots in utter poverty and subjugation. They must guard every word or thought, lest they and their families be consigned to work camps from which few emerge alive.
Kim鈥檚 influence touches every aspect of North Koreans鈥� lives, and now his reach has extended even to Victoria, proving that international terrorism is an inescapable fact of life, no matter where you live.
It鈥檚 also a reminder that we should always protect and treasure freedom of expression.
Sony Pictures pulled the plug on the scheduled Dec. 25 release of The Interview, a dark comedy in which two bumbling American TV personalities set out to assassinate the North Korean dictator. Even before Sony made that decision, two Canadian theatre chains decided to postpone showings of the movie after a hacking group calling itself Guardians of Peace threatened violence at theatres showing the movie, guaranteeing the film won鈥檛 soon be seen in Victoria.
Besides threatening 9/11-type violence, the group has already hacked into Sony鈥檚 computer system, releasing sensitive and embarrassing emails and threatening to release more if the movie is shown.
North Korea has denied responsibility, but the FBI has concluded the country is behind the attack, saying the code in the attack is similar to malicious software previously associated with North Korea. After U.S. President Barack Obama promised consequences, North Korea鈥檚 Internet was blacked out. The U.S. has neither admitted or denied responsibility.
Whether the attack was state-sponsored or the work of maverick hackers taking advantage of the situation, the implications are huge and chilling. Terrorism 鈥� and it is an act of terrorism 鈥� is not restricted to bombs tossed in distant places. The interdependence and connectedness of the globe鈥檚 computer networks give terrorists the ability to wreak havoc wherever there is a computer.
Even if you don鈥檛 own a computer, you are vulnerable. Every aspect of our society 鈥� power grids, all communication systems, banks, governments, retail businesses 鈥� depends on the Internet. One of the world鈥檚 greatest technological achievements is also its greatest weakness.
Most North Koreans have never seen a computer, yet the country has trained thousands of hackers with the express intent of conducting cyberwarfare on those countries it sees as enemies 鈥� which is almost everybody.
Sony was criticized for caving in to the hackers鈥� demands. Obama said the corporation made a mistake by backing down. Actors and activists all over the world demanded that the movie be released. Sony relented, and agreed to a limited release on Christmas.
Reviews of The Interview, written by those who saw advance screenings, ranged from 鈥渢errible鈥� to 鈥淥K.鈥� It likely would have struggled to achieve mediocrity. In seeking to suppress the movie, North Korea has given an otherwise forgettable movie more prominence that it could ever have gained in theatres, ensuring its lasting fame.
The North Koreans take exception to the movie because it makes fun of Kim, portraying him as an evil, cruel and unbalanced buffoon. Its attempts to block the release of the movie only prove the truth of that portrayal. No one is fooled by admonitions to 鈥減ay no attention to the man behind the curtain.鈥� The North Korean reaction shines a spotlight on the utter evil, the total contempt for basic human rights, the cruelty that abounds in the country known as the Hermit Kingdom.
It underscores the value of freedom of expression 鈥� even a movie of questionable taste can strike a blow for democracy.
