The China Connection

I stand by my prior position, that no one in North Korea has the sophistication to pull off that successful cyber attack on Sony Pictures and cancellation of their Christmas release "The Interview." (On a separate matter, why exactly, was Christmas Day chosen to release a movie about a political assassination anyway? Not that North Korea would care). They either had an insider, or someone capable of straddling both worlds (the Communist Far East and 'decadent' West) simultaneously.

That would be the Chinese. I know this because I spent 30 months there teaching American English and using Hollywood movies as a basic teaching tool. So, could one of my students have done this? I hate to think so, but yes, in theory that would be possible. My students were smart, sophisticated, eager to communicate with and learn about the West (not just the U.S. but also Europe and Latin America) and most certainly had the skills. But someone beholden to Kim Jong Un? I don't think so. What's missing here, as in all mysteries, is a motive. Because I very much doubt there is a single young person in the People's Republic of China who doesn't yearn for freedom and democracy unless he or she was raised in military isolation, which is possible but doubtful. They've seen too much of us and our material world to want anything less, and hence those demonstrations in Hong Kong (and let's not forget Tiananmen Square, either). (See my book Inside the New China for more on this)

China, alas, is still under the control of the old Communist Party, with at last count about 90 million members, or about 16% of the nation's population. The nation, and people, have embraced Capitalism in a huge way, going back to Deng Xiao Peng. China is either the first or second largest Capitalist economy in the world now, depending on who's counting. But yes, the hard-liners are still there. And they no doubt have infiltrated youth groups, cyber nets, and so on, worldwide. I still get chills from spotting Party spies and implants in my Chinese classrooms. They were a little older, the students stayed away from them, they refused to participate, and they were stone icy cold.

So yes, despite my love for China (and marriage to one of their finest daughters, and adoption of one of their sweetest children) I have to accept the possibility that Chinese operatives were involved here. But someone who works for and answers directly to Mr. Un in Pyongyang? That remains laughable. And the real question remains the same: why would anyone in China or L.A. want to do it, unless they had an insider's grievance? Kim Jong Un might want to do it, and could have given the orders, and provided financing (although would you take a check from this guy?) But as for those who would follow his orders, were they given even the briefest access to the outside world, let alone the world of Hollywood, do you believe for one moment they would actually ever even think of going back? I don't. They would defect in a New York Minute. No one could be that dedicated to anyone or any nation that devoid of goodness except a fanatic. And fanatics are pretty easy to spot.