Hacker News Reader

Comment by suction | Hacker News Reader

Extremely interesting to see how the CIA works, in 1949 they didn't have to be as believable as now - it's obviously a smear job in how it tries to paint him as a murderer and lowly thief only out to get money. It's no wonder it has been discredited.

For the easily offended - no, I don't think he was a good guy.

View on HN

"it's obviously a smear job in how it tries to paint him as a murderer and lowly thief only out to get money"

I am trying to follow the logic here. The CIA wanted to smear Kim by using a restricted classified report that wasn't released for 60 years? If I was doing a smear campaign in 1949 I would put it on the radio.

You do realize this is an article published in 1949 in a South Korean periodical, you’re reading it from a restricted classified report only because CIA put a copy in their classified trove? It very well could have been on radio back then.

He didn't get that, I guess.

> it's obviously a smear job in how it tries to paint him as a murderer and lowly thief only out to get money.

Even without this document there can be this and worse said about him. So why bother?

What worse stuff could have been said at the time, though? His "followers" thought of him as a noble leader free of any moral ambiguity. The direct opposite is a cold-blooded murderer who murders out of greed. If the CIA tried to discredit the image his followers had of him, I think this write-up would be a good way to do it.

I wonder if the CIA fabrications of today only seem believable now and will seem unbelievable in 70 years.

I would think so, and it gets harder for them due to globalisation and countries working together economically (well apart from Russia maybe) - because back in 1949, China, Korea and Japan were basically impenetrable black boxes for most people, where you'd take the CIA's word for it because who knew what was possible or likely in those cultures?

I wonder why people believe them now, to be honest.

I'd say it depends. Which "CIA fabrications of today" are you referring to?

Many people likely have something that springs to mind, based on their own existing biases, but that differs between people. When naming a particular "fabrication" you'll probably encounter much more resistance. (Russiagate? HIV/AIDS? The moon landing?)

Remember all the accusations of Julian Assange being a rapist?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com