DON'T be too snobby and western now.
North Korea was just trying to have a space rocket like the rest of us, that's all. Fair's fair. That Damian Grammaticas from the Beeb was so snooty about those pheasants he saw in the cage outside the Satellite Control Centre near Pyongyang. In fact, he was downright disrespectful. As anyone with an ounce of sense knows, they weren't simply pheasants – they were the astronauts.
Oh yes, North Korea can teach us a thing or two about using resources in tough times. A human astronaut needs training and mollycoddling and briefing and de-briefing. But a pheasant – they're not bothered! Bung in some seed to the capsule and a bit of straw, shut the door and they're happy. They love the weightlessness! They've always wanted to fly properly, and now they had their chance. What's not to like?
The exchanges between journalists and the scientists have been wonderful. Reporter: "Why is North Korea spending so much on a space rocket when it can't even feed its own people?" Interpreter: "The gentleman wishes to know more about the greatness of our beloved leader, Kim Jong-Un." A straight answer to an aggressive question, it seems to me.
Much was made of the difference between North Korean's "mission control" and the one at NASA. While it's true that a closer look at the computer screens at Pyongyang revealed them to be old Amstrads and those Ikea-like drawers by their sides looked conspicuously empty (because owning and hoarding is what we do – materialist and capitalist and, frankly, clutterist), at least no-one here was "high five-ing" each other in a smug way and putting through calls from the President. Well, to be honest, the Koreans would put through a call from Kim Jong but the exchange in Nampo hasn't been refurbished since 1932 and the signal just isn't strong enough. Mind you, the team of faithful operators pushing in the prongs and saying, "One minute please, trying to connect you. Our great leader wishes you a prosperous day", are a delight.
So surely we should all leave these bright-eyed enthusiasts at their first space centre alone. They're like children running around, wanting to show the world what they've built outside. "Look mum, I mean, look America. A rocket! We did that all by ourselves. And now we've got to it all again."
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