The Soul of Man Under Socialism

My review of Bandi's book "The Accusation: Forbidden Stories from Inside North Korea" (tr. Deborab Smith) is now available on the website of The University Bookman (The Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal):

"The title of this review is taken from Oscar Wilde’s celebrated essay carrying the same name. Writing in 1891, Wilde tries to imagine what life would be like if socialism had to triumph—if there had to be no private property, no insecurity, and if people had to be free from “the sordid necessity of living for others.”

Its significance lies in the utopic imaginings of the author and in what he hopes the socialist creed can achieve. It also draws attention to the effect of ideology on the “soul”—the actuating cause of an individual, in secular parlance.Socialism morphed into several variants, some more humane and others contemptible.

Bandi’s book The Accusation gives us a glimpse of the “soul” of individuals under the vilest form of socialism—the North Korean variant."

Read the full review here.