Countries and nations in this world differ from one another in terms of population, size of territory and level of social development, and it is not that all of them successfully carve out their destiny without any difficulties.
To look back on history, many nations had been conquered by aggressors or assimilated or forced to leave their native lands. Even in the present times there are countries and nations that have fallen prey to the dominationist policy of imperialism, with their independence trampled upon, and others writhe in ceaseless national and ethnic conflicts caused by imperialists, and as a result, their development has been greatly hampered.
On the contrary, there are countries and nations which stand in the limelight of the world, demonstrating their might in defiance of all sorts of ordeals, difficulties and challenges of history.
History and realities present it as a practical task to give a philosophical solution to the factors decisive of the rise and fall of countries and nations.
In this presentation I would like to deal with the factors in connection with the guiding ideology, guiding ideal of a nation.
One of the major factors that decide the rise and fall of a country and nation is ideology, and the motive force of carving out the destiny of a country is the people of the country. The rise and fall of a country and nation is decided by the ideology which guides the popular masses people who constitute the absolute majority of the country and nation. A great ideology gives birth to a great people and the great people build a powerful country and nation.
Chairman
"The development of a country and the future of a nation depend on their guiding ideology."
There are countries and nations in the world which boast of their expansive territory, abundant underground resources, large population, time-honoured history, advanced science and technology or developed economy. However, these can not be the main criteria for the greatness of a country and nation.
The might of a country and nation is decided by the greatness of its guiding ideology, guiding ideal.
First, the reason is that the dignity and might of a country and nation depend on its guiding ideology.
As a man's ideology, spirit and principles decide his value and quality, so the guiding ideology, guiding ideal, of a country and nation determines its dignity, might and prospect of development. In other words, as ideology plays a decisive role in man's activity, so does it in the struggle to carve out the destiny of a country and nation.
A man becomes a fool if he is devoid of his own identity. Similarly, a country and nation without its own spirit and identity cannot maintain its existence, much less development. It is only when a country and nation preserves its own spirit, identity and principles that it can maintain its original form and self-respect, and achieve its prosperity.
When a country and nation is guided by a progressive and scientific ideology it can grow powerful, with its members having acquired a sound ideological and mental quality and the awareness, preparedness and will to treasure their country and nation and safeguard and glorify its dignity.
If a nation, a community of people whose lifeblood is independence, is to develop as a powerful nation, safeguarding its dignity and rights in the international arena, it must adhere to the ideal of national independence.
The ideal of national independence raises it as an essential requirement that all the members of a nation have a high sense of consciousness and responsibility towards the destiny of their nation. In other words, it requires the nation to live and develop in its own way with the spirit unique to it. This spirit means the viewpoint and mode of thinking based on the consciousness that one is the master of the destiny of one's own nation and is responsible for carving out its destiny.
Even if it is subjugated to or looked down upon by other nations, a nation without its own spirit does not feel shameful for it nor try to fight to get rid of the subjugation and contempt nor explore the way for living an independent life. In short, a country and nation without its own spirit cannot maintain its principles and, in the long run, falls prey to subjugation and domination by other countries and nations. But a country and nation with its own spirit successfully carves out its destiny, safeguards its dignity and rights and achieves prosperity by its own effort under any difficult conditions.
Second, the reason is that the guiding ideology, and guiding ideal of a nation guarantees its creative and unique development and enables it to carve out its destiny with success.
The might of a country and the prospect of its development are decided by to what degree its guiding ideology, and guiding ideal gives play to the inexhaustible creative ability of its members.
A man's ideological consciousness decides how he utilizes his knowledge and how he displays his creativeness.
Only a man with the ideological consciousness that he would serve his country and nation can devote his knowledge, skills and talent for the prosperity of his country and nation. Similarly, to what degree the creativeness and wisdom of a nation is developed and displayed is decided by its guiding ideology. A nation guided by an ideal which correctly reflects its demand for independence can become a nation of high creative ability, demonstrating its wisdom and talent to the world.
It is an intrinsic nature of a nation to carve out its destiny by its own efforts. Nation, a solid group of people for carving out their destiny, regards independence as its lifeblood, and all countries and nations have inexhaustible creative wisdom and talent with which to hew out their destiny by their own efforts. However, this does not mean that any nation can give free rein to its creative wisdom and ability in the struggle to carve out its destiny. The point is how a country and nation displays its creative power, wisdom and ability for its development.
A nation with a high degree of national awareness that the master of its destiny is none other than itself, and a strong sense of responsibility can give full scope to self-respect, the spirit of self-reliance and fortitude, and creative ability in any adversity in the struggle to carve out its destiny.
A nation steadfast in the independent ideological viewpoint and mode of thinking can redouble its effort and give full play to its creative strength and wisdom however unfavourable its natural, geographical and economic conditions and however low the level of development of its material wealth and productivity bequeathed from its former generations. This is because the ideology of independence enables its members to bring their creative ability and wisdom into full play with the sense of responsibility and awareness that they are the masters of its destiny and so must achieve prosperity by themselves.
It is a historical truth that a country, when it is guided by a correct ideology, can prosper cutting a conspicuous figure as a powerful country in the international arena; otherwise, it cannot safeguard its independent dignity and rights, to say nothing of development.
A nation devoid of a correct guiding ideology, or a scientific spiritual buttress, will degenerate mentally and morally to lose its dignity. This was substantiated by the collapse of the former Soviet Union.
Russians were once steadfast in patriotism and faithful to the revolution and built the powerful Soviet Union with Marxism, Soviet patriotism and socialist ideal as their ideological and spiritual buttress. As we all know, the might of the Soviet Union was great at that time. However, revisionism was introduced by Khrushchev and the "new way of thinking" by Gorbachev, and the result was the collapse of the Soviet Union, an economic and military giant.
History shows that the guiding ideology of a nation hampers the development of other nations, much less its own development, when it is a chauvinistic one which pursues the interests of that nation alone.
If an ideology correctly reflects the demands and interests of a nation, it leads the nation to prosperity; otherwise, it leads it to humiliation.
Once Germany attracted world attention as the homeland of Marxism and the centre of revolution of the working class. But it was brought to a stern judgment of history as a country which inflicted tragedy, misfortune and humiliation upon its people as well as other peoples of the world because it was guided by Hitler's Nazism, a chauvinistic and racist theory that advocates the superiority of the Arian nation and its leadership role over other nations.
Today the United States whose political philosophy is pragmatism is the target of curse and denunciation of the progressive peoples the world over as the "incarnation of evil," which inflicts tragedy and misfortune on other countries and nations.
The pragmatic philosophy, which advocates that everything beneficial to monopoly capitalism and imperialism is truth, gave birth to "expansionist" diplomacy and despotism of "civilized interest." The US brigandish way of thinking and mode of existence that everything should be resorted to without hesitation for the sake of its "civilized interest" and expansion has spawned a vicious cycle of aggression, war, plunder and terror in different parts of the world.
The US policy of aggression, war and plunder is encountered with strong resistance from the countries and nations which aspire after independence and peace, with the result that the position of the Unites States as the "only superpower" is getting weaker and weaker at a rapid speed.
On the contrary, a country and nation, though small and once full of distress in its history, can become a great country, a great nation, when its guiding ideology, guiding ideal, is great. The history of the Korean nation proves this reality.
Owing to the history of sycophancy and treachery originated in the days of the kingdom of Silla, Korea was deprived of its sovereignty by the Japanese imperialists in the period of the feudal Joson dynasty. And after its liberation on August 15, 1945, its southern half was occupied by the US imperialists.
Since it was guided by the most superior Juche idea authored by President
As the nation is led by the Juche idea and Songun idea, guiding ideologies in the era of independence, evolved by President
The Juche idea is a man-centred world outlook and doctrine of national independence.
Evolved on the basis of man's intrinsic nature of independence and his creative demand, the Juche idea and Songun idea, unique ideas, become a correct guiding ideology which illumines the road to national prosperity.
As the world progressive peoples acknowledge, these ideas which constitute the acme of the development of philosophical thoughts of mankind will shine their brilliance forever as an immortal guiding ideology of all countries and nations the world over.
Now many countries which boasted themselves to be powerful in the past are obsequious toward the United States, the "only superpower" of the world, and the imperialist highhandedness based on physical strength grows more rampant in the international arena.
However, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as it is guided by the Juche idea and Songun idea, is demonstrating its invincible might in the international arena as a country strong in independence and advancing along the road of national prosperity in any adversity.
The Korean people and army will invariably uphold the Juche idea and Songun idea as a powerful ideological weapon and surely build a thriving nation admired by the world in the near future.
