돈키호테는 왜 風車(풍차)를 향해 돌격했는가.

*돈키호테는 책을 너무 많이 읽었다. 그는 잠자는 시간을 아끼면서까지 영웅들의 모험 이야기를 읽다가 드디어 과대 망상자가 되어버린다. 그는 골동품이 된 무기를 꺼내고 앙상한 말을 탄 기사로 돌변하여 '타도할 악마와 악당'을 찾아나선다.

*노무현과 그 지지자들도 비슷하다. 이들은 한국 현대사의 어두운 면만 파고든 편협하고 편향된 책들을 많이 읽었다. 골동품이 된 지 오래인 좌익 이념과 계급투쟁론 같은 것들을 다시 꺼내 녹을 닦아내고 무기로 삼았다. 그리고는 타도할 敵들을 찾아나섰다.

*돈키호테가 방랑을 떠난 16세기의 스페인에선 기사가 공격할 이교도도 산적도 없어졌다. 1492년 그라나다가 기독교 세계에 항복한 이후 스페인은 통합된 국력을 외부, 즉 아메리카 대륙 개척과 유럽 경영에 돌리고 있었다.

*노무현 세력이 악당을 찾아나선 1990년대 이후의 한국에선 독재자도 착취자도 사라졌다. 그들이 찾아야 할 악당은 북녘 땅에만 남아있었다. 그들은 '北의 악당'을 상대할 용기도, 능력도 없으니 내부에서 적을 찾아 내든지 없으면 발명이라도 해야 할 판이 되었다.

*돈키호테는 모험을 찾아 헤매다가 風車를 발견하자 선언한다. '나는 저 무시무시한 괴물들과 싸워 목숨을 끊어놓고야 말겠다. 이 세상에서 악의 씨앗을 제거하는 것은 정의로운 일이란 말이야.'

*노무현 세력은 대한민국, 미국, 조선일보, 동아일보, 보수층, 부자들, 좋은 학교 나오고 출세한 사람들을 향해서 외친다. '우리는 저 무시무시한 괴물들과 싸워 세상의 악을 제거해야 한다. 저들이야말로 萬惡의 근원이다.'

*돈키호테가 풍차를 향해 돌격하려고 하자 충직한 부하 산초가 말린다. '보세요, 주인님. 저들은 괴물이 아니에요. 풍차랍니다.' 돈키호테가 화를 낸다. '자네는 요술장이들의 술수를 모르는군. 저들은 괴물이야! 무섭거든 도망가서 기도나 하렴. 나는 저 무자비한 놈들을 상대로 불리해도 싸울 테야.'

*노무현 세력은 생각있는 사람들이 '당신들은 적과 동지를 혼동하고 있어. 대한민국과 미국과 북한동포는 당신들의 친구이고 김정일이 당신들의 적이야.'라고 충고하면 화를 낸다. '당신들은 미국의 음모를 모르는군! 김정일 정권은 미국의 피해자이고 그러니까 우리 편이야. 우리는 불쌍한 김정일과 손잡고 비록 불리해도 미국과 대결해야 해. 이게 正義란 말이야.'

*돈키호테는 풍차를 공격하다가 빙빙 돌아가는 손에 걸려 날아가 버린다. 뻗어버린 그에게 산초가 뛰어가서 말한다. '주인님 제가 말하지 않았습니까. 저것은 괴물이 아니라 풍차라고.' 돈키호테가 말한다. '입 닥쳐! 요술쟁이가 순간적으로 괴물을 풍차로 둔갑시키는 바람에 내가 진 거란 말이야'

*노무현 세력은 김정일 세력과 작당하여 미국과 한국을 괴물이라고 보고 공격했다가 실패하면 이렇게 말할 준비를 하고 있다. '미국이 여론을 조작하여 우리를 악당으로 만들고 자신들은 기사로 둔갑하는 바람에 진 것뿐이야. 그래도 정의는 우리 편이야.' 노무현-김정일 회담은 성격상 돈키호테와 악마의 회담이다. 누가 당할 것인가?

Bush and South Korean Leader in Testy Exchange


By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
Published: September 8, 2007
SYDNEY, Australia, Sept. 7 — At the invitation of North Korea, an international delegation of nuclear experts from Russia, China and the United States will travel to the North next week to inspect nuclear sites that are to be shut down, the chief American envoy to the country said here today.

The announcement, by Assistant Secretary of State Ambassador Christopher R. Hill, came on a day when the North’s nuclear ambitions dominated the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum here, creating an awkward and testy exchange between President Bush and President Roh Moo-hyun of South Korea, over what would seem like an historical anachronism, the lack of a peace treaty ending the Korean war.

With Mr. Roh scheduled to go to Pyongyang to meet his North Korean counterpart, Kim Jong-il, next month, the South Korean leader used his photo opportunity with the president to make a public issue of the peace accord. With television cameras rolling, and Mr. Bush by his side, Mr. Roh publicly pressed the American president to declare a formal end to the hostilities — something Mr. Bush has said he will not do until the North has completely scrapped its nuclear program.

“I said it’s up to Kim Jong-il,” Mr. Bush said, looking irked, “as to whether or not we’re able to sign a peace treaty to end the Korean War. He’s got to get rid of his weapons in a verifiable fashion. And we’re making progress toward that goal. It’s up to him.”

Officials said the inspections are an important step. Mr. Hill told reporters that the North, which has agreed to dismantle its nuclear facilities in return for economic aid, quietly proposed the inspections during talks with the United States last week in Geneva.

But Mr. Hill did not disclose the plan until Friday evening in Sydney, after American officials had secured the approval of the other nations in the so-called six-party talks, the discussions aimed at ending the North’s nuclear program. Five of the six nations — South Korea, China, Russia, Japan and the United States — are represented here.

Mr. Hill said the North had proposed several methods of disabling its plants; the experts will spend four days examining the “scope and the technical feasibility” of those plans. They will report back to the six parties, who reconvene in mid-September, Mr. Hill said. The administration is hoping the North’s entire program will be dismantled by Dec. 31.

“This was an idea the North Koreans came up with,” Mr. Hill told reporters in announcing the inspections. “I think it is a sign that this current phase of disabling is an ambitious phase. We have a lot of work to do and I think it’s a sign of seriousness of purpose.”

Signing a peace treaty to replace the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War has been a key demand from North Korea in the talks. The North has insisted that it was developing nuclear weapons because of military threats from the United States, and that it would find no use for them once peace and its regime’s survival are guaranteed.

South Korea, meanwhile, believes that an official cessation of hostilities would pave the way for a warming of relations between the south and the north. So when the two leaders emerged for a brief media appearance after their meeting, Mr. Roh pressed Mr. Bush.

“I think I might be wrong — I might be wrong — I think I did not hear President Bush mention the — a declaration to end the Korean War just now” Mr. Roh said. “Did you say so, President Bush?.”

After Mr. Bush told Mr. Roh it was up to the North Korean leader, Mr. Roh, apparently not satisfied, pressed again,

“If you could be a little bit clearer in your message,” he said.

Mr. Bush cut him off. “I can’t make it any more clear,” Mr. Bush said, ending the exchange with a very terse “Thank you.”

American officials chalked the exchange up to a translation problem, and dismissed any speculation of tension between the two men.

“I can tell you that they had a very warm meeting,” said Dana Perino, the deputy White House press secretary. “The president made a clear statement of his support for ending the Korean war once and for all. Both leaders agreed on that. There was no tension in the meeting.”

But Professor Kenneth Wells, the Director of the Center for Korean Studies at the Australian National University, said that although the two men share the same aims in regard to North Korea, they have very different instincts about how to get there.

South Korea has been pursuing a so-called sunshine policy, which stresses the importance of engaging North Korea in an attempt to encourage the regime to open up and pave the way for eventual reunification. But while President Roh wants a more open policy with North Korea, Mr. Bush has been suspicious, Professor Wells said.

Cheong Seong Chang, a senior analyst at Sejong Institute in South Korea, said the exchange had to do more with North-South politics than United States-Korea relations. By pressing Mr. Bush to clarify his position in public before journalists, Mr. Roh was clearly trying to help himself at home, Mr. Cheong said.

“Roh was likely trying to emphasize South Korea’s mediating role, to highlight his diplomatic achievement.'

Mr. Bush’s offer to sign a peace treaty with North Korea, though it comes with conditions attached, is 'significant, even shocking to hard line conservative analysts,' Mr. Cheong said. 'Now that will likely force Kim Jong-il to respond to this overture from the U.S. president.'

Tim Johnston contributed reporting from Sydney, and Choe Sang-hun from Seoul.