Ivory Tower Idiots

From the Seattle Times, news of a noble professor in his quest for peace.

A University of Washington professor has done what U.S. political leaders have failed to do for more than a year: hold talks in North Korea aimed at averting a nuclear crisis.
While official negotiations have been stalled since last June, veteran East Asia professor Donald Hellmann visited North Korea for three days last week to conduct what he called the first international academic conference ever held there.

...Thursday through yesterday, he and more than 20 scholars from the United States, China, Japan, Russia and South Korea met in a North Korean mountain resort not far from the South Korean border.

What, no North Korean scholars were able to host the event?!

No U.S. government representatives or North Koreans took part, but the North Koreans listened in on the proceedings.

Maybe spying now qualifies as participation.