Assuaging the evil empire

I trust I won't be courting controversy with anyone when I assert that the government of North Korea is the closest thing we currently have to a purely evil state. Why, then, is the New York Philharmonic actually considering playing there? Given that pretty much everyone agrees that the North Korean state is obsessed with seeking legitimacy outside its self-inflicted purgatorio, I find it hard to understand why that august musical institution would seek to grant it. Newlywed Terry Teachout (congratulations to you & your adorable bride) has the scoop.