North Korea........at It Again

[Ormond]

We in the West have better haircuts. This is really just classic Western hair imperialism at work - trying to force western hair staples like back-combing, wet-look and the Mullet on a pesant population. We can't exploit their assets (as they have none) but we can exploit their deep (but as yet unawakened) desires to have fashionable hairstyles. Once big Kim visits the first Toni & Guy franchise to open in Pyongyang and the national newsreader sports a Siouxsie Siuox style it'll be like the gold rush. Something as simple as a decent haircut will be the key that opens the doors of North Korea to democracy and western capitalism.

Has Brant Grebner logged into your account?

[thorbotnic]

Regardless of resources, im not sure. The geographical situation is definutely part of the reason why North Korea has held its ground but if it was an oil rich world economy altering nation I'm quite sure they would have been eating McDonalds a long time ago.

Iran probably isn't far off.

The geographical location of North Korea is the only reason Korea is split at all - as Donny said, the UN forces were up to the Yalu river when China came to Kim's rescue during the war. That couldn't have happened if Korea was anywhere else.

If North Korea had been wise enough to follow China's lead they would indeed be eating McDonald's today, and enjoying a massively higher standard of living.

[thorbotnic]

There is no difference.

The propaganda put out about North Korea and Kim is laughable at times. We were all told he had his girlfriend shot a while back. That was until she showed up in a band on tour on TV. They just make it up as they go.

There's no difference? Seriously?

[Bristolhibby]

I highly recommend this book if people want to read up a bit on North Korea.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nothing_to_Envy

Very well written, and explains how the state has total control over the people. It showed me and now IMO why the people haven't risen up and overthrown the regime.

They can't.

J

[Robroysboy]

You have a serious misunderstanding of Western politics and capitalism. If I remember rightly you also had a serious misunderstanding of the EU and the implications for Greece.

Please feel free to offer your views.

[Mox]

I highly recommend this book if people want to read up a bit on North Korea.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nothing_to_Envy

Very well written, and explains how the state has total control over the people. It showed me and now IMO why the people haven't risen up and overthrown the regime.

They can't.

J

Cracking book that.

[Robroysboy]

Cracking book that.

Have just put it on my to read list.

[phart]

I highly recommend this book if people want to read up a bit on North Korea.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nothing_to_Envy

Very well written, and explains how the state has total control over the people. It showed me and now IMO why the people haven't risen up and overthrown the regime.

They can't.

J

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea is a part-novelization...

Keen insight is also provided into the personal experiences, attitudes and views about events, such as one most North Koreans remember, of what it was like for them as individuals on the day Kim Il Sung died (p. 91), and how compulsive and competitive massive weeping rallies became in the days that followed. Such depictions of a deteriorating society..."

Not read the book so cannot comment on content, which sounds interesting., it has 6 subjects though, which is good for a tasting menu, not so good for statistical insight.

The paragraph above though is funny as , it's used as an example of a "deteriorating society" under the headline of "absurdity" , compulsive mass weeping rallies never happen in the West when someone dies.

[Orraloon]

We have compulsive mass flower buying instead.

[fishcumnock]

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea is a part-novelization...

Keen insight is also provided into the personal experiences, attitudes and views about events, such as one most North Koreans remember, of what it was like for them as individuals on the day Kim Il Sung died (p. 91), and how compulsive and competitive massive weeping rallies became in the days that followed. Such depictions of a deteriorating society..."

Not read the book so cannot comment on content, which sounds interesting., it has 6 subjects though, which is good for a tasting menu, not so good for statistical insight.

The paragraph above though is funny as ######, it's used as an example of a "deteriorating society" under the headline of "absurdity" , compulsive mass weeping rallies never happen in the West when someone dies.

Diana Spencer ?

[phart]

We have compulsive mass flower buying instead.

Diana Spencer ?

That's my point they happen all the time, last one was Cecil the Lion.

[Ally Bongo]

I really cant see how this is not going to end in some sort of Nuclear conflict

There is no way The USA/China/South Korea/Japan are going to allow North Korea to proceed any further with their Nuclear Weapons program and North Korea will use what it has to defend that program

Clearly they are at the stage where they could nuke South Korea, Japan and China

Will the US use a tactical Nuclear strike and is that even possible

 

[Grim Jim]

You don't need nuclear weapons to take out a nuclear threat.   The Stuxnet Worm was used to sabotage Iran's nuclear program via Microsoft operated machinery.   Conventional weapons would work fine too, but be more controversial.

Anyway who will they demonise next when they remove their axis of evil?

 

[Eisegerwind]

15 minutes ago, Grim Jim said:

You don't need nuclear weapons to take out a nuclear threat.   The Stuxnet Worm was used to sabotage Iran's nuclear program via Microsoft operated machinery.   Conventional weapons would work fine too, but be more controversial.

Anyway who will they demonise next when they remove their axis of evil?

 

It was actually Siemens PLC  (machine control hardware) software it targeted.

[Auld_Reekie]

Not sure we're looking at nuclear conflict but it certainly looks likely we'll see military conflict in North Korea soon. I'd normally be opposed to military intervention but North Korea making threats about first-strike really can't go unanswered. If we don't address it now, we'll have to address in 5-10 years time when their nuclear program has matured What's frightening is that the music stopped with Trump in the hot seat.

First strike is not an option IMO.

[min]

I'm not sure of their current nuclear capabilities, but any military intervention in North Korea will at least be met with a huge conventional retaliatory strike on the south.

If I was one of the 20m+ residents of Seoul, I'd be packing my bags.

[scoobydoo]

I reckon that MOAB last week was a test run.

[iainmac1]

Often wondered why North Korea isn't allowed to have a nuclear deterrent. It probably supports thousands of jobs. That's the reason we keep ours is it not?

Especially as their 'enemies' such as the USA and UK have invaded more countries than anyone else on the planet and the USA have history of actually using these weapons. I suppose North Korea have their own equivalent of the axis of evil. I'd be much more scared of their version than I would of Cuba and Belarus.

[Ally Bongo]

Are we sure when North Korea develops full Nuclear Weapon capability they will only use them for defence ?

 

[Orraloon]

19 minutes ago, Ally Bongo said:

Are we sure when North Korea develops full Nuclear Weapon capability they will only use them for defence ?

 

Are we sure anybody will? Only one country has ever used them as an act of war. So far anyway.

[Ally Bongo]

4 minutes ago, Orraloon said:

Are we sure anybody will? Only one country has ever used them as an act of war. So far anyway.

The theory is that we have systems in place to ensure a loony doesnt end up in charge and there are procedures to go through to actually launch them

With Iran and North Korea for example that is not the case

[Eisegerwind]

4 minutes ago, Ally Bongo said:

The theory is that we have systems in place to ensure a loony doesnt end up in charge and there are procedures to go through to actually launch them

With Iran and North Korea for example that is not the case

One word, Donald. Anyway who says that Iran and North Korea don't have procedures in place.

Edited April 18, 2017 by Eisegerwind

[Ally Bongo]

10 minutes ago, Eisegerwind said:

One word, Donald. Anyway who says that Iran and North Korea don't have procedures in place.

Regardless of what you think of Donald - He may be a demagogue but he isnt a lunatic or mentally unhinged by religious or nationalistic doctrine

He also could not just decide on a whim to first strike nuke someone. There would be checks and balances

America coming under attack would be a different story but again you would be relying on the military etc to verify the attack before allowing the President to give the ok to retaliate

[Orraloon]

22 minutes ago, Ally Bongo said:

The theory is that we have systems in place to ensure a loony doesnt end up in charge and there are procedures to go through to actually launch them

With Iran and North Korea for example that is not the case

Don't get me wrong, I don't want NK or Iran to develop nuclear weapons. The fewer countries that have them the better IMO. But the deterrent logic just doesn't stack up for me. If we need nukes as a deterrent against other countries using them then, if you follow that logic through, every country in the world should try to have them just in case some "loony" in another country is allowed to be in charge of the codes. 

Who decides who is a loony and who isn't? Was Truman a loony?

 

[Ally Bongo]

18 minutes ago, Orraloon said:

 

Who decides who is a loony and who isn't? Was Truman a loony?

 

You do know that is a ridiculous comparison right ?

America is the leader of the free world (rightly or wrongly) so it get's to decide who is a loony when it comes to Nukes 

So far i think they have been right as i have no doubt Iran, Iraq (cough) or North Korea would use them