2012-12-13, 07:10 | Link #25101 |
Part-time misanthrope
Join Date: Mar 2007
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Some people here have no clue about NK and SK relationship or NK in general.
1) North Korea and other dictatorships (as well as other countries influenced by communism) can hardly be compared since North Korea is MUCH more isolated than any other country in the world. 2) The common people in North Korea are not to blame for the current situation. The people pulling the strings are (parts of the) goverment as well as the generals from the army. It's up to debate how much influence Kim Jong Un as the current leader has. 3) There are different classes of North Korean citizens. There are the priviledged who make about 5% (please don't nail me on that number, maybe it's a bit more or less but definitely one digit) of the country's population. They are granted various privileges like having enough to eat (yes that's a privilege in North Korea), a job or being allowed to travel abroad. The vast majority of citizens however are on the verge of starving or very close to. You see hardly any news of this at all since North Korea goes to extreme lengths to show visitors the glory and beauty of the country but as soon as you leave Pyongjang and enter a bit into the countryside you will notice dried up fields, barely any infrastructure at all, people who weigh much much less than humanly acceptable. Not to mention that things like education are only available for those with either influence, money or if the goverment decides that they will provide some kind of benefit for them. Combined with the propaganda brainwashing of the entire country and the constant monitoring of the paranoid goverment there are hardly any North Koreans at all who actually know about the outside world. Note that if anyone decides to rebel against them, no matter if children or adult, their whole family and perhaps their neighbours, villagers who happen to live in the same place, people who maybe had some contact with them will instantly get sent to a labour camp and believe me, they aren't fun. On the note of brainwashing: You can't just simply import weapons and technology to the people. They would report it to the goverment agents and even bring the goods with them. People who are starving can't fight against the system and people who aren't would lose their privileges. This a very very very sad doom loop. 4) That said the situation is slightly better than it was for example a decade ago. People are (very) slowly starting to realize that this isn't how they should live but don't expect a radical change any time in the medium future and the current successful rocket test proves this once more. Despite people starving North Korea has fairly advanced technology and army which is also why South Korea / USA hasn't simply 'invaded' them. North Korea would go any lengths to retaliate and the one who would be hit the most would of course be South Korea. It's absolutely impossible to first strike all their military facilities and even then you would mostly hit citizens. 5) There are also voices in goddamn South Korea that are against a reunion. If the two neighbours were ever to reunite again it would mean a massive drain of money, resources, knowledge, and so on from South Korea to bring North Korea even close to a level of minimum self-supply. Nobody is happy with the current situation but finding a solution isn't exactly easy. |
2012-12-13, 07:13 | Link #25102 |
books-eater youkai
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Betweem wisdom and insanity
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Insight: How Republicans engineered a blow to Michigan's powerful unions
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...8BC06W20121213
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2012-12-13, 15:19 | Link #25104 |
formerly ogon bat
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Mexico
Age: 53
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Uncle Sam is watching you!
The rules now allow the little-known National Counterterrorism Center to examine the government files of U.S. citizens for possible criminal behavior, even if there is no reason to suspect them. That is a departure from past practice, which barred the agency from storing information about ordinary Americans unless a person was a terror suspect or related to an investigation.
U.S. Terrorism Agency to Tap a Vast Database of Citizens Anyone still think this is about terrorism an not about keeping under wraps anyone that might be troublesome for the status quo? Good, you answered, now they know your ip, your location, your pet name and will keep you under surveillance >_< |
2012-12-13, 16:34 | Link #25105 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Quote:
‘Black boxes’ required in new cars by 2014: The Obama Administration has approved a request from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require “black boxes” on all new cars sold in the U.S. NBC’s Charles Hadlock reports. See: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-n...1531/#50131531 "Uncle Sam is watching you!" Indeed......... Last edited by AnimeFan188; 2012-12-13 at 17:27. |
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2012-12-13, 22:16 | Link #25109 |
formerly ogon bat
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Mexico
Age: 53
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Before long insurance companies will not sell you car insurance unless you car has a black box. If having a black box (that you cannot read its contents) spy on you 24/7 does not give you the creeps, give me double what you are drinking because it must be potent (unless it is labeled "this is permanent"). Then big business will take note and say "hey, why no do that directly to people?".
*raises hands and runs around in circles while yelling gibberish* |
2012-12-13, 22:45 | Link #25111 |
formerly ogon bat
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Mexico
Age: 53
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Those old cars wont last long, unless of course you convert them to electrical. *new bill dicates that all electrical motors to upgrade old cars must have a built in black box*. Before long you will see an sketch in SNL about someone that loses his memory and calls the goverment to ask them who he is and where he has been, you will know you are toast if it is funny.
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2012-12-13, 23:01 | Link #25113 |
formerly ogon bat
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Mexico
Age: 53
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Sybil does not track your movements, reads your mails, checks routinely on your conversations with other people. What Sybil does is regularly checking the mental health of the population and offering you jobs which you are mentally and emotionally prepared to handle. The actual system does not care if the perp is an unemployed psychopath that could be easily reinstated into society with an adequate job and some counseling, all the system cares for is whether you say or do anything self incriminating.
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2012-12-13, 23:29 | Link #25114 |
books-eater youkai
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Betweem wisdom and insanity
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Russia positions itself for fall of Syrian regime
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...12-13-16-19-36 If China and Iran could also do the same... Embattled, Rice bows out of running; Kerry likely http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...12-13-21-00-38 Is there any other serious possibility forthe post than John Kerry ?
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2012-12-14, 08:00 | Link #25118 | ||
books-eater youkai
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Betweem wisdom and insanity
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Quote:
Pentagon to send missiles, 400 troops to Turkey http://bigstory.ap.org/article/penta...-troops-turkey Quote:
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2012-12-14, 09:11 | Link #25119 |
formerly ogon bat
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Mexico
Age: 53
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Japanese police cybercrime unit sucks so hard you can hear it from thousands of kilometers, no ands, ifs or buts.
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2012-12-14, 09:43 | Link #25120 | |
books-eater youkai
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Betweem wisdom and insanity
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Marijuana Not High Obama Priority
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/...ry?id=17946783 Quote:
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