North Korea

  On 4/4/2013 at 6:42 AM, chenGOD said:

(never mind those pesky famine conditions - it must be the evil government!!).

mm, you know I respect the depth of your knowledge about korea, but in my experience, famines are usually caused by bad govt. policies (as also happened in China, another communist utopia) or open armed conflict (as happens in Africa).

Chengod, I have to ask... are you a communist?

A good representation of what is going on here.

I did a bit of research on the North Korean leadership and found these very interesting peices... Anyone whose even slightly interested in this conflict may want to give a read. Brian Reynolds Myers, an academic expert on NK and journalist/author goes into depth about the extent of the propaganda that this society is inficted with throughout their lives (to the point where the average citizen is completely brainwashed to believe that North Koreans are some kind of superior race). He goes on to say that the current NK regime is not even really communist as much as it is simply fascist/ultra-nationalistic. Mindblowing, and truly sad. Though it's only one source, I do believe it's a decent one and he seems to have a very experienced/authoritative voice on the matter...

http://www.3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2010/04/immersion-in-propaganda-racebased-nationalism-and-the-unfigureoutable-vortex-of-juche-thought-colin-.html

This goes more into detail regarding the complexity of NK's propaganda tactics (which are purposely constructed into this sort of ideology ("juche")- in which translated versions come off as so cumbersome that non-North Koreans have trouble penetrating it, thus allowing the NK leadership to try and hide it's real intentions from the outside world. Sadly, the typical North Koreans don't have clear view of what is going on outside of their society...

http://www.washingtonian.com/blogs/dead_drop/north-korea/juche-strong-new-documentary-peels-back-the-layers-of-north-koreas-propaganda-machine.php

I had no idea the extent of this madness... Before reading/hearing about some of this today, like chen, i also had a skeptical voice somewhere in my head hypothesizing, "hmmm maybe the west is painting nk situation as worse than it is"...

I think this information quashes most of that skeptical voice.

Thanks for the info Lane

  Quote

The North Korean army has warned Washington that its military has been cleared to wage an attack using "smaller, lighter and diversified nuclear" weapons.

"The moment of explosion is approaching fast," the military said, warning that war could break out "today or tomorrow".

The statement, carried by the Korean Central News Agency early on Thursday, said troops had been authorised to counter US aggression with "powerful practical military counteractions".

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2013/04/201343223032804872.html

  On 4/4/2013 at 7:07 AM, joshuatx said:

 

  On 4/4/2013 at 6:42 AM, chenGOD said:

Never mind the oppression of communists and violent uprisings that happened in the southern part of the peninsula prior to the war (by the way, did you know that at the time of the split, there were actually more communists in the south than in the north?). Never mind that the division of the nation was undertaken without consulting any Koreans, and done by two junior US officers at the request of MacArthur. Never mind any of the history...just concentrate on the modern day rhetoric and propaganda....(from which government though?).

 

It's bit sickening to think that many Westerners and most young Americans, not us WATMMers of course, are completely unaware the ROK was a dictatorship in the 1980s whose then leader was actually sentenced to death (later pardoned) for the Gwangju_Massacre among other offenses in office. We really are fed such stark and simplistic rhetoric regarding the North and South division and conflict. Even as someone who is probably more informed than many of my peers (which is saying much) I still learned a lot of things I had no idea about regarding Korean society and culture from friends who taught in South Korea last year. Likewise I always find your posts extremely informative chengod.

I had no idea that ROK was a dictatorship as late as that or at all really, so that's completely news to me, and extremely interesting, thank you!

Really there's virtually no education in the UK about either side of Korea. The only information we get about Korea is that those silly North Koreans are playing up again in the news. At which point it's basically just "they're the bad guys" but no real depth or explanation, it's just cut and dry like that. You have to really go digging to find information.

I note with disgust that both Colbert and the Daily Show have been doing their anti-north korea duty, in long segments. Helping to ramp up the spin.

I see the point of all this as not forthcoming military action. But to demonize a leader that might otherwise have been seen by the public more sympathetically. As he was new, the western citizens might have been willing to give him a chance. Then there was the rodman visit. Whereapon the US upped the sactions gambit which caused an obvious reaction from NK, and so here we are today.

Silly games played by cunting wankers to convince gullible twats to keep funding their cursed bullshit.

nortk koreak are cool they have concentration camsps and stuff

it's comedy shows dude.

When called upon they play their part in the big show or they wouldn't have shows and it shows.

I seriously hate war.

There is another repatriation here today, I live just outside the Brize Norton airbase where the bodies are flown back to. Not been many recently but every one is a reminder of the daily struggle that still goes on in Afghan. Plus we never know how many wounded are flown back....

North Korea seriously just need to chill the fuck out

I heard they wanted to bomb Austin. They are either have poor Intel, hate hipsters or the media is fear mongering... again.

  On 4/4/2013 at 12:02 PM, Obel said:

I had no idea that ROK was a dictatorship as late as that or at all really, so that's completely news to me, and extremely interesting, thank you!

 

Really there's virtually no education in the UK about either side of Korea. The only information we get about Korea is that those silly North Koreans are playing up again in the news. At which point it's basically just "they're the bad guys" but no real depth or explanation, it's just cut and dry like that. You have to really go digging to find information.

This is all most people in the UK know about Korea.

That and Old Boy.

  On 4/4/2013 at 2:15 PM, ZiggomaticV17 said:

I heard they wanted to bomb Austin. They are either have poor Intel, hate hipsters or the media is fear mongering... again.

That shit was pretty random - guess he needed a middle American target...everyone here immediately made light of it, for instance it inspired this tumblr: http://unaustin.tumblr.com/

Rick Perry used it tout himself and the state again. No really.

Another coincidence for me is my friend here in Austin actually visited North Korea before Kim Jong Un took power through this touring agency: http://www.koryogroup.com/ He said the application process was as easy as getting a visa to visit China. It was as surreal as he expected, very much organized and planned by the DPRK of course, mostly visiting monuments, sites, etc. He enjoyed his visit and I even got a postcard from him!

  On 4/4/2013 at 12:46 PM, delet... said:

But to demonize a leader that might otherwise have been seen by the public more sympathetically. As he was new, the western citizens might have been willing to give him a chance. Then there was the rodman visit. Whereapon the US upped the sactions gambit which caused an obvious reaction from NK, and so here we are today.

Um what? Seems to me the current situation is entirely Un's fault. He's doing a fine job demonizing himself.

lol..welcome to delet.

  On 4/4/2013 at 7:23 AM, compson said:

Chengod, I have to ask... are you a communist?

Just study it out. Study it out.

Study.

It.

Out.

  Quote

 

Pyongyang delivers a warning

Pentagon officials, while decrying North Korean saber-rattling, said recent announcements of U.S. military deployments in response to belligerent statements by North Korea may have contributed to the escalating tensions between the countries.

"We accused the North Koreans of amping things up, now we are worried we did the same thing," one Defense Department official said.

  On 4/4/2013 at 12:46 PM, delet... said:

I note with disgust that both Colbert and the Daily Show have been doing their anti-north korea duty, in long segments. Helping to ramp up the spin.

 

I see the point of all this as not forthcoming military action. But to demonize a leader that might otherwise have been seen by the public more sympathetically. As he was new, the western citizens might have been willing to give him a chance. Then there was the rodman visit. Whereapon the US upped the sactions gambit which caused an obvious reaction from NK, and so here we are today.

 

Silly games played by cunting wankers to convince gullible twats to keep funding their cursed bullshit.

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/04/17584311-north-koreas-overseas-apologists-dismiss-propaganda-about-torture-repression

^ This

Yeah fuck you Fat Boy

  On 4/4/2013 at 8:47 AM, Lane Visitor said:

I did a bit of research on the North Korean leadership and found these very interesting peices... Anyone whose even slightly interested in this conflict may want to give a read. Brian Reynolds Myers, an academic expert on NK and journalist/author goes into depth about the extent of the propaganda that this society is inficted with throughout their lives (to the point where the average citizen is completely brainwashed to believe that North Koreans are some kind of superior race). He goes on to say that the current NK regime is not even really communist as much as it is simply fascist/ultra-nationalistic. Mindblowing, and truly sad. Though it's only one source, I do believe it's a decent one and he seems to have a very experienced/authoritative voice on the matter...

 

http://www.3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2010/04/immersion-in-propaganda-racebased-nationalism-and-the-unfigureoutable-vortex-of-juche-thought-colin-.html

That podcast interview was very interesting - thanks for posting.

Most definitely... found it quite interesting as well. I'm considering checking out the guy's book

This is a good look at the state of N Korea and really the mental state of its citizens. The metaphors of a cult are just about spot on. I will say this film is very depressing and my girlfriend started crying while we were watching.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000M2E34K/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

ahahahaha the look on Cooper's face