Things up north are going to be rough again...: It seems like bitter irony that people in the south are bitching about the import of US beef... It would be laughable if it wasn't so tragic. :ugh: Ralph
(Disclaimer: I am ethnically Chinese, living in the US, have no relatives living or working in Korea, nor have I ever personally set foot in Korea. I speak up about the conditions in the DPRK only because I abhor oppression and suffering) Good LINK! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K99QgXIOpA0 Video from the above link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms4NIB6xroc Here's another, very long but also very informative All those who have an interest for Liberty in North Korea should visit the above site. After seeing the above its hard to then look at something like the following, the North Korea that Kim wants or allows the west to see: I wonder if the reporter who had such a wonderful time would really want to go back if he'd be staying in one of those camps instead? Speaking of reporting, here's a look at what North Korea considers news (link to North Korea Official news outlet in Japan) : http://www.kcna.co.jp/index-e.htm If you take the time to read through the short articles, aside from the obvious political leanings, the wording sounds as if they were translated using a dictionary or English text from the 1900's. Ralph
The DPRK unfortunately, sits on a land mass that is mostly mountainous, with drastic differences in topographic elevation, limiting growing to physically small areas and agricultural materials to a very narrow range of choices. Moreover, their collective farming system's reliance on obsolete practices of aggressive fertilization and pesticides has rendered their scant arable land resources almost completely inert. Most of the soil left in the DPRK is already infertile as it has been made overly acidified. Further, natural rainfall patterns for the Korean peninsula is not conducive to high yield agriculture. Its bulk of annual rainfall occurs over the summer; for the remainder of the year, some regions may be so dry that artificial irrigation is a necessity in order to even sustain limited and poor farm output. Despite the disastrously poor returns of its archaic agriculture systems, the DPRK continues to pour a tremendous amount of its scarce monetary resources into sustaining a sizable military instead. It does this primarily to ensure that the politically reliable sector of its population is protected from food shortages and or other deprivations, using a system of draconian and strict social controls. In short, a narrow sliver of population is able to live fairly well, but at the obvious and ruthless expense of the majority whose existence is barely marginal at best.
Northern and Southern Koreans reunite only in the simplistic political dreams of naive university aged Korean nationalist. Older Koreans, who are much more realistic, remain pessimistic that the Korean peninsula can ever be brought together as under one cohesive political banner as their social and political indoctrinations are so far apart. A similar equation could have been asked of China and Hong Kong, but without the benefit of the PRC's final recognition of the importance of a market economy (which was only possible upon the death of Mao). In view of Kim Jong Il's sudden reported illness and absence, some political circles have quietly offered that his passing from the reigns of power may just loosen up the strict ideologic DPRK government to the practical realities of governance; eg, being able to feed your people. With such steps, it would be possible to imagine that the DPRK would one day embrace capitalism (like China has done) as a workable, or at least pragmatic, "socialist" tool. As far as reuniting suddenly? Don't even think it. -_-2
lol i am not that naive to believe everything would happen in a mere 24 hours, i dont even think korea would become a single unity of two nations in 24 years in if they started to merge now. But i do know the longer they are separated the harder it will be for the unification process, new generations in the north and south need to grow up in a world of unity therefore being oblivious to everything around them and accept their country as a whole from the get go... but world politics are becoming more and more complicated, i would be more surprised if Korea did decide to unify within my lifetime..
well .. one would think that when food and stuffs are running low, people would revolt and overthrow the government. hmmm ... guess i only see that in the movie or read about it in the history/novel ... lol
Despite the Let Them Eat Cake sentiments of the authoritarian regime, I really don't foresee such an insurrectionist event waiting in the wings; the north is just too entrenched and pervasive a police state to allow for a Hanjul version of the storming of the Bastille. If such were to occur in the countryside, the ruling and privileged class would withdraw into Pyongyang and effect control via their extensive military; a process already in place and ongoing. The only difference would be the matter of degree. What I do envision however, is that an eventual coup d'etat may be in the cards. The Kim sons have neither the political or military backing needed to inherit the regime, so that would leave a rather indistinct line of succession. That being the political case, then power would be really up for grabs. Those close to Kim Jong Il (like his mistress) would jockey for position, while those just bordering the inner circle (on the outside but looking in to where the real powers lie), may make a move to to eliminate the few inside that cicle before they themselves step in. Classic dictatorship styled power transition. The "people" would have very little to do with it.
