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My sister's in Japan, but I gather they either don't talk world-affairs much or they only talk about it amongst family. So we sometimes have to tell her when some big North Korean thing happens.
Japanese? It hits their news.
As a foreigner, I've been in the region for 10-12 years or so (South Korea & Japan). It's just part of the background.
It's kind of like American in the Cold War period. Technically Russia COULD blow you off the map...but you just do all your daily activities nontheless. I guess 'terrorist threat' would be another equivalent in the U.S.
It could happen...but....what'r'u'gonna do anyways? It's just part of the background.
Absolute not. The government in the world that I distrust the most is the USA, which is far more likely to kill North Koreans than Kim's regime is.
Kim has not come anywhere close to causing the deaths of as many North Koreans, as the number of Iraqis killed by Americans, and I won't even mention our other vandalizing adventures.
Asians will be quite safe, as long as the Americans stay out of their affairs.
This is an appallingly ignorant post and is very disrespectful to the victims of the North Korean regime. If you're willing to learn from a first hand account of North Korea instead of whatever leftist websites you frequent, then check out the book Aquariums of Pyongyang. Then again, perhaps you'd like to emigrate there to flee the oppressive American government
To the op: Am I worried? No. The South Koreans around me just carry on with their lives and I figure when they become worried, I will also. That, and I've got all of Seoul between me and the DMZ so I would be safe in the short term if something happened.
As a foreigner, I've been in the region for 10-12 years or so (South Korea & Japan). It's just part of the background.
It's kind of like American in the Cold War period. Technically Russia COULD blow you off the map...but you just do all your daily activities nontheless. I guess 'terrorist threat' would be another equivalent in the U.S.
It could happen...but....what'r'u'gonna do anyways? It's just part of the background.
And in Japan, there's a high risk of earthquakes and volcano eruptions.
Are worried about them having nuclear weapons, starting a war etc..
This is mainly going out to the South Koreans, Japanese and other Asian countries. Others feel free to join in.
No. I think the country that Asia (and the world) needs to worry about very much is Pakistan.
It has nuclear weapons, it is beset with terrorism, some of its government agencies appear to be actively involved with terrorists, domestically it is in the grip of religious extremism and the repression of minorities, its political life is unstable and corrupt and the public appears to run on rampant macho and emotionalism.
My sister doesn't really watch the news much. I think she does even less so in Japan as much of it is stuff she's not going to be involved in as she's not a Japanese citizen.
Wow, your ignorance of Kims North Korea is astounding.
I would recommend that you watch the documentary 'KimJongilia'. In the meantime here is an article you might find interesting...
So, you know nothing about NK except what you saw in that documentary, which was produced by people with a clear and expressed intent to destroy NK's structures. And you recommend that I watch it, too, so I will know as little as you know?
As for your article, it is all based on comments from one person, a dissident. Per capita, the USA has more than twice as many people in prison than NK does, even according to your heavily slanted article. Have you ever been in an American prison? Everybody in NK prison camps are there because they have shown themselves to be dangerous enemies of the state. Are you really so naive as to think that Kim just rounds people up at random in the streets, and thows them into gulags? Just because that's how the Americans got the Gitmo prisoners, doesn't mean Kim does it too.
So, you know nothing about NK except what you saw in that documentary, which was produced by people with a clear and expressed intent to destroy NK's structures. And you recommend that I watch it, too, so I will know as little as you know?
As for your article, it is all based on a few comments from dissidents. Per capita, the USA has more people in prison than NK does, even according to your heavily slanted article. Everybody in NK prison camps are there because they have shown themselves to be dangerous enemies of the state. Are you really so naive as to think that Kim just rounds people up at random in the streets, and thows them into gulags? Just because that's how the Americans got the Gitmo prisoners, doesn't mean Kim does it too.
You would defend the practice of three generation imprisonment? You would defend the practice of starving your people, kidnapping citizens of other countries? Kim Jong Ils North Korea is so repressive that its people find life as illegal immigrants in China preferable then living under Kim.
I know quite a bit about North Korea and the regime of Dear Leader. My information comes from varied sources including but not limited to Amnesty International, ABC, CBS, NBC, BBC, Newsweek, internet articles and yes -- even documentaries and books written by people who managed to escape North Korea. What are your sources? 'I Hate USA Weekly'? 'Self Loathing Gazette'? Your ignorance and naivity is astounding. Your post reminds me of Holocaust Deniers, and I find that very troubling.
Education is a wondrous thing, avail yourself of it.
So, you know nothing about NK except what you saw in that documentary, which was produced by people with a clear and expressed intent to destroy NK's structures. And you recommend that I watch it, too, so I will know as little as you know?
As for your article, it is all based on comments from one person, a dissident. Per capita, the USA has more than twice as many people in prison than NK does, even according to your heavily slanted article. Have you ever been in an American prison? Everybody in NK prison camps are there because they have shown themselves to be dangerous enemies of the state. Are you really so naive as to think that Kim just rounds people up at random in the streets, and thows them into gulags? Just because that's how the Americans got the Gitmo prisoners, doesn't mean Kim does it too.
I know people who have been in American prisons. The totalitarian nature of North Korea, and the US not being totalitarian, is different and recognizing that is not some US trick. If it'll help here's some non-US or even "critical of US" sources.
The thing is I'm not sure even the WSWS is as uncritical of North Korea as you.
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/nov2000/npp-n03.shtml - "It is above all else aimed at exploiting the police-state repression and poverty in North Korea to provide cheap, disciplined labour for South Korean companies."
And this is in an article criticizing the Nobel Peace Prize to a South Korean and the Prize in general as "given to figures who have been instrumental in effecting strategic shifts in conflict-torn parts of the world that serve the interests of the major capitalist powers and corporations." (Although the WSWS is so intensely anti-US I think they'd agree with you that Clinton-Bush-Obama have killed more North Koreans than the Kims have)
Last edited by Thomas R.; 03-05-2011 at 08:57 AM..
I am not worried about NK starting a war with us or even with South Korea.
My only concern is for North Koreans living under the regime; they are living not only in the most closed society on Earth but endure human rights violations beyond our experience and even malnutrition/starvation, all while being in the grip of a cult of personality that is as strong as any religion.
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