How the media is treating DPRK during the Olympics

[AUDub 11,184]

It needs to stop. They're not whimsical little group of weirdos. They're a brutal totalitarian regime with a cult of personality that would make Nazi Germany blush.

[homersapien 11,453]

I totally didn't get the combining the two Korea's athletes under the "reunification flag".

 

[AUFAN78 3,926]

Unbelievable from a US media source.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/kim-yo-jong-sister-of-a-dictator-gets-celebrity-treatment-from-u.s.-media/article/2011544?

[McLoofus 35,182]

23 hours ago, homersapien said:

I totally didn't get the combining the two Korea's athletes under the "reunification flag".

The two Koreas have only existed for 70 years. A lot of families with living members on both sides of the DMZ. Also, Korean culture is intensely... tribal? nationalistic? xenophobic? North Korea is the only other nation in the world that South Koreans can relate to, and vice versa. 

They're basically 2 siblings who got split up in foster care, and now one of them is stuck with an abusive alcoholic of a foster parent. 

[homersapien 11,453]

29 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

The two Koreas have only existed for 70 years. A lot of families with living members on both sides of the DMZ. Also, Korean culture is intensely... tribal? nationalistic? xenophobic? North Korea is the only other nation in the world that South Koreans can relate to, and vice versa. 

They're basically 2 siblings who got split up in foster care, and now one of them is stuck with an abusive alcoholic of a foster parent. 

I understand the history and I get the sentiment. But considering the current "politics" of the north, anticipating or projecting  reunification implies war.

[McLoofus 35,182]

9 minutes ago, homersapien said:

I understand the history and I get the sentiment. But considering the current "politics" of the north, anticipating or projecting  reunification implies war.

Yeah, I got nothin'. 

[homersapien 11,453]

I think the ultimate problem with the reunification proposal is China.  China and Korea are traditional enemies.  I suspect China would prefer the status quo than a relatively powerful and prosperous Korea on their border.

I hope I am wrong or they will at least reconsider.  North Korea would likely self-implode without China's support.

[Strychnine 1,804]

21 hours ago, homersapien said:

I think the ultimate problem with the reunification proposal is China.  China and Korea are traditional enemies.  I suspect China would prefer the status quo than a relatively powerful and prosperous Korea on their border.

I hope I am wrong or they will at least reconsider that.  North Korea would likely self-implode without China's support.

 

I tend to think China is growing more indifferent to the ultimate fate of North Korea, and would even prefer North Korea not be an issue they have to deal with.  While the status quo may be a preferable outcome to them, a united Korea would never be a real threat to them without US backing.  With China and the US being nuclear powers, it is relatively assured there would never be more than saber rattling between the two, especially over Korea.

North Korea (specifically the Kims) is the real obstacle to reunification.  South Korea (and the US) will likely never accept a reunification proposal that includes or legitimizes the Kims, and North Korea is unlikely to accept a proposal that excludes the dynasty.  I do believe that a collapse of North Korea (and the resulting human catastrophe) is a very unfortunate necessity for reunification to really move forward.  I also think the death of the Kim dynasty is a requisite as well.  That said, I am equally concerned about a Kim-less North Korea.  The Soviet Union had Krushchev and the rest of the Soviet government to bring about and oversee De-Stalinization, while I think the longer term of North Korea's cult of personality might leave few (if any) progressive potential leaders to move North Korea forward.

[AUDub 11,184]

 

[Strychnine 1,804]

30 minutes ago, AUDub said:

 

 

I can only imagine what must go through the mind of even the average Pyongyang resident upon seeing Seoul, even from a hotel room window, for the first time.

[AUDub 11,184]

Just now, Strychnine said:

 

I can only imagine what must go through the mind of even the average Pyongyang resident upon seeing Seoul, even from a hotel room window, for the first time.

Just be sure to keep it to yourself or you're being sent to a gulag. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 hour ago, AUDub said:

Just be sure to keep it to yourself or you're being sent to a gulag. 

What's really sad is that at least some of those 21 probably didn't so much as look out the window, much less say anything about it.

[homersapien 11,453]

On 2/13/2018 at 11:08 AM, Strychnine said:

 

I can only imagine what must go through the mind of even the average Pyongyang resident upon seeing Seoul, even from a hotel room window, for the first time.

Forget the view of Seoul, just take them to a modern supermarket.

My company hosted a Soviet trade delegation back in the late 70's on a tour of such stores. The abundance, variety and choice literally disoriented them.  They assumed it was a set-up.  We told them we would take them to any store they designated. 

I once read a fictional account of a North Korean invasion of the south.  One of the issues was how the North Korean soldiers - upon seeing the lifestyle of ordinary Koreans - might react to discovering they had been deceived all their lives.

[McLoofus 35,182]

20 minutes ago, homersapien said:

Forget the view of Seoul, just take them to a modern supermarket.

My company hosted a Soviet trade delegation back in the late 70's on a tour of such stores. The abundance, variety and choice literally disoriented them.  They assumed it was a set-up.  We told them we would take them to any store they designated. 

I once read a fictional account of a North Korean invasion of the south.  One of the issues was how the North Korean soldiers upon seeing the lifestyle of ordinary Koreans might react to discovering they had been deceived all their lives.

To tangent off that a little, The Orphan Master's Son is a very good and very brutal novel based off interviews with North Koreans. Evidently some of the things that one would assume are fiction are not. 

[homersapien 11,453]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

To tangent off that a little, The Orphan Master's Son is a very good and very brutal novel based off interviews with North Koreans. Evidently some of the things that one would assume are fiction are not. 

Thanks for the recommendation!  (You neglected to mention it won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.)  I just requested it from my library.

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 minute ago, homersapien said:

Thanks for the recommendation.  (You neglected to mention it won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.)  I just requested it from my library.

Oh, so you'd take the word of this Pyuuuulitzer fella over that of your good friend Loof?  I see how it is. Hmph.

[homersapien 11,453]

8 hours ago, McLoofus said:

Oh, so you'd take the word of this Pyuuuulitzer fella over that of your good friend Loof?  I see how it is. Hmph.

  Well, that didn't go well.  I didn't realize I was so provocative.   

No wonder so many people on this forum hate me.    

[DKW 86 7,441]

This temporary love of NK is just to poke Trump in the eye. Trump is what he is, crazy, narcissistic, crazy, liar, did i say crazy? But loving the NKs is a good solid poke in his eye. Suddenly the NKs seems to be on a goodwill tour. Well, take it with a grain of salt. They still starve their people like every other Communist Country has done over time.

[McLoofus 35,182]

8 hours ago, homersapien said:

  Well, that didn't go well.  I didn't realize I was so provocative.   

No wonder so many people on this forum hate me.    

Heavy sarcasm. Heeeaaaavy.

[AU64 10,122]

On ‎2‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 9:55 AM, Strychnine said:

 

I tend to think China is growing more indifferent to the ultimate fate of North Korea, and would even prefer North Korea not be an issue they have to deal with.  While the status quo may be a preferable outcome to them, a united Korea would never be a real threat to them without US backing.  With China and the US being nuclear powers, it is relatively assured there would never be more than saber rattling between the two, especially over Korea.

North Korea (specifically the Kims) is the real obstacle to reunification.  South Korea (and the US) will likely never accept a reunification proposal that includes or legitimizes the Kims, and North Korea is unlikely to accept a proposal that excludes the dynasty.  I do believe that a collapse of North Korea (and the resulting human catastrophe) is a very unfortunate necessity for reunification to really move forward.  I also think the death of the Kim dynasty is a requisite as well.  That said, I am equally concerned about a Kim-less North Korea.  The Soviet Union had Krushchev and the rest of the Soviet government to bring about and oversee De-Stalinization, while I think the longer term of North Korea's cult of personality might leave few (if any) progressive potential leaders to move North Korea forward.

Disagree....China needs for the NK government to keep it's people within the bounds of that country....thus they give the NK government just enough help to keep them in power and not enough to make them any kind of economic threat.    Beijing is a co-conspirator with the NK government to keep the population of NK in virtual bondage and the people too weak to overthrow their family dictatorship.

JMO but as someone suggested, NBC's fawning all over NK's ruling family is just a shot at Trump....but they ought to be on the payroll from NK for all the good publicity they have given that treacherous country's leaders.  Happily, I read that viewership is down this Olympics....probably for a number of reasons but among those reasons are reactions from Americans who object to how favorably NK is being portrayed. ...and you can include me in the latter group.