• Pyongyang Undergoing Radical Changes
    191 replies, posted
[QUOTE=RAYHALO;42281228]There is much more to Ireland then leprechauns, more to Italy then pizza and there is much more to the DPRK then petty nationalism and an anti-American sentiment.[/QUOTE]That reply would hold some merit if that's literally all Ireland and Italy portrayed to the rest of the world. I was also referring to their interior propaganda campaign, to be precise.[QUOTE=RAYHALO;42281228]Just off of the top of my head:[/QUOTE][QUOTE]1. stating that the DPRK believes in unicorns[/QUOTE]Well, they did claim to have caught one. Honestly, it would be better if they actually believed in unicorns, rather than expecting the rest of us to believe a blatant lie. At least if they believed in unicorns, it would be cute.[QUOTE]2. stating that DPRK citizens do not possess phones[/QUOTE]I've never heard this claim, but if it was made it's a stupid one. Of course North Koreans have phones, why the hell else do they have cell towers?[QUOTE]3. claiming that a satellite image of a collective farm was a "death camp"[/QUOTE]I actually had this argument with somebody else, and while I'd like to carefully track down the difference of a collective farm and an internment camp, I really don't have the time. I'll just outline the differences. Basically, for each house-sized building, you need half a field for self-sustaining food production. Internment camps have a collection of small fields and lots of huts, collective farms have lots of fields and a small number of huts. Also, look for guard towers and fences (these are difficult to spot, but there should be adjacent ditches) that are arranged in such a way that makes farming inefficient. Keeping people in line is less of a big deal at a collective farm, and I'm pretty sure they don't have need for watch towers.[QUOTE=RAYHALO;42281228]...But the DPRK does have at least limited worker control. The workers at a factory will have influence over how that factory is run and the production quota is set by the local Peoples Assembly.[/QUOTE]Ultimately though, it's the exact same as being a wage slave. Some group of assholes are telling you how to do your job rather than a single asshole, so I'm not really seeing a difference. This is the difference between theory and practice, on paper it sounds wonderful but in practice you're going to eventually be disenfranchised and ignored, just like it capitalism.[QUOTE=RAYHALO;42281228]The DPRK is only Socialistic in nature, given the sad state of the modern world the best i could hope for is a vaguely socialistic nation.[/QUOTE]I've always thought that half-ass effort is a bad habit to get into and an unacceptable alternative to a job done right. I hope you understand what I mean here.[QUOTE=RAYHALO;42281228]simply invading a nation to gain control of resources, while still imperialism is not really how America has chosen to build its empire; historically anyway. Historically America has favored overthrowing a nations government and implementing an American friendly one, opening a stable market for American corporations to expand to and exploit.[/QUOTE]Oh, yeah, like that's worked out so well for us. If you're going to accuse us of imperialism, recognize Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, South Vietnam, and also accuse us of failing miserably. Really, American companies have had [i]far more[/i] success in countries we've never overthrown, like India, Iran, Pakistan, China, Mexico, and a great deal of other places. Look at the environmental damage done to India by American chemical companies, and you'll see what I mean.[QUOTE=RAYHALO;42281228]Clearly not how America operates.[/QUOTE]That map shows any and all military bases (it also includes embassies for some odd reason) where American troops are stationed, even in a very minor number. Also, take note of the fact that on that map, Iraq is the only one we've effectively changed a regime.[QUOTE=RAYHALO;42281228]fair, however i think you also need to account for the atrocities that America itself has committed.[/QUOTE]Inside or outside our country? There's really a lot to choose from.[QUOTE=RAYHALO;42281228]Which is why being a worker under capitalism is horrid. Under capitalism a worker is simply reduced to the value that they can create for the capitalist; wage-slave#9768965 Under Communism, a worker is free to pursue a job that they enjoy.[/QUOTE]I'd rather risk being a wage slave, yet still retain the freedom to strike out on my own, rather than just being a mere worker, no matter how much of the means of production I supposedly control. Workplace happiness goes far beyond how much money you make, and if you owned a business or had a manager position high enough to affect policy, you'd understand exactly what I mean. What's really the difference, though, between capitalism and communism? A worker's value in raw capitalism is about the money for the employer, but in communism, it's about the value to the state. You are still a faceless entity, and you are still merely a statistic.[QUOTE=RAYHALO;42281228]Personally i consider that statement rather monstrous, i don't understand how a person could display such a lack of empathy.[/QUOTE]Lack of empathy? No, a lack of empathy would be forcing everyone into a pit of mediocrity, ordering them to be happy with their jobs, and preventing anyone from the pursuit of their natural drive to succeed. You know why 1% of the American population holds most of the wealth? Everyone else let them get there, either willingly or through their own failures. All those poor people bitching about how rich people don't care/fucked them over/slept with their wife/are bears/etc aren't the problem, it was their ancestors that are the problem. People have rolled over and let these greedy assholes become what they are now. Capitalism relies on everyone to be competitive, and in a perfect world, everyone would be relatively equal with some minor differences. Unfortunately, the moment you start having people either give up, or decide they don't want to be as competitive, you're going to have problems like we see today. This is why pure capitalism doesn't work any more than pure communism. Both are pipe dreams, and will never amount to anything because they lack something the other has. Having a safety net for capitalism works a hell of a lot better because, well, capitalism is merely an economic system while communism is for every aspect of society. Unfortunately, if you deploy that net far too late, or if it's too small, (both problems now) it's merely treating a symptom and not solving the problem. My views are not a lack of empathy, but rather, an understanding that people need to be different, and they need some adversity and struggle. I respect everyone's right to succeed and fail, so long as it does not crush or hinder others.
I have a friend who's grandpa lived in North Korea until he escaped because of how shit it was. The stories he has are so depressing though, as expected. RAYHALO should talk to him and get a clear picture of what North Korea is [B]truly[/B] like. [editline]23rd September 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=RAYHALO;42281706]The level of interaction with DPRK officials is quite similar to this: [video=youtube;zq_kTrbtQpo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq_kTrbtQpo[/video] While i am in a rather odd spot (not attached to a branch) i have still been able to attend events similar to the one in the video. Both the officials and the interaction that you have with them is quite real.[/QUOTE] All politicians are the same, they will always glorify their country. If you want a real vision of what it's like to live in North Korea you need to talk to an actual citizen, their fucked up backwards laws don't even affect the officials. North Korea takes the concept of Communism, spits on it and rubs it into the dirt just like so many other countries have done. Also, somewhat related. You said you planned on moving to North Korea? My only question is; are you okay with never leaving? Travel must not be a concern for you. Another thing, do you just attempt to discredit/completely ignore things citizens from the NK have revealed after escaping?
[QUOTE=EcksDee;42282131]How actually fucking dare you psychoanalyze people who you know literally nothing about. You're literally the most disgusting human being on this forum right now. And I said that about Rayhalo before he was banned.[/QUOTE] And how does this make you feel?
[QUOTE=Lachz0r;42281724]yeah see here's the problem what you see as good things i'm seeing as bad... just kidding. well i don't know what you want me to say, these big societal shifts don't affect me, they haven't affected people i know. from what i see society is still fucked, and it's getting worse. maybe your country is luckier than mine? maybe it's just different thinking, i think alot more locally[/QUOTE] So the overall trend of society away from being incredibly patriarchal and very segregated, within years of yours and my lifetimes, is worthless to you? Dude, are you PUI or are you just having a bad day or something?
[QUOTE=fruxodaily;42273780]North Korea is a mix between Communism, Dictatorship and Inhumane cunts[/QUOTE] The latter two are rather obvious but ideologically North Korea isn't communist in the slightest. North Korea's government uses elements of monarchy, oligarchy, theocracy, and military juntas to create a very well-equipped ruling class possessing nearly all of the things that communist revolutionaries of the late 19th/early 20th century despised. Such is usually the case for East Asian nations that call themselves "communist".
Like that city needs any more recreational facilities and such. If you've ever looked at Pyongyang from google maps, there's more damn theaters, stadiums, and sports facilities per square mile there than most major cities in the world, it's silly. They build them all for show or for their pro-dear-leader demonstrations. They need to focus their funding on public programs that can help the poor, starving people of the country, but they don't.
[QUOTE=Doctor Zedacon;42282095]This coming from you is hilarious. [editline]23rd September 2013[/editline] So you're self-centered. [editline]23rd September 2013[/editline] That RAYHALO is having common existential issues that a lot of people do.[/QUOTE] how was i being condescending? and maybe you'd call it self centered, but i don't see the point in being all happy about society supposedly becoming better when i and my peers certainly haven't benefited from it. oh there's less people living in poverty overall? well i'm sure that's gonna be a great comfort to my mates who are still living in poverty. oh global famine is going down? well that's a great comfort to my mates who still struggle to find enough food to live healthily. oh we have better medical care? that's a great comfort to my mate who can't afford medicine. [editline]24th September 2013[/editline] i guess the solution is to just wait because things are overall getting better so it's just a matter of time until all problems are solved huh
[QUOTE=Johnny Guitar;42280166]ussr accomplishments, are you fucked in the head?[/QUOTE] Alright, look, I disagree with RAYHALO on a number of points, but you can't go disregarding the scientific accomplishments of one of the largest nations to have ever graced the face of the planet. The USSR launched the first orbital satellite, put the first man in space, and even built an autonomous copy of the Space Shuttle. Oh yeah, and they put rovers on the surface of the moon before we even thought about rovers.
[QUOTE=ewitwins;42290494]A and even built an autonomous copy of the Space Shuttle.[/QUOTE] I might be wrong here but wasn't the buran only remote controlled for testing purposes and not actually intended to be autonomous in use?
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