North Korea flood footage released, est. 200,000 homeless currently. - Polidicks

[QUOTE=Milkdairy;37134208]I believe Kim Jong-Un has already asked for food aid. That being said, who the fuck rated the article funny? I don't even understand how this could be funny in any way.[/QUOTE] Why does that guy need any more food?

If they ask for aid, the UN should have it delivered by American UN troops. Not as a smack in the face, but to help break up their hatred of the US and other western countries.

[QUOTE=Sobotnik;37137642]The difference is that the USSR was a leech upon Eastern Europe, whilst North Korea has nothing to leech onto or off of (Besides Western Aid).[/QUOTE] I'm not talking about that. I'm saying that it literally looks like it. The architecture of the buildings. The lack of color. Poverty.

But Kim Jong Un seems such a nice guy! Right, facepunch? /sarcasm

It must be awful living there, I wish I could do something...

We where giving NK a LOT of support, a ton of energy, fuel, and food, but the UN has limits; they saw little to no improvement (AKA, the people got very little, and the quality of life wasn't going up like is supposed to happen) so we where told to stop providing support to them.

[QUOTE=Number-41;37141983]But Kim Jong Un seems such a nice guy! Right, facepunch? /sarcasm[/QUOTE] [sp]Nobody actually likes Kim Jong Il, or Kim Jong Un.[/sp]

I was honestly expecting those people to be a lot more skinnier and malnourished.

[QUOTE=Zee Captain;37142981]I was honestly expecting those people to be a lot more skinnier and malnourished.[/QUOTE]Outside the urban areas, everything's much worse; they would likely never permit showing the peasantry on TV, at this stage they probably look like Auschwitz survivors.

[QUOTE=Conscript;37137744]Lol the USSR was not a leech, if anything the satellite states were 'leeches' because they almost entirely relied on soviet investment and exporting the product to comecon members. Do you know anything about history sobotnik?[/QUOTE] Yes, I do since I study it. And I know that what you are saying about the Soviet Union not leeching upon other countries economies is bullshit not only because I have read on it, but because my Grandparents (One of whom was a Soviet architect) both told me that was literally what the Soviet Union did. (With regards to Poland at the very least) Let us look at Poland for this case. The Soviet Union moved vast numbers of people around so they could redraw the map of Europe to fit their liking, some communities were completely destroyed and many people were killed in the process. They got rid of independent publishers, trade unions, youth movements, etc. Next they collectivised Polish agriculture, put in insane quotas, ruined Polish agriculture and then worked to eliminate all private businesses, artisans and the church. They also stole a lot of telephone infrastructure in the aftermath of the war along with tramway installations and effectively get rid of the entire countries infrastructure. When they did get round to building new industry, they did a poor job of it. Factories built hundreds of kilometres from industrial centres, coalfields or manpower pools. They had been forced to refuse Marshall aid. Once the 6 year plan ended in 1955, the economy of Poland was brought into line with the Soviet Unions own inefficient and ruinous economic plans

[QUOTE=Sobotnik;37149485] and the church. [/QUOTE] Pope John Paul II said that if the Soviets made Poland into another Hungary, he would [quote= Pope John Paul II]I will stand against you as I march on the streets of Warsaw[/quote] themoreyouknow.jpg

[QUOTE=RichyZ;37142861]who the fuck said he was a nice guy[/QUOTE] [URL="http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1202787&p=37064864&viewfull=1#post37064864"]About 40 people in the news section[/URL] [I]Seriously almost every single thread about NK on FP is about how cute Kim Jong Un looks or how he does everyday stuff and everyone goes "baww" (even though I am aware that it's funny to do this because he is such a terrible dictator, but that fact still gets ignored way too much)[/I]

[QUOTE=Sobotnik;37149485]Yes, I do since I study it. And I know that what you are saying about the Soviet Union not leeching upon other countries economies is bullshit not only because I have read on it, but because my Grandparents (One of whom was a Soviet architect) both told me that was literally what the Soviet Union did. (With regards to Poland at the very least)[/quote] I also have polish family there, who during the time of the second republic were poor, uneducated peasants living like the 19th century, but within decades became modernized, like all other agrarian marxist-leninist states. [quote]The Soviet Union moved vast numbers of people around so they could redraw the map of Europe to fit their liking, some communities were completely destroyed and many people were killed in the process. They got rid of independent publishers, trade unions, youth movements, etc.[/quote] Lol after WW2 of course they fucking did. The moving around of germans, the destruction of prussia, and giving poland the territory up to the curzon line settled the nationalist german conflict that had been feeding german imperialism from its inception and oppressing the polish people. [quote]Next they collectivised Polish agriculture, put in insane quotas, ruined Polish agriculture and then worked to eliminate all private businesses, artisans and the church. They also stole a lot of telephone infrastructure in the aftermath of the war along with tramway installations and effectively get rid of the entire countries infrastructure.[/quote] Bullshit. Polish agriculture was mostly privatized, it was a concession to the peasantry. The state bought grain from the farms. There were communal farms, my grandfather worked on one, but polish land wasn't collectivized like in the USSR. [quote]When they did get round to building new industry, they did a poor job of it. Factories built hundreds of kilometres from industrial centres, coalfields or manpower pools.[/quote] Source? [quote]They had been forced to refuse Marshall aid.[/quote] More bullshit. By the time the PRL was created no eastern bloc country was even eligible for marshall plan aid. Their economies were not 'liberalized' and in poland's case, were usurping of power from an allied-aligned government in exile. [quote]Once the 6 year plan ended in 1955, the economy of Poland was brought into line with the Soviet Unions own inefficient and ruinous economic plans[/QUOTE] Nonsense. The soviet economy was ridiculously strong and spend a large portion of its GDP subsidizing exports of everything to comecon members. What enabled industrialization in the backwards states was cheap soviet imports of necessary resources, including expertise. The 50s and 60s were an era of large amounts of growth and a mass transit from the rural countryside to industrial regions. It wasn't until later when warsaw pact states were in debt to the west that there was large amounts of inefficiency. Your post reads like a silly narrative.

I'm thinking the guy who saved the portrait was really just taking an opportunity to flaunt his loyalty to the state, and it did get him on TV. That will probably look nice on his resume when wanting a promotion or some such.

[QUOTE=Conscript;37151280]I also have polish family there, who during the time of the second republic were poor, uneducated peasants living like the 19th century, but within decades became modernized, like all other agrarian marxist-leninist states.[/QUOTE] Bullshit, Poland was already modernised and industrialised. (Relative to Russia) Industrialisation began in the 19th century, when the Polish exported many industrial goods to Russia before Russia began to industrialise in the 1890s. [QUOTE=Conscript;37151280]Lol after WW2 of course they fucking did. The moving around of germans, the destruction of prussia, and giving poland the territory up to the curzon line settled the nationalist german conflict that had been feeding german imperialism from its inception and oppressing the polish people.[/QUOTE] Bullshit again, they displaced people from their historic homelands into new areas. The entire population of Lvov was Polish, and was moved to Breslau which was formerly German as one example.

China will probably (hopefully) send troops to help out, I don't think the North Korean government is capable of any sort of disaster relief.

[QUOTE=Number-41;37149830][URL="http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1202787&p=37064864&viewfull=1#post37064864"]About 40 people in the news section[/URL] [I]Seriously almost every single thread about NK on FP is about how cute Kim Jong Un looks or how he does everyday stuff and everyone goes "baww" (even though I am aware that it's funny to do this because he is such a terrible dictator, but that fact still gets ignored way too much)[/I][/QUOTE] But, is he a terrible dictator because he is much more oppressive than his father, or because he isn't as good at being a totalitarian leader as his father? [editline]10th August 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=Pig;37154095]China will probably (hopefully) send troops to help out, I don't think the North Korean government is capable of any sort of disaster relief.[/QUOTE] I don't think NK would let any troops in. Humanitarian aid, yes. People with guns hoping to help? No.

[QUOTE=Milkdairy;37158411]But, is he a terrible dictator because he is much more oppressive than his father, or because he isn't as good at being a totalitarian leader as his father? [editline]10th August 2012[/editline] I don't think NK would let any troops in. Humanitarian aid, yes. People with guns hoping to help? No.[/QUOTE]They've let Chinese troops in to help before with humanitarian work, not something which they need their rifles for.