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Satellite Images of North Korea Prison Camps Find 200,000 Living as Slaves

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Re: Satellite Images of North Korea Prison Camps Find 200,000 Living as Slaves

#41

Post by baltcode »

yequalsx wrote: post #6
fijall wrote: post #3

2,292,133 were in prisons in the United States in 2009 [from wikipedia]. Even though I guess conditions are better, 200 000 doesn't sound like that many after all.

I fail to see your point. Does the number of U.S. prisoners diminish the vileness of what goes on in North Korea? Are you saying/suggesting that the numbers of prisoners in the U.S. are so great that other countries are beyond criticism? That it's hypocritical for Americans or the American government to be shocked by the situation in North Korea? Can you clarify?

No, the severity of the NK situation is not diminished in the least by US prisons. Neither is the severity of the problems of some people stuck in prison revolving doors in the US diminished by the greater injustice in NK. It is hypocritical of anyone to try and deflect justified criticism by pointing somewhere else. Other countries are not beyond criticism, but many people feel that they should be beyond the "lets invade them" policy.

Re: Satellite Images of North Korea Prison Camps Find 200,000 Living as Slaves

#42

Post by wcgortel »

rorrr wrote: post #38

US prison population: 2.2 million http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/US_...

This is a good statistic to raise, but it's not a direct comparison. The US prison population probably has much more in common with ordinary North Koreans than these individuals.

Re: Satellite Images of North Korea Prison Camps Find 200,000 Living as Slaves

#43

Post by muhfuhkuh »

ugh wrote: post #26
muhfuhkuh wrote: post #9

"I can admire China’s growth in infrastructure and technology, it’s pursuit to compete on a global scale, but what good is all that growth if it allows these crimes to go on next door?" I admire America's prominence in infrastructure and technology, it's continuing domination on a global scale, but what good is all that power when over 40,000 people and rising are murdered because of a drug war for which they are com…

The author of the article is no member of the US government and doesn't speak for it. To accuse him of hypocrisy on the basis of actions his government takes seems wholly misguided.

But, pointing the finger at one particular government for their failure to sanction/punish/invade/liberate another country when they could "easily" do so seems totally justified?

How about pointing the finger at the offending country, rather than at it's bordering ones?

Re: Satellite Images of North Korea Prison Camps Find 200,000 Living as Slaves

#44

Post by abbasmehdi »

muhfuhkuh wrote: post #9

"I can admire China’s growth in infrastructure and technology, it’s pursuit to compete on a global scale, but what good is all that growth if it allows these crimes to go on next door?" I admire America's prominence in infrastructure and technology, it's continuing domination on a global scale, but what good is all that power when over 40,000 people and rising are murdered because of a drug war for which they are com…

Come on muhfuhkuha, you're taking this out of context. The author is saying that China is an accomplice in crimes committed by NK because it expels refugees who face imminent threat in NK, thus making China an accomplice. China cannot push escapees back into shark waters and say "I am not the shark", I'd say "Yes China, but you kind of fed this person to the shark."

The US has a very generous amnesty and refugee program, and if you can prove in court that you will be killed or prosecuted in your home country then you're granted residency. I personally know 3 people who have undergone this process. If they tried the same in China, they would have been swung right back over the border.

Re: Satellite Images of North Korea Prison Camps Find 200,000 Living as Slaves

#46

Post by burgerbrain »

muhfuhkuh wrote: post #9

"I can admire China’s growth in infrastructure and technology, it’s pursuit to compete on a global scale, but what good is all that growth if it allows these crimes to go on next door?" I admire America's prominence in infrastructure and technology, it's continuing domination on a global scale, but what good is all that power when over 40,000 people and rising are murdered because of a drug war for which they are com…

Ignoring the fact that this tangent is offtopic, two wrongs don't make a right. The "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" attitude is and always has been absolute bullshit.

EDIT: s/sin/stone/

Re: Satellite Images of North Korea Prison Camps Find 200,000 Living as Slaves

#47

Post by bloggergirl »

chopsueyar wrote: post #19
bloggergirl wrote: post #2

Thank you for posting this. A key takeaway from the article is in the final paragraph: "if we allow it, we could live in a world that makes great strides forward, but that can never rid itself of the abhorrent authoritarian tool that is the concentration camp." We allow these horrors to occur. That's not a judgment on anyone; I'm definitely part of the problem because I'm not part of the solution (to borrow a cliche)…

We need to wait for large mineral or oil deposits to be found in North Korea, and then the US can implement democracy.

So true! You hit the nail on the head, chopsueyar.

Re: Satellite Images of North Korea Prison Camps Find 200,000 Living as Slaves

#48

Post by jekdoce »

bloggergirl wrote: post #2

Thank you for posting this. A key takeaway from the article is in the final paragraph: "if we allow it, we could live in a world that makes great strides forward, but that can never rid itself of the abhorrent authoritarian tool that is the concentration camp." We allow these horrors to occur. That's not a judgment on anyone; I'm definitely part of the problem because I'm not part of the solution (to borrow a cliche)…

Initial ideas:

- Keep sharing the link for a week/month on Facebook, hopefully making it viral

- Setup a Facebook page for this, asking the same question "What can we do?"

- It has to start from within, see Tunisia, Egypt etc.

- Making sure folks inside North Korea can access info via proxy servers if it's blocked

Re: Satellite Images of North Korea Prison Camps Find 200,000 Living as Slaves

#49

Post by daten »

rorrr wrote: post #38

US prison population: 2.2 million http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/US_...

While I agree that it is a problem that the US has a large and growing prison population, I don't think it's a fair comparison to the conditions being described in these camps in NK.

US prisoners are afforded many more human rights than the prisoners in these camps. They are fed and housed humanely. They are also given a fair trial as defined by the constitution before they are incarcerated and they serve specific prison terms with options for parole.

Re: Satellite Images of North Korea Prison Camps Find 200,000 Living as Slaves

#50

Post by ugh »

muhfuhkuh wrote: post #43
ugh wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The author of the article is no member of the US government and doesn't speak for it. To accuse him of hypocrisy on the basis of actions his government takes seems wholly misguided.

But, pointing the finger at one particular government for their failure to sanction/punish/invade/liberate another country when they could "easily" do so seems totally justified? How about pointing the finger at the offending country, rather than at it's bordering ones?

The article makes very specific complaints about China’s behavior. Which do you think are unjustified and why?
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