Earlier quoted context omitted.
We had those in Bulgaria for a number of years before the fall of communism. They were restricted to use only by foreigners buying with foreign currency and locals could only gawk, but never buy. As a child I remember seeing Kinder Surprise eggs and Ritter Sport chocolates, and watching ads for Hot Wheels toys and paint-by number sets I could never play with. It scars you for life. Years later I saw paint by number s…
Actually, this is something else. Those foreigner-only, hard-currency-only ones are sad enough, but this is much worse. There is no store. It's just playacting.
Secret State of North Korea [video]
91–96 of 96 posts
Re: Secret State of North Korea [video]
#92Earlier quoted context omitted.
The state-run media actually puts out their daily articles in English, they're pretty interesting to actually read. Here's an example, from today: http://rodong.rep.kp/en/index.php?strPageID=SF01_02_01&newsI... > Above all, one must learn to see through the true nature of the freedom > and democracy of the Western style. In a word, it is a sham democracy > and sham freedom. They are but a fig-leaf to cover up the rea…
The Nazis also had some mean things to say about the US, too.
Okey, lets talk about Nazis and World War 2. If the US would had used torture, strip searches at the border, and a spy in every product and phone, I am sure the Nazis would have a bunch to say about the US. Their news information about bombings of civilian targets was surely not too far off from the truth (the US used the same old argument that the enemy are hiding under hospitals, schools and weddings then as now).
But thats all ancient history. Instead Lets ask us a simple question: If you were a POW, under which countries would you fear for your life? The U.S. Is to me on that list, which has some clear implication on the words like freedom, democracy and "the good side".
Re: Secret State of North Korea [video]
#93Earlier quoted context omitted.
We had those in Bulgaria for a number of years before the fall of communism. They were restricted to use only by foreigners buying with foreign currency and locals could only gawk, but never buy. As a child I remember seeing Kinder Surprise eggs and Ritter Sport chocolates, and watching ads for Hot Wheels toys and paint-by number sets I could never play with. It scars you for life. Years later I saw paint by number s…
Actually, this is something else. Those foreigner-only, hard-currency-only ones are sad enough, but this is much worse. There is no store. It's just playacting.
Re: Secret State of North Korea [video]
#94Earlier quoted context omitted.
The Nazis also had some mean things to say about the US, too.
And? Just the regular "the nazis is bad, so what ever comment I now associate with it must be equally bad"? Okey, lets talk about Nazis and World War 2. If the US would had used torture, strip searches at the border, and a spy in every product and phone, I am sure the Nazis would have a bunch to say about the US. Their news information about bombings of civilian targets was surely not too far off from the truth (the…
Re: Secret State of North Korea [video]
#95Earlier quoted context omitted.
The products on the shelves can't be bought, they're literally just there for show, as opposed to a normal store where you buy things...
Why?
But, it is a 'show' city. It is the only place where foreigners are allowed, for example. School children do not go to school to learn. They go to school and drill endlessly in song, dance, marching, playing musical instruments, and so on. Then they put on shows for visiting dignitaries, government officials, and tourists. Woe be to the child that makes a mistake. Where 'woe' could include prison camp for them and their family.
Use Google Earth, and look around the city. Then go to some no-name China city and do the same. In Pyongyang the streets are very wide, yet entirely empty. It is thought that part of the emptiness is due to the famine - millions died - but it is also because it is a facade. Entire tall apartment buildings and factories are built - and left empty. Most of the tall buildings, so far as we can tell, are empty. People are employed to mill in and out to give the appearance of business, but Google earth tells the real story - this is a ghost town. I mean truly empty. You'll see a few trucks or cars, and a few people walking around, but otherwise...entirely empty. Meanwhile all of the fake stuff is recorded and transmitted in the weekly propaganda (news) shows. "Great Leader inspects department store and gives advice on how to improve sales". "Young Leader breaks ground on glorious new apartment building project". And so on. They spend millions on this while the people starve. Cannibalism was fairly reliably reported during the famine. A rat was a real treat, if you caught one, but you would be sent to prison camp if caught doing so.
It is an astonishingly bad place run by psychopaths mad on power.
Re: Secret State of North Korea [video]
#96Earlier quoted context omitted.
And? Just the regular "the nazis is bad, so what ever comment I now associate with it must be equally bad"? Okey, lets talk about Nazis and World War 2. If the US would had used torture, strip searches at the border, and a spy in every product and phone, I am sure the Nazis would have a bunch to say about the US. Their news information about bombings of civilian targets was surely not too far off from the truth (the…
Given a choice between being a POW in the US or NK, your choice would be a coin flip?
If my choice is between being a POW under the "care" of US, NK, China, Russia, Belgium, Norway and Iceland, I would not pick the US. Would you?
Why asking such questions when the answer is obvious? It doesn't contribute anything to a civil discussion. If the choice is between a country that torture, and a country that do not, the choice is obvious. If one is asked to pick between two countries that both perform torture, the obvious answer is to not pick either.
The US has condone acts of torture. When it has not condone it officially, they often refused to use the full force of the law against people who has committed illegal, immoral, and plain evil acts against prisoners and civilians.
Read the legal actions against those responsible for the Abu Ghraib torture, and compare that to trials of personal who participated in Nazi army and conducted similar act of torture and violent acts. How many people in the world has just got a few years in prison for pleading guilty to torture, in a place which deaths was ruled as homicide from torture?