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North Korea – teenagers executed for distributing South Korean movies

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Re: North Korea – teenagers executed for distributing South Korean movies

#111

Post by smcl »

lajosbacs wrote: post #34
throwaway122122 wrote: post #22

>source: Radio Free Asia, Liberty Times Every time. And as usual, only unnamed sources. Other great hits include: - Every citizen must use the same haircut as Kim Jong-un - NK government announced that they found a "unicorn" - NK official was executed for bad posture - Kim Jong-un's uncle was eaten alive by starving dogs - Kim Jong-un labels DOG MEAT a 'superfood' - North Korea tells parents to give kids patriotic na…

For me, the only metric is: can people leave from there? People cannot leave North Korea, ergo it sucks.

OP is suggesting that the source is repeatedly coming out with either comically or disturbingly exaggerated stories from NK. It's a pretty shitty place to live, but you don't need to unquestioningly swallow every wild story you've heard or read about the place on that grounds that "it sucks"

Re: North Korea – teenagers executed for distributing South Korean movies

#112

Post by icare_1er »

fyresala wrote: post #49
icare_1er wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everytime topics like this are mentionned, with the totalitarian regimes in North Korea, Iran or elsewhere, it's funny to see how free access to resources, VPNs, open internet, etc... is treated differently. Good when it comes to dictatorships, but evil when in the west.

When free access to resources, VPNs, open internet, etc. are considered evil in the west?

You haven't noticed those shiny banners on Tweets or Youtube videos, shadow-banning articles for your own good or warning you that it is "disputed" ?

Twitter recently has been a good example of desire to control information, with half of the political class and even head of states (Macron) saying that it should be "controlled" to restrict "fake news", by fake news they of course mean someone talking about H.Biden's laptop, or someone saying that there are only two genders.

Re: North Korea – teenagers executed for distributing South Korean movies

#113

Post by NovemberWhiskey »

DoItToMe81 wrote: post #63
fyresala wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I doubt you can find any named source in NK OK...maybe Kim Jong-un himself? At least we can consider him as an authoritative source.

North Korea has had thousands of foreign workers, mostly aid workers, in its borders, and businessmen from neutral countries that have not signed up to sanctions are given privileged access to the country. They are more reliable sources on how the country operates than any "unnamed source". The big name I can think of is Felix Abt, who wrote about life in Pyongyang. Bad, but much safer than most of the other comparab…

You're not going to get reports about executions taking place on airfields in Hyesan from people who are stuck in Pyongyang.

Re: North Korea – teenagers executed for distributing South Korean movies

#114

Post by smcl »

imwillofficial wrote: post #92
kasey_junk wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No it’s not “literally” a State Department front. It’s a news agency funded by the US government via the US Agency for Global Media, which is an independent agency of the US government. The Secretary of State used to be on the board of directors by rule but that changed in 2017.

Yes it literally is. The on paper org structure matters zero percent in areas of intelligence and diplomacy.

HN is a wild place where there are plenty of credulous Americans who will swear blind that the BBC is propaganda along the same lines as KCNA is in North Korea and Pravda was in the USSR ... while declaring that Radio Free Asia is just an independent news agency.

Re: North Korea – teenagers executed for distributing South Korean movies

#115

Post by signatoremo »

DoItToMe81 wrote: post #63
fyresala wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I doubt you can find any named source in NK OK...maybe Kim Jong-un himself? At least we can consider him as an authoritative source.

North Korea has had thousands of foreign workers, mostly aid workers, in its borders, and businessmen from neutral countries that have not signed up to sanctions are given privileged access to the country. They are more reliable sources on how the country operates than any "unnamed source". The big name I can think of is Felix Abt, who wrote about life in Pyongyang. Bad, but much safer than most of the other comparab…

People here are quick to say these news are Western propaganda, but believe all those foreigners can be trusted. Why the same skepticism isn’t applied?

I never heard of Felix Abt, what are the reasons he should be trusted? It’s well known that foreigners aren’t allowed to move around freely, even if he has the best intention we can only say what he described are true only for the circles he interact with.

Re: North Korea – teenagers executed for distributing South Korean movies

#116

Post by signatoremo »

dry_soup wrote: post #40
41tor wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So to clarify, what's your issue here? Do you think they weren't executed? Or is it that you think executing them is totally normal and cool?

Radio Free Asia has repeatedly put out exaggerated or sensational claims about North Korea, at least some of which have turned out to be false. Nobody is endorsing NK, executions, etc.

Can you list an example? Not that I don’t believe you, but RFA why biased is nevertheless boring and often not known for clickbait.

Re: North Korea – teenagers executed for distributing South Korean movies

#117

Post by BurningPenguin »

icare_1er wrote: post #112
fyresala wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When free access to resources, VPNs, open internet, etc. are considered evil in the west?

You haven't noticed those shiny banners on Tweets or Youtube videos, shadow-banning articles for your own good or warning you that it is "disputed" ? Twitter recently has been a good example of desire to control information, with half of the political class and even head of states (Macron) saying that it should be "controlled" to restrict "fake news", by fake news they of course mean someone talking about H.Biden's l…

Hey, one of France's neighbours here: Nobody gives a damn about you talking about dumb shit, as long as it doesn't endanger one or many people. What we actually care about, is a bunch of people - who coincidentally seem to come from the same political spectrum - using a public space, to artificially push unfounded conspiracy theories, and trying to rile up society, so they can seize power and abolish democracy as a whole. All by using fake accounts, bots and apparently Russian money to destabilize society, and also gathering weapons for their great "liberation" from the deep state or some shit. At the same time they keep on whining about "freedom of speech", every time their bullshit is getting called out.

Just recently, a bunch of conspiracy freaks in my country were raided by police, since they were found out to be preparing for a coup. Funnily enough, it was once again people from right-wing parties, Qanons and one descendant of former royalty in Germany.

Re: North Korea – teenagers executed for distributing South Korean movies

#118

Post by kasey_junk »

smcl wrote: post #114
imwillofficial wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes it literally is. The on paper org structure matters zero percent in areas of intelligence and diplomacy.

HN is a wild place where there are plenty of credulous Americans who will swear blind that the BBC is propaganda along the same lines as KCNA is in North Korea and Pravda was in the USSR ... while declaring that Radio Free Asia is just an independent news agency.

The point isn’t that it’s an unbiased news source. The point is you don’t have to make up some shadowy CIA/State Dept. story about it.

It’s right there in the public mission of the governmental agency that actually runs the RFA. You can see the budget, strategy directives etc.

The RFA is unapologetically an arm of the US government. Judge it for what it is without dramatizing it.

Re: North Korea – teenagers executed for distributing South Korean movies

#119

Post by icare_1er »

BurningPenguin wrote: post #117
icare_1er wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You haven't noticed those shiny banners on Tweets or Youtube videos, shadow-banning articles for your own good or warning you that it is "disputed" ? Twitter recently has been a good example of desire to control information, with half of the political class and even head of states (Macron) saying that it should be "controlled" to restrict "fake news", by fake news they of course mean someone talking about H.Biden's l…

Hey, one of France's neighbours here: Nobody gives a damn about you talking about dumb shit, as long as it doesn't endanger one or many people. What we actually care about, is a bunch of people - who coincidentally seem to come from the same political spectrum - using a public space, to artificially push unfounded conspiracy theories, and trying to rile up society, so they can seize power and abolish democracy as a w…

"unfounded conspiracy theories, and trying to rile up society, so they can seize power and abolish democracy as a whole"

>> Yeah yeah i know. That's pretty much copy-paste what any totalitarian regimes says when they shutdown the internet, cf. Iran lately. And no thanks, I don't need you to decide for me if a content is rubbish or not, I can work it out for myself...

By the way, you wanna talk about how "unfounded" the "conspiracy theory" on H.Biden's laptop was ?

Re: North Korea – teenagers executed for distributing South Korean movies

#120

Post by [deleted] »

wholinator2 wrote: post #89
matesz wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the limitations on speech imposed by many western governments Ok enough I quit hacker news

Then go. The quality of your comment is extremely poor and is the exact kind of talk that will eventually turn this place into reddit, echo chamber devoid of actual discussion and difficult ideas. Here, the goal is to say something meaningful and extend the conversation, not stop discussion with vague appeal to emotions about frustrations with the "wrong opinion". I'd've actually been on your side in a discussion if…

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