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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

#31

Post by aw3c2 »

yequalsx wrote: post #10

What I can't understand is how people can visit North Korea and not feel disgusted by giving support for that regime. I believe North Korea is facing another famine this year. Given the conditions in North Korea and the apparent iron grip its regime has on power is it better not to provide food aid? I can't decide for myself if it's better, for the long term, to let the nation starve and not help the people out or to…

And so is our lifestyle. We rely on the exploitation of the rest of the world but close our eyes and pretend everything is fine. After all, the bad things happen in far-far-away to people of different races and cultures.

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

#33

Post by abrown28 »

elliottcarlson wrote: post #12
yequalsx wrote: post #10

What I can't understand is how people can visit North Korea and not feel disgusted by giving support for that regime. I believe North Korea is facing another famine this year. Given the conditions in North Korea and the apparent iron grip its regime has on power is it better not to provide food aid? I can't decide for myself if it's better, for the long term, to let the nation starve and not help the people out or to…

The problem is that visitors require a guide - someone who will hide the true nature of NK to them and ensuring they only see what they are allowed to see. Even though there has been a good amount of hidden camera footage exposed, or articles such as this one - there are plenty of people who may not really be aware of what is really going on there behind the scenes.

A lot of the approved video is disturbing to me.

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

#35

Post by sid0 »

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.

23.9 million North Koreans -- all of them -- are effectively in prison.

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

#36

Post by [deleted] »

Wickk wrote: post #15
abrown28 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It makes me sick that a large percentage of the people in American jails are there for crimes that hurt no one but themselves but to compare this to the people in North Korea is just asinine.

Agreed. A conversation about our prison system is irrelevant. We're not locking people up in mass and forcing them to live in death camps. Our prison system is far from perfect but it doesn't compare to what these people are going through.

[deleted]

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

#37

Post by CWuestefeld »

Wickk wrote: post #15
abrown28 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It makes me sick that a large percentage of the people in American jails are there for crimes that hurt no one but themselves but to compare this to the people in North Korea is just asinine.

Agreed. A conversation about our prison system is irrelevant. We're not locking people up in mass and forcing them to live in death camps. Our prison system is far from perfect but it doesn't compare to what these people are going through.

As I see it, the difference is only in degree.

In both cases, people are being denied their freedom and taken away from their families, for engaging in activities that hurt no one, not even themselves.

It's certainly true that American prisons are better. But given the OP's definition: "enduring starvation, torture, and rape while performing hard labor", we do hit a couple of checkboxes. My understanding is that prison rape, with guards just looking the other way, is still a real problem in America. And take a look down at Guantanamo for (an admittedly small number of) people who are imprisoned and tortured "without legal recourse", as the OP says.

So it's just a matter of degree. There's certainly a good deal of ground for comparison.

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

#39

Post by bigwally »

ceejayoz wrote: post #34
bigwally wrote: post #32

No way that camp could be holding 200,000 people. Anyone who has studied any geography could see that would be near impossible.

There's more that one camp.

If you watched the video they said it was all in 2 valleys.

200,000 in those two valleys? Impossible.

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

#40

Post by geuis »

abrown28 wrote: post #28

I believe this is a satellite view of the Yodok concentration camp based on an image in the article. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&#38...

Yes, you're right. I just found the same place independently. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&#38...
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