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Swedish startup selling North Korean jeans

spiegel.de

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Re: Swedish startup selling North Korean jeans

#41

Post by jrockway »

alxp wrote: post #33
houseabsolute wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ridiculous. They are addicted to inexpensive products, nothing else. Few people ever check a label to see where clothes are made.

Americans aren't as ignorant as you think, everyone has now seen images of sweat shops and knows if you ask them that manufacturing conditions for the things they buy at Wal Mart are awful. However, they continue to buy them, just like an alcoholic continues to drink even though he knows that it's killing him. That's textbook addiction right there.

The problem is... say you don't want to buy something made in China. The alternative is to do without, as everything is made in China.

(I would love to buy a laptop that's not made in China. Link me to one.)

Re: Swedish startup selling North Korean jeans

#42

Post by AlphaMonkey »

koevet wrote: post #3

Actually, I wonder if more entrepreneurs like those Swedish geeks started to invest in North Korea would initiate a "Chinafication" process of the country.

Maybe the "Chinafication" of NK started in 2009: last year the country had its first pizzeria opened, and there was a beer ad on TV! :-)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/16/north-korea-pizz...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8132199.stm

Re: Swedish startup selling North Korean jeans

#43

Post by markbao »

ilkhd2 wrote: post #19
koevet wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like you have never laid a foot on a troubled place.

Sounds like somebody have never been outside downtown San Francisco/Seattle/or whatever and saw real life in USA. I lived in Florida for couple of years, and I never saw (anywhere I had a chance to live) such grotesque contrast between poverty in the inside cities and absurd richness on the oceanfront.

Florida? Are you serious?

Re: Swedish startup selling North Korean jeans

#44

Post by dminor »

koevet wrote: post #3

Actually, I wonder if more entrepreneurs like those Swedish geeks started to invest in North Korea would initiate a "Chinafication" process of the country.

Barring a major change in government, likely not. China allows citizens to build up wealth, while North Korea tries to prevent it: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/03/north-korea-won-...

Re: Swedish startup selling North Korean jeans

#46

Post by ilkhd2 »

w00pla wrote: post #28
ilkhd2 wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, North Korea will not be a gold mine in this case, it would be yet another nail into the coffin of the western world (USA especially) , insanely, hysterically excited about it's own deindustrialization.

> insanely, hysterically excited about it's own deindustrialization. Yeah, I tried to get a bunch of 16 year old Americans to make a bunch of shoes. Apparently they were not interested :( American deindustrialisation is not only caused by cheap labour in other countries, it is caused by the educational choices of Americans. Engineering isn't exactly the most popular thing in American universities. There is still plen…

> Yeah, I tried to get a bunch of 16 year old Americans to make a bunch of shoes. Apparently they were not interested :(

Probably you tried to pay 7.25$, per hour did not you? If you'll pay me 25 dollars per hour for making shoes - you can hire me. American deindustrialization caused by MOVING INDUSTRIES OUT OF USA, (Even food industry partially moved to China - apple juice consumed in USA for example 75% made in China). Enginnering has _nothing_ to do about deindustrilization, in fact you do not need more than couple of engineers to run a rather big plastics factory, Drop of demand (but there is still a lot of it) for engineering position in universities is just a reflection of current state of industry in USA. Combination of very bad labor protection in USA (no health protection, third world minimal salary, [do not tell me 7.25/h is a good compensation]) and "free trade" policies supported by government results in deindustrialization. Lack of good jobs causes enormous inequality in USA, as bad as in African countries. USA Gini (inequality index) = 46, higher than Nigeria = 43 and eqaul to Rwanda's. Canadian for comparison GINI = 32.

Guys, whoever give negative score - I do not care to be honest - I know I step on ambitions/complexes that USA is the best country in the world (whuch is not true) - it is you country, and you are going to live there. If you dislike grim reality, or lack education/life experience to understand the direction the country is going to - well that is your choice, which will pay back, and you will not like it.

Re: Swedish startup selling North Korean jeans

#47

Post by ilkhd2 »

w00pla wrote: post #29
lsb wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fair Trade keeps the Triangle Trade alive and well. If you want to change things and help developing nations, make sure those developing nations have added most of the value. For example, you can buy fair trade chocolate bars, with beans bought from Ecuador at a "fair" price, whatever that means. But then the bars are made in Switzerland, or France, and the European country adds much of the value, and keeps much of t…

Fair trade is a first World scam. What fair trade does is mandate the price of certain commodities. This in effect negates the biggest advantage of developing countries (cheap labour) and allows the products to be manufactured in developed countries at a "fair" price. Fair trade, along with agricultural subsidization is some of the most evil things that developed countries do.

Do not like it - do not buy, goddamnit. If you think that people who buy Fair Trade are stupid - no we are not, and we are doing for a reason - we do not feel good when consume something made by slaves. You can still shop for "free trade" stuff, nobody prevents you from doing that.

Re: Swedish startup selling North Korean jeans

#48

Post by ilkhd2 »

markbao wrote: post #43
ilkhd2 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like somebody have never been outside downtown San Francisco/Seattle/or whatever and saw real life in USA. I lived in Florida for couple of years, and I never saw (anywhere I had a chance to live) such grotesque contrast between poverty in the inside cities and absurd richness on the oceanfront.

Florida? Are you serious?

yes, why? Have ever been to west palm beach, and then palm beach itself? Difference is obvious. I am not even talking about Miami beach and Miami.

Re: Swedish startup selling North Korean jeans

#49

Post by ilkhd2 »

mtts wrote: post #24
ilkhd2 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like somebody have never been outside downtown San Francisco/Seattle/or whatever and saw real life in USA. I lived in Florida for couple of years, and I never saw (anywhere I had a chance to live) such grotesque contrast between poverty in the inside cities and absurd richness on the oceanfront.

If you think that is in any way comparable to a country like North Korea (essentially one huge prison camp) or countries in Africa such as Guinee or Congo where maybe a hundred or so people are fabulously wealthy and the rest of the population doesn't have nearly enough to eat, your sense of perspective is, I would say, seriously out of whack.

You know what, as I mentioned in other posts - inequality in USA is already as bad as in Africa and is rapidly approaching South American's numbers. Of course bottom line is not as bad as in Africa, but quality of life for poors is already totaly incomparable with Europe. So from the point of view of Africans or Brazilians - yes USA is not that bad. From Canadian/European point view - USA is rather troubled place.

Re: Swedish startup selling North Korean jeans

#50

Post by ilkhd2 »

m_eiman wrote: post #40
mtts wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you think that is in any way comparable to a country like North Korea (essentially one huge prison camp) or countries in Africa such as Guinee or Congo where maybe a hundred or so people are fabulously wealthy and the rest of the population doesn't have nearly enough to eat, your sense of perspective is, I would say, seriously out of whack.

Not to mention that little thing called "war".

... with Middle East, that already cost 3*10^12 $??
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