N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies • Hacker News Board

Re: N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies

#61

Post by kposehn » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 4:08 AM UTC

einhverfr wrote: post #59

kposehn wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

North Korea is very skilled at manipulating world opinion to seem like a rogue state. They know very well that their existence depends on never taking action, no matter what they say. Think of them like a crazy family member that keeps in trouble unless people pony up cash and you pretty much have their entire strategy in a nutshell.

Well, beyond that you have the fact that in order to maintain the kind of control that the regime maintains, they need isolation. This means that they do things to get isolated, so that the North Koreans get only one side of things. As US News and World Report once commented, threatening the North Korean government with isolation was like threatening a drowning man with a life preserver.....

Excellent way of putting it.

Re: N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies

#62

Post by chc » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 4:09 AM UTC

blntechie wrote: post #33

[deleted] wrote: post #16

[deleted]

Honestly I find it in a bad taste. Also, there is nothing to ashame about using IE especially IE9. It's truly a decent enough browser.

Look at the tables on caniuse.com. The only browser to which it compares favorably is Safari 3 (from 4 years ago) and all other versions of IE.

Re: N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies

#63

Post by diamondhead » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 4:11 AM UTC

robryan wrote: post #47

diamondhead wrote: post #15

Another article that shows HN turned into a regular American newspaper.

Hardly, HN only covers world events with real global significance. I enjoy reading HN users takes on this kind of news as I find it interesting to discuss this kind of news but comments on mainstream news sites are terrible and I don't really have the time to invest in other sites with quality comments who cover this stuff in far higher volume.

Would you like to have a hacker community having smart conversations about Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, too?

Re: N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies

#64

Post by jarek » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 4:11 AM UTC

joshuahedlund wrote: post #54

Saddam Hussein: dead at 69. Gaddafi: dead at 69. Kim Jong-Il: dead at 69. How did Fidel Castro get out of this?

Climate in Cuba is way nicer than any of the other places.

Re: N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies

#65

Post by diamondhead » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 4:13 AM UTC

I'm patiently waiting for the submissions about Angelina Jolie.

Re: N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies

#66

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 4:15 AM UTC

diamondhead wrote: post #63

robryan wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hardly, HN only covers world events with real global significance. I enjoy reading HN users takes on this kind of news as I find it interesting to discuss this kind of news but comments on mainstream news sites are terrible and I don't really have the time to invest in other sites with quality comments who cover this stuff in far higher volume.

Would you like to have a hacker community having smart conversations about Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, too?

[deleted]

Re: N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies

#67

Post by diamondhead » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 4:18 AM UTC

diamondhead wrote: post #65

I'm patiently waiting for the submissions about Angelina Jolie.

here it comes: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3368478

Re: N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies

#68

Post by diamondhead » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 4:22 AM UTC

[deleted] wrote: post #66

diamondhead wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would you like to have a hacker community having smart conversations about Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, too?

[deleted]

Were the president of North Korea and Paris Hilton friends? No?

Re: N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies

#69

Post by nekojima » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 4:28 AM UTC

tomflack wrote: post #18

I wonder if his son is prepared for the massive power play that will come from the military brass over the next few months.

Not likely. Kim Jong Il's brother-in-law was generally understood/guessed to be the one holding the reins of power in 2008 when Kim was ill then and will likely take firmer control again, even if its from behind the scenes, using Kim Jong Un as a figurehead for perhaps a decade. This is similar to what happened when Kim took over in 1994 after his father's death.

There isn't sufficient command & control capability or maneuverability for the NK military to take swift control of the country or perhaps even the capital, if the party apparatus (cadre, spies, police, informants) doesn't stand in its way.

Re: N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies

#70

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Dec 19, 2011, 4:30 AM UTC

robryan wrote: post #47

diamondhead wrote: post #15

Another article that shows HN turned into a regular American newspaper.

Hardly, HN only covers world events with real global significance. I enjoy reading HN users takes on this kind of news as I find it interesting to discuss this kind of news but comments on mainstream news sites are terrible and I don't really have the time to invest in other sites with quality comments who cover this stuff in far higher volume.

[deleted]