A Glimpse Into Daily Life In North Korea

[Formaldehyde]

Well, Forma, you do sound a bit like a NK apologist. Yes, the US is unjust, unfair, etc. etc. but North Korea is a hellhole ruled by a despotic lunatic with absolute power.

Nobody is denying that the country is ruled by an incredibly bad totalitarian dictator. But I draw a distinction between the people of North Korea and their incredibly bad government/

And no, NK doesn't appear to be near the "hellhole" that some try to make it out to be based on this AP article written by a respected Korean-American journalist.

 

[Azale]

Because I'm obviously not defending them, any more than I defend atrocities committed by the US government or any other? Claiming I do "just erodes your credibility".

You're not defending North Korea directly, just accusing those who don't agree with your interpretation of one article about North Korea of being blind America apologists who hate the North Korean people.

So yea, you always do this. Don't know why I bothered replying.

 

[Formaldehyde]

I never claimed you were an apologist, but you certainly claimed I was.

I merely pointed out that the US suffers from essentlally the same form of neglect of its own citizens.

I really don't understand all this controversy over what appears to be a very balanced and well-written article that provides a rare glimpse into a country that most Westerners know little or nothing about.

 

[Traitorfish]

Nobody is denying that the country is ruled by an incredibly bad totalitarian dictator, now are they?

Well, actually, I would, because Kim is at this point a figurehead and the military brass are calling the shots, and because totalitarianism is a largely rhetorical concept that should not have outlasted the Cold War, and doesn't really provide anything like a sufficient theoretical framework for examining regimes like the DPRK.

 

[Formaldehyde]

I thought about using "authoritarian" instead of "totalitarian", but I was afraid it might not be strong enough to no longer be labelled an "apologist".

 

[Takhisis]

I merely pointed out that the US suffers from essentlally the same form of neglect of its own citizens.

Just for starters, the US isn't nearly as bad as North Korea is. For one thing, you can vote a little change in. At least keep the extremists away.

Edit: stop back-editing your posts!

I am, actually, because Kim is at this point a figurehead and the military brass are calling the shots, and because totalitarianism is a largely rhetorical concept that should not have outlasted the Cold War.

But sadly it hasn't.

P.S. You're an apologist, Forma, there's reds under the bed* and the evil IslamoCommunists are taking over the world.

*: It's so cosy down here!

 

[Formaldehyde]

Just for starters, the US isn't nearly as bad as North Korea is.

That's good. We are finally in agreement over something. Now, if we can just keep our citizens from shrinking in a comparable manner...

 

[Takhisis]

But both countries are ruled by non-Americans so don't get your hopes too high.

 

[FriendlyFire]

That place looks like it is stuck in the 1950s

 

[Formaldehyde]

They definitely need some architectural help. It seems like all theirs belong to the concrete school.

I was also surprised that Pyongyang has a subway sytem.

 

[GhostWriter16]

Does this glimpse change your perspective of NK at all? Or does it just confirm your own feelings about this country?

It does not. They probably only saw the best of the country, and the truth that people are classified based on family ties, and those who are classed lowly are essentially starved, is still true.

 

[aelf]

It does not. They probably only saw the best of the country, and the truth that people are classified based on family ties, and those who are classed lowly are essentially starved, is still true.

^ Probably didn't read as usual.

 

[Yui108]

The height gap between Americans and Northern Europeans can’t be explained by an influx of short immigrants. Experts say the United States takes in too few immigrants to account for the disparity, and the height statistics cited in the article include only English-speaking native-born Americans, and don’t include people of Asian and Hispanic descent.

I'm questioning this part. America is now something like what, 20% Asian and Hispanic? How can that not influence the height disparity?

 

[Arwon]

Which bit, the "only English-speaking native-born Americans who aren't of Asian or Hispanic ancenstry are counted" bit? Or the "too few immigrants" bit?

Because the population of the US was only about 12.5% foreign-born in 2008. That's not particularly high, and not that much higher than most of northern Europe.

 

[FriendlyFire]

They definitely need some architectural help. It seems like all theirs belong to the concrete school.

I was also surprised that Pyongyang has a subway sytem.

Soviet style "brutal architecture" which you often see in former red block countries
The sameness created all sorts of phycological (sp) problems. I think it had to do with problem of humans wanting to be different the result was back lash against conformation.

 

[Arwon]

Well, red block countries and Macquarie University...

 

[amadeus]

I dunno why people are getting the positive vibe from this, the creepiness and undercurrent of Orwellian menace is practically dripping from every word and picture.

Indeed.

In Ceausescu's Romania, it was punishable by death to own a typewriter not registered with the government. If things were that bad in the severely-repressed Romania, why is it so wrong to suspect that North Korea is only that much worse?

 

[Eretz Yisrael]

Just wanted to say: the Winnie-the-Pooh and Mickie Mouse clothing were all made in China

To be honest, I dont understand how a completely closed economy could have 1800 PPP; is that even possible? I mean considering they had terrible amounts of rainfall two weeks ago, I'd say this season's harvest is screwed. Black market's going to thrive this year again I'm sure on foodstuffs. Dont know what the North Korean woman trade on the black market with the Chinese anyway; cannot see much indutry going on in North Korea besides beer manufacturing and defense industry.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Soviet style "brutal architecture" which you often see in former red block countries
The sameness created all sorts of phycological (sp) problems. I think it had to do with problem of humans wanting to be different the result was back lash against conformation.

According to the article, they are now painting some of those structures in attractive colors. And the photo of one of the buildings now being constructed looks like it has a very nice facade. Even the gargantuan hotel now looks much better than it did while being built.

Buildings across Pyongyang are getting a facelift. Theaters are being refurbished, and apartment complexes repainted in pastel pinks and greens. There's more to come: restaurants, a park and "deluxe" twin tower apartments, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency. On one corner, men with mallets were knocking down the walls of a building to the rousing blare of a military band parked on the sidewalk.

Spoiler :

Indeed.

In Ceausescu's Romania, it was punishable by death to own a typewriter not registered with the government. If things were that bad in the severely-repressed Romania, why is it so wrong to suspect that North Korea is only that much worse?

Do you have any proof that they ban personal computers, much less typewriters, if they aren't registered?

Spoiler :

Electronic goods are hugely popular, and we could barely get past all the boxes of South Korean-made Samsung TVs that North Koreans were lugging back from their travels. Cell phones jangled everywhere. David had to relinquish his iPhone upon arrival, standard practice for foreign visitors, but we later requested — and received — a Chinese-made Huawei cell phone.

More than 535,000 people in North Korea now use cell phones, a huge jump from 70,000 in 2009, according to Orascom Telecom, the Cairo-based firm that launched North Korea's 3G network in December 2008. Most can only make domestic calls.

Granted, it is still very repressive and the internet in particular is very heavily monitored and regulated. But it does look like the country might finally be moving in the right direction.

And the mere fact that some NK citizens can travel, purchase goods, and return with them on modern airplanes shows that at least some of them do have a reasonable amount of freedom and disposable income.

 

[Masada]

Ossim rite some party cadres can do stuff? I mean it isn't like this is the regime that denies it runs prison camps... or starves its people for luls?

(I dunno why the images cut-out but you can read the stories here and here and here).