Do you think North Korea qualifies as communist?

[Eukaryote]

I do not consider North Korea communist, I consider a communism a command econemy mixed with a welfare state, and a system that works "for the people" and North Korea definitly doesn't fit that description.

Note: Just becuase I think a communist system is supposed to "work for the people" doesn't mean I think it succsedes.

 

[Mulholland]

Certainly North Korea is, I think the only, communist country remaining in the world. It rigidly controls the means of production and redistributes wealth amongst it's labourers extensivley. I think the best title for NK is a Communist-Clepto-dictatorship. Truly the most vile form of govenment out there. This little man truly deserves any ills that he has brought upon himself.

 

[silver 2039]

It hardly follows Marxist ideals. It is simply a bouregois state with the elite few (Kim Jong-IL and his lackeys) who have all the wealth and power and the proletariat have nothing. So definatley not according to Marxist idelogy. The proletariat are not empowered in the least. Nor has wealth been redisturbted for their benefit. Besides they follow the Juche philosphy.

 

[Mirc]

Yeah, I think it's communist.

@silver 2039: A country doesn't have to follow Marxist ideals to be communist. Soviet Russia did not follow Karl Marx's ideas, but just promoted them. The term 'communist' as Marx defined it was supposed to work in a perfect society in the future, only when a country will have more goods than all the people together need. And this is not the case of any country in the world.

 

[Pasi Nurminen]

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is one of the few People's Democracies left in the world, and thusly is one of the few nations that the world's peoples should turn to for a shining example of democracy during their times of struggle and strife. Though the Democratic People's of Korea is slandered most unfairly in the corrupted press of the world, and thusly is the subject of much misplaced disdain among the ignorant masses, once the world has been taken over by great People's Democracies everywhere, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will be regarded of the greatest among them for having weathered through the toughest times for the masses.

 

[Mulholland]

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is one of the few People's Democracies left in the world, and thusly is one of the few nations that the world's peoples should turn to for a shining example of democracy during their times of struggle and strife. Though the Democratic People's of Korea is slandered most unfairly in the corrupted press of the world, and thusly is the subject of much misplaced disdain among the ignorant masses, once the world has been taken over by great People's Democracies everywhere, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will be regarded of the greatest among them for having weathered through the toughest times for the masses.

I think Parsi has been "re-educated'

 

[ComradeDavo]

It doesn't qualify a scommunist, as communism means all people are equal, and clearly that is not the case in North Korea. I prefer to call it a totalitarian hell hole.

 

[Lotus49]

They are communist - though I do agree with the sentiment that another name should be used, to apply to them. They don't even deserve the 'honor' of being called a 'socialist state'.

Btw, this argument is out there;

The government is dominated by the Korean Workers' Party (KWP), to which 80 percent of government officials belong. The KWP's ideology is called Juche (self-reliance). The KWP replaced mentions of Marxism-Leninism in the DPRK constitution with Juche in 1977. Communist critics of the KWP deny that it is a Marxist-Leninist state. Minor political parties exist, but they are subordinated to the KWP and do not oppose its rule. The exact power structure of the country is debated by outside observers.

-Wikipedia.

They give communists a bad name, really. And that's saying something.

 

[Naval Power]

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is one of the few People's Democracies left in the world, and thusly is one of the few nations that the world's peoples should turn to for a shining example of democracy during their times of struggle and strife. Though the Democratic People's of Korea is slandered most unfairly in the corrupted press of the world, and thusly is the subject of much misplaced disdain among the ignorant masses, once the world has been taken over by great People's Democracies everywhere, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will be regarded of the greatest among them for having weathered through the toughest times for the masses.

Oh boy I sure hope this is sarcasm. But no really I can see how well they are weathering that storm. Over half the population starving, less GDP than Okinawa! , and crazy dictator that wants to start another million+ casualty war (millions for their side that is). They are the ones that qualify as ignorant masses, though no fault do to the common person. No democratic institutions exist at all in that country.

Anyway, I personally believe they are "communist", but when no country in this history of this world has ever actually been communist they technically aren't. They are following the SU's example of remaining isolated and spending rediculous amounts of their GDP on military needs, and since the SU was not really even a communist country any of them that based their revolutions on its are also not.

 

[Pasi Nurminen]

Let us clear up this misconception about "minor" political parties being "subordinated" to the Korean Workers Party. It is of course true that the Korean Workers Party possesses a majority government, it does not control in any way the other parties. It is simply a case of all parties in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea having the same guiding principle, the same ultimate goal: to advance the well being of the masses. Thusly there is no partisan infighting that is common to Western political systems, where politicians adhere to their own corrupt beliefs and do not advance the people. Really, it's quite beautiful.

 

[Till]

North Korea qualifies as a dictorship and nothing else, in my opinion. "Communism" is just the mean to justify the totalitarian rule. (Much like "by grace of god" was the excuse for monarchs to rule alone)
There's a sad irony in the fact that communist ideology of all things is often used as a fig leaf for dictators to hide behind.

 

[warpus]

Let us clear up this misconception about "minor" political parties being "subordinated" to the Korean Workers Party. It is of course true that the Korean Workers Party possesses a majority government, it does not control in any way the other parties. It is simply a case of all parties in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea having the same guiding principle, the same ultimate goal: to advance the well being of the masses. Thusly there is no partisan infighting that is common to Western political systems, where politicians adhere to their own corrupt beliefs and do not advance the people. Really, it's quite beautiful.

There is no partisan infighting because anyone who openly disagrees with the party is imprisoned and/or executed.

Millions have died; if that's your idea of beauty, then yes.. it's quite beautiful.

 

[Pasi Nurminen]

There is no partisan infighting because anyone who openly disagrees with the party is imprisoned and/or executed.

Evidence, please?

 

[JerichoHill]

I'd say you'd need to provide evidence for your claims Pasi.

1) N Korea is essentially a dictatorship
2) N Korea is essentially communist. Because all communist governments wind up as dictatorships, because communism DOESNT WORK ON A LARGE SCALE

 

[ComradeDavo]

2) N Korea is essentially communist. Because all communist governments wind up as dictatorships, because communism DOESNT WORK ON A LARGE SCALE

By becoming dictatorships, the country looses it's communist status, as far as i'm concerned.

 

[nonconformist]

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is one of the few People's Democracies left in the world, and thusly is one of the few nations that the world's peoples should turn to for a shining example of democracy during their times of struggle and strife. Though the Democratic People's of Korea is slandered most unfairly in the corrupted press of the world, and thusly is the subject of much misplaced disdain among the ignorant masses, once the world has been taken over by great People's Democracies everywhere, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will be regarded of the greatest among them for having weathered through the toughest times for the masses.

I want what the frick he's on.

Evidence, please?

I'm going to humour you jsut one minute, but why aren't there any North Koreans anywhere other than North Korea?

 

[Mulholland]

Evidence, please?

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/11/13/nkorea.hiddenvideo/index.html
Not exactly evidence, but there sems to some sort of link between being shot in North Korea and challanging the govenment.

 

[Atlas14]

By becoming dictatorships, the country looses it's communist status, as far as i'm concerned.

I agree with this. They aren't communist, just a country that has masses who are virtually "equally poor". Kimmy Jong uses the communist ideals to keep his peoples believing that they are starving for the good of society, in that everyone is sharing what little food they have equally. But they aren't communist at all.

 

[warpus]

Evidence, please?

"It is questionable -- nearly impossible -- to launch dissident acts in public on streets in North Korea which still remains tightly controlled," Nam Sung-Wook, a North Korea expert at Korea University, said.
source

Individual rights are greatly curtailed. Dissent against the government or its leaders is illegal; citizens must obtain permission before legally traveling or leaving their province.
source

North Korea's government routinely detains, tortures, and imprisons thousands of individuals who are either dissidents or alleged saboteurs.
source

 

[Atlas14]

@Pasi-
Millions are starving and have already died. If there was a healthy opposition to the ruling power allowed, then that ruling power wouldn't be in power. Ask the starving women of pre-French Revolution how fun and glorious it is to go on bare-minimum caloric rations for...the entire Kimmy Jong rule.