Folks start paying attention to the Korean Peninsula

[nadinbrzezinski]

We may actually see the resumption of hostilities. The war never ended... and if that happens it will be quite the crisis not just for the US, but to the Pacific Region at the very least.

Also realize that all the treaties could trigger a very ugly situation...

That is all...

[Phil The Cat]

1. Are we on the wrong side in Korea?

The SoKo government appears to be a RW capitalist money grubbing corporatist puppet!

Meanwhile, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea HONORS working men and women!

http://asiamatters.blogspot.com/2009/10/north-korean-constitution-april-2009.html

( snip )

Article 4. The sovereignty of the DPRK shall be vested in the working people, which include workers, farmers, soldiers, and working intellectuals. The working people shall exercise their sovereignty through their representative organs -- the Supreme People's Assembly and the local people's assemblies at all levels.

( snip )

Article 8. The social system of the DPRK is a man-centered social system whereby the working popular masses are the masters of everything, and everything in society serves the working popular masses. The state shall safeguard the interests of, and respect and protect the human rights of the working people, including workers, farmers, soldiers, and working intellectuals, who have been freed from exploitation and oppression and have become the masters of the state and society.

( snip )

Article 17. Independence, peace, and friendship are the basic ideas of the DPRK's foreign policy and the principles of its external activities. The state shall establish diplomatic and political, economic, and cultural relations with all the countries that treat our country in a friendly manner, on the principles of complete equality and independence, mutual respect and noninterference in each other's internal affairs, and reciprocity. The state shall unite with the peoples of the world who espouse independence and shall actively support and encourage the struggle of the peoples of all countries to oppose all forms of aggression and interference in others' internal affairs and to achieve the sovereignty of their countries and national and class liberation.

[davidinalameda]

2. you're kidding right?

[bluestateguy]

4. This is a joke right?

??????

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. You are kidding right?

[LostInAnomie]

8. Sweet Jeebus! Are you kidding!?

[Poll_Blind]

12. May be, but I'll take capitalist hell over North Korean heaven any day.

:shrug:

PB

[Phil The Cat]

28. I'm not saying North Korea is Heaven

Especially after years and years of attack and oppression from the capitalists!

But their constitution is an amazing piece of work in defining and protecting socialist workers' rights!

More from the Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea:

------------------------------

( snip )

Article 47. The state shall educate all students free of charge and give scholarships to students of universities and technical schools.

( snip )

Article 56. The state shall consolidate and develop the system of universal free medical care and strengthen the district-doctor system and the preventive medicine system to protect the lives of people and improve the health of the working people.

Article 57. The state shall draw up environmental protection measures before production, preserve and develop the natural environment, and prevent environmental pollution, thus providing the people with a modern and hygienic living environment and working conditions.

( snip )

------------------------------

Aren't these the exact things that progressives in the west are fighting for?

Again, it's not perfect, but look what they have been struggling against! American imperialism, saboteurs, counter-revolutionaries, Moonies, etc!

[nadinbrzezinski]

34. I will say this again Phil

but the SOVIET constitution, which this is based on, was also a wonder... in paper.

The problem is not that in theory is a bad one... but that it has never been implemented. And you can blame the Capitalists for all you want but it is not.

People starve in the DPKR.

Yes "socialism" works... but it does in a mixed economy... where there are heavy regulations and things like living wages and all that. I suggest you read Adam Smith, who got it... not those who claim to know the holy book but never read it. In fact Consumerism is not Capitalism nor is our emphasis on Monopolies,

But hey, whatever, given the RECORD you are going to get few people listening to you. Like the Soviet Constitution this one hits all the right points. It don't deliver. It is a piece of paper.

[JVS]

38. People starve in the DPKR.

They do in the US too.

[nadinbrzezinski]

39. Not to that extent

we could, but we are not talking of millions dying from starvation.

And with all the failures of the US (and it could get really bad here soon)... we are nowhere to the levels of the DPKR... if you think we are... then we will have to disagree, LOUDLY.

[JVS]

46. 1992-1998 is not now. N Korea is not prosperous, but we should probably face the fact...

that North Korea has pretty much weathered the immediate fallout of the end of being a client state (with a massive economic drop) and now is stable enough to be more assertive.

[nadinbrzezinski]

51. Now we are talking about a nuclear armed rogue power

And perhaps I don't remember this correctly but there were a lot of efforts to engage them. Hell we even sent RICE.

[JVS]

55. They probably would have appreciated it more 16 years ago.

[nadinbrzezinski]

59. We did, that is my point

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korean_famine

International response

Initial assistance to North Korea started as early as 1990, with small-scale support from religious groups in South Korea and assistance from the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).<11> In August 1995, North Korea made an official request for humanitarian aid and the international community responded accordingly.

[Riftaxe]

75. for the last 18 years the NK MO

has been to act up then we pay them off. More then likely the sinking of the SK warship and this recent arty attack is to get another pay off from the Western nations, and strangely enough China as well.

[Kievan Rus]

85. Didn't he Kim Jong Il give all that rice to his army?

[muriel_volestrangler]

73. No, they're still woefully short of food

U.N. says North Korea food problems remain pressing

BEIJING | Thu Nov 4, 2010 6:53am EDT

BEIJING (Reuters) - Large numbers of children in impoverished and isolated North Korea are suffering from malnutrition and food aid to the communist state is insufficient, a senior U.N. official said on Thursday.

"I saw a lot of children already losing the battle against malnutrition," Josette Sheeran, executive director of the U.N.'s World Food Program (WFP), told reporters in Beijing after returning from Pyongyang.

"Their bodies and minds are stunted and so we really feel the need there ... We want to make sure we reach the most vulnerable children," she added.
...
Up to 6.2 million out of North Korea's current population of 23 million need food aid, the WFP said in March, adding that they were only able to reach 1.5 million, mainly young children and women, due to lack of funds.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6A327L20101104

[AngryAmish]

76. North Korea is Best Korea!

[Posteritatis]

86. Yeah, because constitutions in that kind of state mean something

Anyone who lived in the Soviet Union can tell you that.

[JVS]

13. South Korean government was quite strange until the mid-80s

Strangely enough the bulk of the ethnic Korean community in Japan supported Kim Il Sung and only started shifting to support of the South in the late 1970s. Even now, 1/3 of the Korean community in Japan is aligned with the DPRK. I don't quite know why though.

[HEyHEY]

43. Community

That's all. Their grandparents and such felt that way, so they do too. I heard most of them supported the North in the World cup for that reason.

[bluerum]

19. That is quite a constitution. Too bad most North Koreans can't feed their families or

read english. I bet they would be very entertained by that document.

[Posteritatis]

87. I imagine the government there probably finds it entertaining, too

"LOL, the proletariat actually thinks we'll grant them rights!"

[Name removed]

41. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dreamer Tatum]

54. Go see for yourself...they'll be glad to have you.

As for SK being "right wing," you're just wrong, and dangerously close to being full of shit.

There are unions all over the place in SK, and they are powerful.

[HEyHEY]

65. "CLOSE" to being full of shit?

Nah, this guy is made of it.

[alittlelark]

58. Wow. Lil' Kim is as whacked out as any world leader

since b*sh. Wow.

[Catherina]

82. That is why we love them. Birds of a feather and all. n/t

[HEyHEY]

3. How do you think I feel? I'm in fallout range

It's messed up here right now. So tense in Beijing. I follow news very religiously, but for the first time I'm noticing everyone else is too. People I know who usually couldn't care less about this kind of shit are popping up all over MSN saying "Holy shit, what's gonna happen."

I've told my GF to prepare her Canadian Visa so it can be processed if things get uncomfortable here. Though, if a bomb is dropped, we'll probably try to head to western China as fast as possible. I'm not worried about China getting involved, but I KNOW there will be a distinct difference in my life should this happen.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Don't worry there are reasons why I also personally worry

this goes hot and it will not be pretty anywhere.

And the BBC analyst today said something that worried me for the first time. You see apparently Beijing has little control of Pyonyang. I pay attention and that is the first time I heard that, as far as I remember. Beijing has always had good control of it's client state.

[HEyHEY]

7. I tried telling people yesterday

That North Korea and China aren't as good as friends as people think. But was shouted down by know-it-alls. If China had control, we wouldn't be here.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. I have been following this for a while

so I know relations have soured for the last oh what ten years.... just didn't realize to what extent.

I worry because if this goes hot... all interlinking alliances will be triggered worst case... a guns of august scenario...

Personally I expect hubby to be recalled so fast it is not even funny.

[HEyHEY]

18. I don't imagine he will be

I think that this war will be over faster than people think, if there is one.

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. If there is a battle-group sunk

and all that, yes, yes he will. Also realize the 25K troops will make Americans howl in ways that you haven't heard them howl.

And casualties, let's talk worst case, if nukes go off, are in about 20 million directly from the initial exchange. (Assuming it stays low)

Gives me absolutely no joy...

Take care, and hopefully cooler heads will prevail.

(And of course I am worst casing this... hopefully like other times it will just get there and back down)

[TheBigotBasher]

90. Indeed

This madness has nothing to do with China. This is a small by State playing with very big boy weapons. North Korea is an "ally" only because they are on the border of China and NATO was on its very territory.

[haele]

10. Difficult to tell if this is change of command posturing on both sides-

The fact that the defense minister for South Korea stepped down, as well as the aggressive posturing of the North Koreans seems to me to indicate that much of this might indicate a potential change of hierarchy due to the transfer of power in North Korea.
There's a lot of delicate "face" activity going on here, sort of a dance of dominance moves to prove that there is no "weakness" to exploit on either side with these changes.
What worries me is that there are subtle indications that China seems inclined to cut North Korea loose, and that would be like handing a hyper-active tweener the manual key to a CWIS gun system where the interlock systems have been disabled.
(CWIS is a ship-based enclosed gatling gun on a rotating platform that spits out 1000 5-inch rounds a minute for about five minutes to cut down an incoming missile before it hits the ship)
If we're lucky, it will end up being a lot of sound and fury, but no real action.

The cynical historian in me notes that as there is (and always has been) a pretty serious caste structure and some corruption in South Korea, so long as it's only fishing towns and farms that have sporadically been hit by artillery that could be seen as being North Korean face-saving activity, the government will complain but not do much more than strengthen borders and do as little as possible for political expediency.

However, if North Korea initiates military activity without being able to point at South Korean military movements as justification, then the war will escalate to hot really quick.

Haele

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Here is the problem

as I told Hey Hey above. Today the BBC analyst said something that really perked my attention. Beijing don't have good control of it's client state.

Now this is the first time I hear that in such an obvious way. We know they've soured, but this is the worst apparently.

And it is all the interlocking alliances at play here.

China and Russia have to come to the aid of NK. we to South Korea with about 25 other nations going all the way back to... armistice.

It is that interlocking of alliances that could make this very nasty very fast. And it is partly the transfer of power in the north.

[haele]

24. I saw that myself. If China or Russia isn't willing to pull NK into the 21st cent.,

This is a classic client state abandonment situation. North Korea, for all it's bluster, is still way too dependant on the former Communist countries (I don't consider China Communist in anything but name anymore) to stand on it's own.
When Kim-Jong-Il steps down or dies, there will be a power vacuum. And unless the son is strong enough to and savvy enough to step up with a plan the generals can live with, or unless a stronger nation (China or Russia- or even South Korea, if they can get the stick out of their asses and forgo face-saving militarism for a true reconciliation)will back the son as figurehead, that country will collapse into chaos.
And probably take South Korea with it.

Haele

[nadinbrzezinski]

29. Yep, Cuba comes to mind

though sans nukes.

[Old and In the Way]

17. What does NK gain by having a war wirh SK?

If we understand that question, we can figure out how to resolve it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. As the same analyst put it

NK has all to gain. in power etcetera, as well as factories and people, while SK has all to lose.

[Old and In the Way]

32. Nope.

I see no upside if NK goes hot with SK....China won'r help them and they don't stand a chance against SK assets. It would be a very stupid play on their part to escalate the conflict. They lose, big time.

[HEyHEY]

50. It's Asia.... face

It's all about face.

[Turborama]

71. Yep n/t

[eridani]

105. How would they gain factories and people?

Sounds more like a Great Dane chasing and "gaining' control of a Smart Car.

[EmilyKent]

11. Kim Jong il is dying, that's all.

And his successor is taking over. So most of this is to 'show strength' to the home audience so a coup isn't even thought of.

In the meantime it would be helpful if S Korea and the US stopped poking N Korea with a stick all the time. It's deliberate baiting of a paranoid, trigger-happy Kim, and there's no point to it since he'll be gone shortly.

However there will be no war, it's just noise.

[Old and In the Way]

27. Kim-Ill-Un is totally westernized.

He's got a western (Swiss) education. He's not his father. yet he's now head of the militrary. I doubt anyone really knows how this will play out.

[EmilyKent]

30. As it usually does.

A lot of sound and fury signifying nothing.

[alcibiades_mystery]

78. Agreed

Some people just like to do the whole "Folks, this thing is going way baaaaaad..." routine.

A piffle. Sucks for the South Korean civilians and military in harm's way the other day, but that's about all that's gonna happen.

[nadinbrzezinski]

37. He also attended English schools

indeed...

[Posteritatis]

89. I've heard him described as "just like" his father a few times too often

Going to college in Switzerland and "totally westernized" aren't exactly synonymous.

[HEyHEY]

45. Hope you're right about the no war part.

[Old and In the Way]

57. He may well be dying, but I see no motivation for SK and the US

to provoke NK...do you? There's no upside for either country, IMHO. Now I can see China having a geo-political interest and they could use NK as a proxy state to screw up our strategic plan for the region. What I wonder is how much are we willing to gamble in our commitment to SK? Can or should we commit troops and USD to neutralize China's growing influence in their region? I really don't think we can.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. And like the Soviets the elite lives well

while the people starve. Do some readying... they were not dying from starvation a few years back just because....

Constitutions are wonderful documents that many a times are plainly ignored.

[Phil The Cat]

52. They died from famine, right?

And the capitalist and Moonies refused to send aid, or put such horrid conditions on it, there was no way for Kim Jong Il to accept while remaining true to the Juche idea!

They refuse to be American puppets, so we have continuously tried (and failed) to destroy them! But we have succeeded in holding them back economically!

Thus, the people suffer, not from the actions of the WPK, but from the actions of the foreign and South Korean capitalists!

[alittlelark]

61. WOW. Lil' Kim must have some appeal for you.....

seriously - WTF?

[HEyHEY]

68. Um, they INSIST ON AID

They last threatened to blow up South Korea for not sending it.. jeez man get a god damn clue.

Are they supposed to be allowed "mug" other countries?

[Old and In the Way]

72. Not sure I'd want to live there.

I think NK may be the last state that still supports a socialistic society. I suspect most people in NK have a pretty good idea of what kind of living standards SK, China, and Japan have and they might want the same opportunity for themselves. I don't get what NK gains from ratcheting up tensions with SK.

[formercia]

79. I hear Kim Jong Il likes to lurk on the Internet and provide commentary at sites like DU.

Is that you Jong?

How are things in the DPRK?

[LostInAnomie]

21. Dear Fucking God! Do you know anything about North Korea!?

If there could be a more perfect example of an exploited and oppressed people I sure as hell can't think of it.

[HEyHEY]

35. I know, eh? It's basically Cambodia in the 70s.

[JVS]

40. Cambodia today is significantly poorer than North Korea.

I'm not saying N Korea is a paradise, but with per capita GDP of $1200 vs Cambodia's $800 things could be worse. In fact things were worse in the 1990s when they were first adjusting to no longer receiving soviet aid. If there was a time to try to engage with North Korea, that was it.

[HEyHEY]

44. Well, I was refering to the tourture and such

However the distribution of wealth in Cambodia is much better than North Korea and they don't have the lack of food and other such problems.

[JVS]

47. Distribution of wealth is less equal in Cambodia. Gini 43, N Korea is 31

There is lack of food for many poor people there. But there is no political agenda that is served by pointing out that there is starvation in Cambodia.

[HEyHEY]

49. Dude

We're talking millions thought to have starved in North Korea a few years back. If there was such an epidemic in Cambodia, we'd of heard about it. Also, how can you ever get a correct GDP reading on North KOrea?

[JVS]

53. Dude

Millions of people starve in third world countries every years. Nobody says peep. Millions of Russians died (often freezing in apartments) due to free market reforms and nobody gives a shit. Millions of people are starving in parts of India and China as we speak. It's business as usual, and it only becomes news if it serves someone's agenda. The reason we know about the North Korean famine of the 90s is that a hostile state that had lost its client state status is of interest to our ruling class. Meanwhile in Ukraine at the same time the standard of living declines by 50% (and you're kidding yourself if you don't think this kills a shitload of people who are barely scraping by and pensioners) and nobody says peep because they're "free" now.

[HEyHEY]

60. I do agree. However, if someplace lost 1/3 of it's population....

No matter where, it'd be a pretty big deal. China claims to have it's food issues under control now, though. Not sure how reliable that is however.

North Korea got hit so suddenly and so bad that hillsides can be seen from the air completely scorched from people digging for grass and rats.

[Phil The Cat]

63. Let's start right here in America

Tens of millions of people homeless, starving, dying of ailments they cannot afford to have treated!

The DPRK provides free education and health care, and guarantees a job!

The profits of their enterprises are owned by the people, for their welfare and defense! They are not given to a few rich bloated RW stockholders!

If we would quit fighting them and start cooperating with them, the everyday lives of their citizens would be enhanced! Instead, we keep them in this fearful position, so they have to spend more than they should have to on the military!

[HEyHEY]

64. Man o man

"They are not given to a few rich bloated RW stockholders!"

Um, YES THEY ARE... the elite in the Communist party. Just cause it's written doesn't make it so. Jesus Christ.

[NuclearDem]

67. Dude...what?

Places like North Korea are what give socialism a terrible, terrible name. Just because their Constitution says it, doesn't mean that's how they work.

Please...PLEASE pull your head out of your ass. Or just tell us you're joking.

[FreeJoe]

77. Simple rule of thumb...

Countries that don't allow for free press and don't let their citizens leave are bad places. Paradises have trouble keeping people out, not in.

[woo me with science]

84. Hahaha! Hahahahaha! Hahaha! Hahahaha! Hahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Haha!

Hahahahaha! Hahaha! Hahahaha! Hahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Haha! Hahaha! Hahahahaha! Hahaha! Hahahaha! Hahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Haha! Hahahahaha! Hahaha! Hahahaha! Hahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Haha! Hahaha! Hahahahaha! Hahaha! Hahahaha! Hahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Haha! Hahahahaha! Hahaha! Hahahaha! Hahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Haha! Hahaha! Hahahahaha! Hahaha! Hahahaha! Hahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Haha! Hahahahaha! Hahaha! Hahahaha! Hahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Haha! Hahaha! Hahahahaha! Hahaha! Hahahaha! Hahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Haha! Hahaha! Hahahahaha! Hahaha! Hahahaha! Hahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Haha! Hahaha! Hahahahaha! Hahaha! Hahahaha! Hahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahaha! Haha!

Seriously. Oh my god.

:rofl: :popcorn:

[Posteritatis]

88. I'm trying to decide between being impressed, depressed and terrified that you actually buy that. nt

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

96. Buy? Or sell?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

95. I may be a Commie Pinko Dirtbag, but at least I'm not a Commie Pinko Nutcase. -nt

[HEyHEY]

31. You are being sarcastic, correct?

[xor]

92. I'm not buying what he's selling...

Sounds like a standard run of the mill wind up. Then again, he may just be taking a break from revleft, in which case he probably truly feels that way.

[Old and In the Way]

42. That's crap. I don't know any North Koreans, but they know what's going on in South Korea, China,

and the world, in general. Life sucks in NK...I'm pretty sure the general population wiil not be willing to die for a social construct that suffocates them. If given the opportunity, they're headed South and West.

[HEyHEY]

48. Many of them don't know, it's spooky

Information is so tightly controlled there. I'm sure they have a general idea that something is not right, but I don't think they realize how wrong it all really is.

[Old and In the Way]

62. Do you live in Northern or Southern China?

I'd imagine things are a lot more unsettled in Ningbo and above.... :-(

[HEyHEY]

66. Beijing

It's NOT cool right now. I have to come up with a plan in case of war. We're right across from the crosshairs.

[Old and In the Way]

74. Best of luck!

I really don't believe China is going to let NK screw things up in the region. They may be playing mindgames with the US, but ultimately, there is no good reason for China to let NK dictate the immediate future in the region. Frankly, I see NK as a new region to exploit for low labor costs.

[NuclearDem]

56. om nom nom nom

tasty tasty poeslaw

Of course, if you're being serious...dear God, really?

[pinboy3niner]

69. Don't believe everything you read

Totalitarian regimes always have egalitarian constitutions--because they are complete fictions. They assert "rights" of the people that in reality are suppressed by the raw power of the state. As for that impressive per capita earnings--after taking care of the elites that keep the rulers in power, the people don't get enough to even be able to spell 'per capita.'

Orwell had it right. In states like North Korea, "some animals are more equal than others"--no matter what the "Constitution" says.

[HEyHEY]

70. Read this

www.northkoreanrefugees.com/2007-09-atbirth.htm

[Catherina]

81. a self-supporting national economy, means of production are owned by the state and social coops

No wonder we hate them with such fury.

Stick around. Your posts are a refreshing change from the talking points of the for-profit crowd pushes on the American people.

[Posteritatis]

94. North Korea's economy's self-supporting? Can I have some of whatever you're smoking? (nt)

[Hissyspit]

20. Sounds of artillery fire heard off South Korea's Yeonpyeong island - Reuters witness

Reuters Twitter Feed 1:32 a.m.

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. Nothing on CNN and not yet on BBC

Will try Reuters next

[nadinbrzezinski]

26. here

http://www.reuters.com/news/world

BREAKING NEWS:
South Korea military says no artillery fired at Yeonpyeong island; says artillery fire appears to be within North Korean territory

[tuckessee]

33. Might be a good time for history-ignorant Americans to actaully read a book or two about it as well.

Merely "paying attention to" something isn't enough unless one actually has a f*cking clue which most Americans (that includes DU'ers) clearly do not.

I would recommend respected historian Edwin Hoyt's basic trilogy on the Korean conflict - The Pusan Perimeter, On to the Yalu and The Bloody Road to Panmunjom. These books are basics. They are perennial Military Book of the Month selections so there's nothing controversial about them.

The first fifty pages of the third entry are particularily interesting because they detail the reasons China became involved. But then again, Americans seem to love to wallow in ignorance, fantasy and delusions especially when it comes to their military and foreign policy so maybe its best the fragile-minded leave these tomes uncracked.

[nadinbrzezinski]

36. Americans don't know about last week

you expect them to know about fifty years ago?

I mean this about paying attention in a very important sense, leave the provincialism for the day.

Suffice it to say if this goes hot it will be guns of august worthy.

[political_Dem]

80. People should have paid attention a long time ago.

Now that Kim Jong II is sick and passing things over to his son, I wonder what the changing of the guard actually means.

Frankly, I hope that things can be solved diplomatically because we can afford a war with all the outsourcing that is going on in the manufacture of defense products.

[melm00se]

83. if pictures say a thousand words

this says it all:

[Odin2005]

91. Holy fuck, where did all the NK apologists come from?

:crazy:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

97. Cui bono?

Who benefits from the existence of pro-NK posts in a high profile liberal forum?

I'm not stating it's so, only saying it's plausible.

[Posteritatis]

99. I'm more willing to believe stupendous levels of naivete first

Given the Manichean mindsets around here I can certainly believe "the system we've got sucks, therefore one our government dislikes must be just great!" as a thought process in situations like this.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

100. And then there's a third option.

NK-paid astroturf.

[Odin2005]

101. Maoists stuck in 1968, probably

[Posteritatis]

102. Or 1952 at that

I've known a few self-described Stalinists who thought the guy was a misunderstood saint and that everything bad about him was capitalist propaganda and the like.

[Odin2005]

104. You must be joking!

:wow:

[Posteritatis]

106. Alas, I am not

I thought one of them was at first, but nope. He also buys the North Korean propaganda hook, line and sinker; only person I've known who reads KCNA for anything other than laughs.

[Swamp Rat]

93. On the other hand, this will mean a lot of business for the USA War Machine

Since our country mainly runs on oil and making killing machines, we'll likely come out of the recession, and everything will be great! (except for all those folks who'll get slaughtered, but of course, that won't happen to us. ;) )

[roamer65]

98. Keep an eye on Chinese forces as well.

Wouldn't conflict on the Korean peninisula make a great smokescreen for the Chinese invasion of Taiwan?

I really think Beijing and Pyongyang are up to something here.

[glinda]

103. Yes. Perfect isn't it?