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One thing I find more odd is how American audiences treat the DPRK while also supporting the continued military puppet state that is the ROK. There were also a

by drekk 5y ago

One thing I find more odd is how American audiences treat the DPRK while also supporting the continued military puppet state that is the ROK. There were also a "lot of sources" supporting WMDs in Iraq. When what you're saying is the state department narrative it's not going to receive pushback. The US killed 20% of Koreans on the peninsula and reduced it all to rubble. Forgive my skepticism at the "humanitarian intentions". Especially when there are financial incentives to become a defector [0] There are also documentaries produced locally [1] and you can very well go on Weibo yourself and speak to North Koreans. [0] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39170614 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39170614 [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktE_3PrJZO0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktE_3PrJZO0

oh_sigh 5y ago
You may find it odd because Americans for the most part don't actually have a problem with "military puppet states", if certain aspects of freedom and human rights are agreeable and pass their muster. Feel free to look at the differences in health and life outcomes for North vs South Koreans, while entirely obscuring the systems of government, and you will see why the North Koreans are reviled throughout most of the rational/non-psychopathic world.
warning26 5y ago
Looks like we've found another one!
chernevik 5y ago
South Korea - has elections - has a free press - allows people to leave etc
- malermeister 5y ago
  It does now. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwangju_Uprising https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwangju_Uprising >South Korean universities were shut down, newspaper offices were closed, and any political activity that went against the policies of General Chun Doo-hwan were strictly banned. In further details, all public gatherings that included more than three party were forbidden with an only exception for funerals. With the Korean news media muzzled by martial law, only the handful of foreign correspondents present could publish reports on what was happening in Gwangju — no easy task, given the army cordon. Telephone lines had been cut by the military; some reporters walked miles to villages to line up at the nearest phones still working. Soon after, General Chun Doo-hwan broadened the terms of martial law into the entire country of South Korea and rigorously kept in check with suspicious activities that seemed to be promoting democracy. Thus all pro-democracy leaders including students were considered as traitors or anti-government criminals. In consequence, the charges that met those of who were considered as convicts were in reality as cruel as any major prisoners. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup_d%27%C3%A9tat_of_May_Seventeenth#Martial_law_of_1980s_South_Korea https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup_d%27%C3%A9tat_of_May_Seve...
  - warning26 5y ago
    I mean, yeah, ROK was a dictatorship at one point. That doesn't invalidate OP's point at all. If North Korea suddenly decided to stop being oppressive I'd be 100% in favor.

by drekk 5y ago

oh_sigh 5y ago

You may find it odd because Americans for the most part don't actually have a problem with "military puppet states", if certain aspects of freedom and human rights are agreeable and pass their muster. Feel free to look at the differences in health and life outcomes for North vs South Koreans, while entirely obscuring the systems of government, and you will see why the North Koreans are reviled throughout most of the rational/non-psychopathic world.

warning26 5y ago

Looks like we've found another one!

chernevik 5y ago

South Korea - has elections - has a free press - allows people to leave etc

malermeister 5y ago
It does now. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwangju_Uprising https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwangju_Uprising >South Korean universities were shut down, newspaper offices were closed, and any political activity that went against the policies of General Chun Doo-hwan were strictly banned. In further details, all public gatherings that included more than three party were forbidden with an only exception for funerals. With the Korean news media muzzled by martial law, only the handful of foreign correspondents present could publish reports on what was happening in Gwangju — no easy task, given the army cordon. Telephone lines had been cut by the military; some reporters walked miles to villages to line up at the nearest phones still working. Soon after, General Chun Doo-hwan broadened the terms of martial law into the entire country of South Korea and rigorously kept in check with suspicious activities that seemed to be promoting democracy. Thus all pro-democracy leaders including students were considered as traitors or anti-government criminals. In consequence, the charges that met those of who were considered as convicts were in reality as cruel as any major prisoners. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup_d%27%C3%A9tat_of_May_Seventeenth#Martial_law_of_1980s_South_Korea https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup_d%27%C3%A9tat_of_May_Seve...
- warning26 5y ago
  I mean, yeah, ROK was a dictatorship at one point. That doesn't invalidate OP's point at all. If North Korea suddenly decided to stop being oppressive I'd be 100% in favor.