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Ask HN: Is Russia the Next North Korea?
- giantg2 5y agoI kind of doubt it. Maybe at some highly generalized level,, but not looking at the details.. They're bigger (population, geographically, economically), have more resources (fertilizer, energy, uranium, wheat, etc), more trade (even with sanctions some countries are still willing to trade), their leader isn't worshiped like a God, etc.
- NoPie 5y agoNot exactly like North Korea but it will become very isolated like the former USSR. It is such a tragedy, I have no words. I have friends in Russia and I don't know what is going to happen with them. One crazy dictator can destroy the country so quickly.
- okl 5y agoAs if it was only "one crazy dictator" ...
- markus_zhang 5y agoDon't worry, Europe will quietly remove the major sanctions later this year.
- MilnerRoute 5y agoThere is the possibility of a change of leadership. It's obviously not the most probable outcome. But as long as we're doing armchair speculation, I'll toss out that a change of leadership is at least slightly more possible in Russia than in North Korea. (A recent CBC video even offered this detail. "UK intelligence services claim they are seeing strong dissension among senior military officers about Putin's invasion of Ukraine.") https://www.facebook.com/thenational/videos/1081131226076627 https://www.facebook.com/thenational/videos/1081131226076627
- NoPie 5y agoLet's hope and pray for it.
- giantg2 5y agoHe is about 70. I'd say a change is more likely than not in the next 10 years.
- ls15 5y agoHe looks puffed up compared to 2018. Corticosteroids?
- rasz 5y agoSomeone dying and being blamed for everything is one of the better outs available to Russia right now that leaves it with some dignity.
- jaynetics 5y agoOne big difference is the suddenness of the downturn and the contrast to previous life. Up until now, Russians were reasonably well-off and reasonably free in their travels or political views, if they kept those to themselves. Unlike North Koreans, they'll have memories of a better life, adding discontent to their fear. Whether that will make a difference in practical terms is anyone's guess.
- aynyc 5y agoI doubt it. North Korean geography lands itself to isolation. DMZ, China and the sea. Russians plenty of border countries that they can get in with large Russian communities that can help them. Even if another strong man replaces Putin in the mid, I’m not sure people will accept that anymore.