4 ms·

Why is this NK apologist post getting upvoted? Anyone who thinks dictatorships like this are fine should move there and become citizens.

Shin-- 4y ago
Pointing out obvious propaganda is being an "apologist" and supports dictatorships?
- NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
  No; the apology is in the last paragraph where the poster attempts to suggest that the DPRK is not really any worse than many other countries in the rest of the world.
- folkrav 4y ago
  > It's not like North Korea is paradise. It's certainly not. It's another poor third world nation, not unlike many of the ones currently on the western side of things where the same sort of life happens. There's pointing out propaganda (which I agree Radio Free Asia is), and there's boiling down a country well-documented as a known human rights violator[1] to "just another poor third world nation" [1] https://reliefweb.int/attachments/838602f4-8043-3da8-85bd-123f9bc30fe7/EN.pdf https://reliefweb.int/attachments/838602f4-8043-3da8-85bd-12...
MrRiddle 4y ago
Maybe it’s fine for you to be ok with lying but it’s generally frowned upon.
- osigurdson 4y ago
  Sorry, who is lying? Being supportive of any dictator (including Xi) is anti-human.
  - snapcaster 4y ago
    - osigurdson 4y ago
      NK and other dictatorial regimes suck. Western democracies that attempt to lean into authoritarianism also suck. We need to trend more toward free, open and democratic societies globally. Suggesting that dictatorships are fine because western governments occasionally do similar things isn't helpful - it is a purely apologist take. Of course, that is just my opinion, if you like dictatorships, please state it plainly.
      - snapcaster 4y ago
        If you support lying and propaganda, please state it plainly
  - largepeepee 4y ago
    The problem with extremist takes like yours, is they remove any nuance, to the point of covering for other equally "anti-human" acts that eventually pop up. Take the falun gong cult, or Scientology of the east for instance. They were protected and given special status in New York and now spend a large amount of their time spreading nonsense propaganda about not just China but supporting extremists right wing parties globally. No one in the US even bothered to cover them until they were banned for trying to spend 20millon on pro-trump ads in 2020. And guess what they own most of the leading YouTube channels about China and are the gateway to anyone curious about how China functions. I'll know, since I was watching one of their channels since 2010 and only found how how much fake made up stuff they made up only much later. Same thing happened with how ISIS was formed due to the sheer ignorance of the decision makers. ignorance breeds stupidity.
    - osigurdson 4y ago
      If you like dictatorial regimes, please state it plainly.
atian 4y ago
> Please don't pick the most provocative thing in an article or post to complain about in the thread. Find something interesting to respond to instead. > Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith.

Shin-- 4y ago

Pointing out obvious propaganda is being an "apologist" and supports dictatorships?

NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
No; the apology is in the last paragraph where the poster attempts to suggest that the DPRK is not really any worse than many other countries in the rest of the world.
folkrav 4y ago
> It's not like North Korea is paradise. It's certainly not. It's another poor third world nation, not unlike many of the ones currently on the western side of things where the same sort of life happens. There's pointing out propaganda (which I agree Radio Free Asia is), and there's boiling down a country well-documented as a known human rights violator[1] to "just another poor third world nation" [1] https://reliefweb.int/attachments/838602f4-8043-3da8-85bd-123f9bc30fe7/EN.pdf https://reliefweb.int/attachments/838602f4-8043-3da8-85bd-12...

MrRiddle 4y ago

Maybe it’s fine for you to be ok with lying but it’s generally frowned upon.

osigurdson 4y ago
Sorry, who is lying? Being supportive of any dictator (including Xi) is anti-human.
- snapcaster 4y ago
  - osigurdson 4y ago
    NK and other dictatorial regimes suck. Western democracies that attempt to lean into authoritarianism also suck. We need to trend more toward free, open and democratic societies globally. Suggesting that dictatorships are fine because western governments occasionally do similar things isn't helpful - it is a purely apologist take. Of course, that is just my opinion, if you like dictatorships, please state it plainly.
    - snapcaster 4y ago
      If you support lying and propaganda, please state it plainly
- largepeepee 4y ago
  The problem with extremist takes like yours, is they remove any nuance, to the point of covering for other equally "anti-human" acts that eventually pop up. Take the falun gong cult, or Scientology of the east for instance. They were protected and given special status in New York and now spend a large amount of their time spreading nonsense propaganda about not just China but supporting extremists right wing parties globally. No one in the US even bothered to cover them until they were banned for trying to spend 20millon on pro-trump ads in 2020. And guess what they own most of the leading YouTube channels about China and are the gateway to anyone curious about how China functions. I'll know, since I was watching one of their channels since 2010 and only found how how much fake made up stuff they made up only much later. Same thing happened with how ISIS was formed due to the sheer ignorance of the decision makers. ignorance breeds stupidity.
  - osigurdson 4y ago
    If you like dictatorial regimes, please state it plainly.

atian 4y ago

> Please don't pick the most provocative thing in an article or post to complain about in the thread. Find something interesting to respond to instead. > Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith.