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Eric Schmidt heading on mystery mission to North Korea
- vigneshwaran 14y agoCome back in 1 piece! :P
- staunch 14y agoBetter DNA test him before and after :-)
- dheavy 14y agoHaha :)
- seanmcdirmid 14y agoI'm guessing Eric Schmidt -> Google -> YouTube -> Gangnam Style. On my plane back from Detroit to Beijing, there was this nice old man going around shaking everyone's hands. When I saw him, I realized that it was President Jimmy Carter. Now what sort of secret mission did he have in Beijing I wonder? At least now I can say I shook hands with a president!
- kalleboo 14y agoNORTH Korea...
- smackmybishop 14y agoA more efficient path through that graph: http://cdn1.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/6699501/A3x6ld8CAAAAwh-_large_verge_medium_landscape.jpeg http://cdn1.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/6699501/A3x6ld8C...
- error54 14y agoI wonder if Schmidt would actually work with North Korea because while it could be profitable, it kind of goes against Google's "Don't Be Evil" motto given that North Korea is one of the biggest violators[1] of human rights on the planet. 1- http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2012/06/14/the-ongoing-human-rights-tragedy-occurring-in-north-korea/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2012/06/14/the-ongoing-...
- willscott 14y agoI'm sure many US companies would love to see North Korea become more hospitable to the west. A plausible near term goal might be running fiber over land between South Korea & China, which would probably be much cheaper than undersea cables. Longer term, political capital in DPRK gives companies more bargaining power in the region. If North Korea opens up to Google searches, think how bad it would make China look. Since North Korea is smaller and more volatile, change can potentially happen there faster. If there is a power shift or change in policy, the guy running IT isn't necessarily out of power as well - so it doesn't hurt to have him advocating your position.
- WhaleBiologist 14y agoNo government on earth can claim that they do not violate human rights, either in public, or in secret. I guess Google can't do business with any government.
- csallen 14y ago"one of the biggest violators of human rights on the planet."
- WhaleBiologist 14y agoBut I thought Google isn't allowed to do _any_ evil.
- seanmcdirmid 14y agoFallacy of the absolute. There is no black and white, just lighter grays and darker grays.
- iends 14y agoIs the speed of light not absolute? If what you said was true, wouldn't the statement you made be an absolute?
- ghayes 14y agoThis feels like the regime is holding civilians ransom for celebrity, business or diplomatic encounters[1][2]. I appreciate that when these types of events have happened in the past, they have brokered for civilians being freed, but we should be careful as this trade becomes too commonplace. Note: the article speculated as to the connection with a recent US civilian arrest. [1] http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/06/world/asia/06korea.html?pagewanted=all http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/06/world/asia/06korea.html?pa... [2] http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/27/north-korea-us-prisoner-jimmy-carter http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/27/north-korea-us-p...
- seanmcdirmid 14y agoIf all it takes is a diplomat to visit and give the DPRK government some face, that is much cheaper than war. Its amazing what face can accomplish in Asia.
- drsim 14y agoThe 'dear leader' of DPRK has always been a man who wants to be revered and responds aggressively in public to criticism. Who really knows what these visits by high profile figures accomplishes behind closed doors? If nothing else, exposing Kim Jong-Un or just his inner circle to different thinking plants seeds. It's very slow. Isolation doesn't work to promote openness.
- anigbrowl 14y agoKim Jong Un has only been dictator of the DPRK for one year. I think you're mixing him up with his Father, Kim Jong Il. Jong Un is only 28 or 29 and was educated in Switzerland as a teenager.
- drsim 14y agoMy point is that each leader displays similar traits and is expected to act/react in a certain way
- smegel 14y agoI'm sure NK is probably against internet anonymity (for those allowed online), so he'll find plenty of comrades in arms over there.
- wilfra 14y agoI would guess Schmidt is much less interested in doing business with North Korea and much more interested in currying favor with other governments. Obama himself may have asked him to make this trip and it could go a long way toward softening ties between China and Google as well - depending on the results.
- tomjen3 14y agoWhy would obama give a shit about the feelings of the dictator of NK?
- carbocation 14y agoBecause, as would any President of the United States, he cares about prosecuting his policy objectives as effectively as possible on a national and international level?
- deleted 14y ago[deleted]
- astrodust 14y agoNorth Korea has the ability to cause a lot of problems for a lot of allies and the United States itself. For example, it's rumored that billions of dollars in extremely high-quality fake US currency (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superdollar http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superdollar) have been leaking out of North Korea. That's why you care about what's going on inside that country and not, say, Burkina Faso.
- Steko 14y agoIt's being reported that Schmidt got into a heated exchange with Kim Jong Un by lecturing the North Korean leader on human rights violations in the country, to which Kim retorted, "Stop trying to make Google+ happen. It's not going to happen." It's hoped that negotiations will resume early tomorrow.