Dimensional Traveler
2018-06-13 21:43:48 UTC
Since I have no idea what's happening with the WDYW threads I'm just
doing this.
I watched the 2-hour NatGeo special 'North Korea: Dark Secrets'
(recorded). Minor sensationalism, it basically covered the DPRK's
history, the cult of personality towards the dynasty, their nuclear
weapons program (started almost as soon as the country was founded!) and
recent developments. Some interesting bits, like the DPRK is basically
a Mafia-style criminal organization operating as a nation-state
(wondered how North Korea could afford their weapons program? Its
because they counterfeit anything and everything they can; money,
cigarettes, liquor, etc. Also their cyber-warfare unit spends much of
their time trying to hack banks, install ransom ware, etc.); in the
DPRK's version of history the second Jung (father of the current Great
Leader) is credited with single-handily fighting the entire Japanese
occupation force and throwing Japan out of Korea in 1945 (never mind
that he was 4 years old at the time). My favorite tidbit was the
psychologist/neurologist who concluded that the current negotiations
were being carried out by a pair of narcissistic adolescents. ("Fake
news!" "Shaddup Anim.") :)
The night before I watched three other one hour NatGeo pieces on the
DPRK (also recorded). These were more like direct investigative
journalism pieces and painted similarly bleak pictures of the DPRK.
My take away from all of this is North Korea has no intention of
honoring any agreement they make. They never have honored any agreement
they've made. They are experts at playing the world, the West
especially, with threats and promises. China is not going to try to
reign North Korea in because they _want_ North Korea as a buffer between
their border and US forces. A big thing is the conclusion that all the
economic sanctions in the world aren't going to change anything because
the DPRK doesn't WANT contact or interaction with the rest of the world.
Cutting off trade with a country that doesn't want to trade with
anyone isn't a threat. And it seems like the only current option for
ending the threat they are is to turn the entire northern half of the
peninsula into a glow in the dark parking lot. And the cost of that is
too high.
doing this.
I watched the 2-hour NatGeo special 'North Korea: Dark Secrets'
(recorded). Minor sensationalism, it basically covered the DPRK's
history, the cult of personality towards the dynasty, their nuclear
weapons program (started almost as soon as the country was founded!) and
recent developments. Some interesting bits, like the DPRK is basically
a Mafia-style criminal organization operating as a nation-state
(wondered how North Korea could afford their weapons program? Its
because they counterfeit anything and everything they can; money,
cigarettes, liquor, etc. Also their cyber-warfare unit spends much of
their time trying to hack banks, install ransom ware, etc.); in the
DPRK's version of history the second Jung (father of the current Great
Leader) is credited with single-handily fighting the entire Japanese
occupation force and throwing Japan out of Korea in 1945 (never mind
that he was 4 years old at the time). My favorite tidbit was the
psychologist/neurologist who concluded that the current negotiations
were being carried out by a pair of narcissistic adolescents. ("Fake
news!" "Shaddup Anim.") :)
The night before I watched three other one hour NatGeo pieces on the
DPRK (also recorded). These were more like direct investigative
journalism pieces and painted similarly bleak pictures of the DPRK.
My take away from all of this is North Korea has no intention of
honoring any agreement they make. They never have honored any agreement
they've made. They are experts at playing the world, the West
especially, with threats and promises. China is not going to try to
reign North Korea in because they _want_ North Korea as a buffer between
their border and US forces. A big thing is the conclusion that all the
economic sanctions in the world aren't going to change anything because
the DPRK doesn't WANT contact or interaction with the rest of the world.
Cutting off trade with a country that doesn't want to trade with
anyone isn't a threat. And it seems like the only current option for
ending the threat they are is to turn the entire northern half of the
peninsula into a glow in the dark parking lot. And the cost of that is
too high.
--
Inquiring minds want to know while minds with a self-preservation
instinct are running screaming.
Inquiring minds want to know while minds with a self-preservation
instinct are running screaming.