North Korea - how serious should we take them?

[scherzkeks]

jmorgan said:

scherzkeks said:

I tried to follow the rest of your post, but every other word appeared to be missing.

Internet tax on certain words, I was trying to save money.

Fixed now.

North Korea a financial competitor to China?

You should have saved a few cents on the edits.

Edited by scherzkeks on Monday 17th July 22:14

[CoolHands]

Lord Marylebone said:

Am I missing something?

The one-sided propaganda we get fed?

[anonymous-user]

CoolHands said:

Lord Marylebone said:

Am I missing something?

The one-sided propaganda we get fed?

That is a consideration.

I also take on board the point about the end of the Kim dynasty if he went all democratic on the situation.

I don't know.

Personally, I would rather be out of a Presidential Palace and into a relatively ordinary role but be remembered as the man that turned a country around, but then again I don't think like a dictator.

[jmorgan]

scherzkeks said:

jmorgan said:

scherzkeks said:

I tried to follow the rest of your post, but every other word appeared to be missing.

Internet tax on certain words, I was trying to save money.

Fixed now.

North Korea a financial competitor to China?

You should have saved a few cents on the edits.

Edited by scherzkeks on Monday 17th July 22:14

Obviously not in so far as a direct competitor in financial clout, but imagine a stable country, cheap labour, attracting big name manufacturers, leader turns lax..... the peasants the other side of the border might get ideas.

[jmorgan]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-40640047

Probably a long list of others to be kidnapped back across the border.

[Cobnapint]

jmorgan said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-40640047

Probably a long list of others to be kidnapped back across the border.

Seems to be the way. He sends in the airport squad to sedate you - the next day you wake up on a different latitude and get handed a script ready to record your own personal message.

All voluntarily of course!

[Halmyre]

Cobnapint said:

jmorgan said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-40640047

Probably a long list of others to be kidnapped back across the border.

Seems to be the way. He sends in the airport squad to sedate you - the next day you wake up on a different latitude and get handed a script ready to record your own personal message.

All voluntarily of course!

Sounds vaguely familiar.

"Where is this place?"

"You are in The Virrage...you are number 6, with side order of prawn cracker and fried rice"

"I AM NOT A MENU, I AM A FREE MAN!"

[jmorgan]

Halmyre said:

Cobnapint said:

jmorgan said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-40640047

Probably a long list of others to be kidnapped back across the border.

Seems to be the way. He sends in the airport squad to sedate you - the next day you wake up on a different latitude and get handed a script ready to record your own personal message.

All voluntarily of course!

Sounds vaguely familiar.

"Where is this place?"

"You are in The Virrage...you are number 6, with side order of prawn cracker and fried rice"

"I AM NOT A MENU, I AM A FREE MAN!"

Followed by the sound of a firing squad.

[mikal83]

Ah ha, wondered where tearjerks went hiding. Your man the orange buffoon says hi, missing you, sad.

[scherzkeks]

jmorgan said:

scherzkeks said:

jmorgan said:

scherzkeks said:

I tried to follow the rest of your post, but every other word appeared to be missing.

Internet tax on certain words, I was trying to save money.

Fixed now.

North Korea a financial competitor to China?

You should have saved a few cents on the edits.

Edited by scherzkeks on Monday 17th July 22:14

Obviously not in so far as a direct competitor in financial clout, but imagine a stable country, cheap labour, attracting big name manufacturers

So a US vassal state to be mined for resources, not a competitor.

[jmorgan]

scherzkeks said:

So a US vassal state to be mined for resources, not a competitor.

Ok, stay as a loon war lord and only make things no one wants. I think the US is trying to get a any from it, according to its CIC. But the countries manufacturing in that neck of the woods are doing so because it is cheaper. I would say we are at the mercy not the other way around.

Imagine the horror of paying twice for a iPhone cos it is knocked out in the US.

[Efbe]

jmorgan said:

scherzkeks said:

So a US vassal state to be mined for resources, not a competitor.

Ok, stay as a loon war lord and only make things no one wants. I think the US is trying to get a any from it, according to its CIC. But the countries manufacturing in that neck of the woods are doing so because it is cheaper. I would say we are at the mercy not the other way around.

Imagine the horror of paying twice for a iPhone cos it is knocked out in the US.

No, we pay that because of almost entirely unregulated global corporations that have the power to direct the world. But that's another conversation

You are forgetting the middle step towards opening up though, and this is the part Kim is and should be scared of.
To open up his borders Kim needs to build trade agreements, and have the sanctions removed.
Sanctions will not be removed until he gets rid of nuclear weapons, that in all likelihood don't actually work, or even exist, along side artillery pointed at the south. Upon doing so he risks an invasion, that is not beyod reason at all.
So he needs to open talks with SK. Unfortunately this would be against the wishes of the US, fortunately SK do not care all that much... Pick your own media source here: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=south+korea+nort...

Kim has actively been seeking such talks since he came to power, as did his pre-decessor.

As much as I dislike the Kim regime. The fact that he has upped the weapons testing at the same time as engaging in talks illustrates that the weapons are just a bargaining chip for him. They seem to be pretty much the only bargaining chip he has.

As scherz talks about, even if a bit dramatically, should NK let the west in, we will, as we do every time, strip the country dry whilst providing a miniscule payout for the country. I have actually had a look, but could find very little on the % a country sees of oil revenues. Would be interesting to see.

[Efbe]

Just in case you think NK agreeing to nuclear disarmament will remove sanctions...
http://news.sky.com/story/iran-warns-us-to-disasse...

[anonymous-user]

Am I alone in thinking fatty is not actually in charge and being held hostage himself? Also none of the generals and ministers he is surrounded by in the photo shoots are for real surely? They look like toothless starving peasants pulled from a field and made to worn ill fitting costumes. It's all a big facade for a criminal gangster state. IMO

[Cobnapint]

fblm said:

Am I alone in thinking fatty is not actually in charge and being held hostage himself? Also none of the generals and ministers he is surrounded by in the photo shoots are for real surely? They look like toothless starving peasants pulled from a field and made to worn ill fitting costumes. It's all a big facade for a criminal gangster state. IMO

I think you may well be alone on that one.

New angle though...!

[Halmyre]

Cobnapint said:

fblm said:

Am I alone in thinking fatty is not actually in charge and being held hostage himself? Also none of the generals and ministers he is surrounded by in the photo shoots are for real surely? They look like toothless starving peasants pulled from a field and made to worn ill fitting costumes. It's all a big facade for a criminal gangster state. IMO

I think you may well be alone on that one.

New angle though...!

Not quite alone, I've always wondered if chunky was just a figurehead for the military, or whoever is really in charge.

[anonymous-user]

Cobnapint said:

fblm said:

Am I alone in thinking fatty is not actually in charge and being held hostage himself? Also none of the generals and ministers he is surrounded by in the photo shoots are for real surely? They look like toothless starving peasants pulled from a field and made to worn ill fitting costumes. It's all a big facade for a criminal gangster state. IMO

I think you may well be alone on that one.

New angle though...!

among all the octogenarian hilarity there's always one guy with the 'keep smiling you fat mother fvcker or I'll shoot you in the back of your fvcking head' look on his face.

[anonymous-user]

My imagination might be getting the better of me. I just can't fathom why anyone with a western upbringing, education and access to global media would want to be such an absurd laughing stock and not just go live in Switzerland with a few 10's of billions.

[Robertj21a]

fblm said:

My imagination might be getting the better of me. I just can't fathom why anyone with a western upbringing, education and access to global media would want to be such an absurd laughing stock and not just go live in Switzerland with a few 10's of billions.

Would he still be idolised and 'worshipped' if he was just 'Fatty in Switzerland' ?

[FourWheelDrift]

Robertj21a said:

Would he still be idolised and 'worshipped' if he was just 'Fatty in Switzerland' ?

He seemed to do ok last time he was there - http://www.sundaytimes.lk/111225/Timestwo/int10.ht...

"dwarf ninjas". That is all.