Posted on 07/06/2006 3:04:07 AM PDT by IrishMike
July 5, 2006: While everyone's attention was focused on North Korean missiles, the real story is the North Korean economy. It continues to fall apart, and more North Koreans are unhappy about that. Worse yet, more North Koreans are finding out how badly they have been screwed by their leaders. Meanwhile, North Korean officials engage in even more bizarre behavior. For example, food and fuel supplies sent to North Korea have been halted, not to force North Korea to stop missile tests or participate in peace talks, but to return the Chinese trains the aid was carried in on. In the last few weeks, the North Koreans have just kept the trains, sending the Chinese crews back across the border. North Korea just ignores Chinese demands that the trains be returned, and insists that the trains are part of the aid program. It's no secret that North Korean railroad stock is falling apart, after decades of poor maintenance and not much new equipment. Stealing Chinese trains is a typical loony-tune North Korean solution to the problem. If the North Koreans appear to make no sense, that's because they don't. Put simply, when their unworkable economic policies don't work, the North Koreans just conjure up new, and equally unworkable, plans. The Chinese have tried to talk the North Koreans out of these pointless fantasies, and for their trouble they have their trains stolen. How do you negotiate under these conditions? No one knows. The South Koreans believe that if they just keep the North Korean leaders from doing anything too destructive (especially to South Korea), eventually the tragicomic house of cards up north will just collapse. Not much of a plan, but so far, no one's come up with anything better.
(Excerpt) Read more at strategypage.com ...
Give them Chinese take-out? What?
Forget the car, next time the pizza-girl shows up, keep the girl.
At least the glorious leader isn't kissing little boy's tummies and saying they feel like kittens.
That'll work too!
You Poor thing, I will send you Beer.
hahaha
You've got to think about North Korea as China's little brother who always needs to be bailed out of jail at 3 AM.
Likewise, China is the former gangster who's gone legit, and doesn't like his old past brought up.
North Korea embarrasses China, but they're family. Big Brother China keeps telling little brother North Korea to straighten out, but the advice doesn't seem to work.
60 years of inbreeding, has destroyed the gene pool..
Funny thing to say to an irishman...LOL
Watch what happens next time I order beer delivered to the house!
"Never get in your enemy's way when he is busy destroying himself."
- - Sun Tzu "The Art of War"
The peasants have been brainwashed. There will be no revolt.
Last nights Nightline was pretty much on even keel with respect to things. One thing they made mention about concerning why the N. Koreans have their panties in a bunch: their feelings have been hurt with GWB's reference to N. Korea being part of the Evil Axis in his SOUS some time ago. That's what this has all been about since then: literally their feelings have been hurt.
There was no judgment rendered inherent in Nightline's content regarding that in any way whatsoever. It was presented matter of fact, FWIW. Prior to that, they showed clips of the various reporters and cameramen talking about their impressions of their last visit there. They were unabashed in their commentary on how stunningly bleak it was.
The one poignant comment I recall was concerning the capital, the monumental construction projects being undertaken, and the existing edifaces of infrastructure that exist. It was stated that the capital was reputed to be a city of 2.5 million people, but there was no evidence of anywhere close to that number of people actually living there. The news crew's minder told them: All the people had been mobilized into the surrounding countryside to assist with the rice crop.
Also the show presented the N. Korean perception that the U.S. is the bad-guy. It interviewed a few pre-pubescent children who stated their lives objective was to fight for their Dear Leader against their arch-enemy: the United States of America. Then the show went on to tell about how for the last 60 years the N. Korean people have been told that all their problems stem from the aggression of the United States' invasion of Korea (not that N. Korea invaded the South as actually occured).
The centerpiece exhibit for all to see in that regard, is the floating museum tourist attraction presented as being the paragon of American aggression: U.S.S. Pueblo. After the female tour-guide in N. Korean military uniform spouted off some anti-U.S. rhetoric/propaganda, she was asked if there was anything she could say that was good about Americans or America. Her response was initially an absolute look of suprise, turns her face away from the camera as she walks off camera. Just prior to her exiting from view, she glances back at the interview and laughs at him like his insane.
Then they went to the studio. First they cited the long list of things N. Korea has been involved in, e.g. terrorism in S. Korea, kidnappings, and bombings of aircraft, etc. They talked about a couple that was abducted for the purpose of making propaganda films in the North. They described the first hand anecdotal account of the director/actress wife who stated unequovocally that Kim's perception of the U.S. is absolutely based in its entirely upon Hollywood produced movies. A couple of experts were interviewed who stated that N. Korea has two objectives:
1) point out to S. Korea that all of their problems reside with their association with the United States.
2) diminish the will of the U.S. government to support/back-up S. Korea in any conflict.
They mentioned how N. Korea is dirt poor, but it knows very well that S. Korea is exceedingly rich in comparision. Their strategy rests on the idea that they believe that the S. Koreans feel that they have way too much to lose, i.e., Seoul by resisting the N. Korean military. The reasoning went that despite whatever outcome there'd be with respect to a military conflict with N. Korea, they'd pay dearly, and a major portion of Seoul would in the process be absolutely devastated. What N. Korea is counting on is that the price of economic devastation (and lives lost) would be too steep, especially since S. Koreans know they stand absolutely no chance with out U.S. military assistance. They're betting that the S. Koreans are too fat, dumb and happy for them to even want to fight. This is sort of in line with Sun Tzu's mantra: the greatest victory is a victory won without having to fight.
Simultaneously with this, N. Korean leadership is attempting drive a wedge into S. Korean/U.S relationships, making any potential conflict exceedingly and absolutely distastful to U.S. government leadership (with respect to the price that would definitely - regardless of the outcome - be incurred).
Succinctly put: N. Korea knows full well that they're no match for U.S. military might, but that the price that would have to be paid is too high for both S. Korea, and America (and ultimately the S. Koreans would essentially capitulate prior to any outbreak of hostilities).
Quite frankly, I don't believe them to be all that crazy in that regard.
....You cannot "talk" with vermin.
That's why we have exterminators,
just remembered Tommy Delay was one.
I can't help thinking of Cuba when I see this picture!
...It's not like either NK or Japan have any direct bearing on oil production, which is the typical excuse for increases in oil prices whenever Middle-Eastern news gets messy.
Nah ... it's just a case of commodities guys making money on general nervousness
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The islands of Japan total less than the State of California, but with about half the population of the United States.
They import the vast majority of the fuels they require.
...Commodity traders .... ya gotta love'em. An outbreak of psoriasis in Oregon and sow belly futures go teats up!
Some years back, didn't Hildabeast invest $1,000 and make $100,000 on 'pork bellys ????
At least the glorious leader isn't kissing little boy's tummies and saying they feel like kittens.
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Ala the head of the KGB'PUKIN Putin'.
Which represents a significant drop in demand, which should lower prices, right?
Nope -- it's just guys trading on general nervousness.
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