Evidently, not until the 10th paragraph of this puff piece about a pro-government rally (is there any other kind in Pyongyang?) that attracted conscripted 100,000 hapless souls. Here's how it starts:
Tens of thousands of North Koreans rallied in Pyongyang in a display of might and loyalty underscoring their government's guiding "military first" principal amid tensions with rival South Korea.
The government mobilized 100,000 North Koreans for Monday's annual New Year's rally, which honors leader Kim Jong Il and reaffirms full public support for his rule in the year ahead.
Pumping their right fists in unison, they marched through Pyongyang's main Kim Il Sung plaza pledging their loyalty, some waving huge red flags as top officials watched from a viewing stand.
Gee, do you think maybe their participation was...coerced? Eventually, in paragraph 10, we find out that North Korea is a "totalitarian state."
Who knew?
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I loved this little
January 6, 2009 - 04:34 ET by Mean Gene Dr. LoveI loved this little tidbit, "Relations warmed under 10 years of liberal
leadership in Seoul, but quickly turned frosty when conservative
President Lee Myung-bak took office last February refusing to hand over
aid unconditionally."
It implies that conservatives are cold-hearted, ruthless, and selfish people. When in reality the "warming" occurred because the liberal leadership in the ROK took a lovey-dovey attitude toward the DPRK and the DPRK stood to get a lot of aid, money, political points at no cost.
The liberals live in a dreamworld and have no memory. President Lee Myung-bak was right to refuse to give unconditional aid. Even when aid is tied to conditions, the DPRK never meets the conditions. The DPRK deserves no breaks or concessions. North Korea doesn't need the aid. All outside aid goes to their military first. And it's that the message of the New Year celebrations? "Military First." You want to eat? Join the military.
There is absolutely no rational reason that people in the DPRK should be starving or needing outside aid. Go to the CIA World Factbook and compare North Korea vs. South Korea. It is very interesting to compare these two countries to each other.
North Korea (DPRK)
South Korea (ROK)
North and South Koreans are a homogeneous people, there is virtually no genetic difference between them...so all else being equal, their infant mortality, and life expectancy rates should be roughly equal. DPRK's infant mortality is 5x higher and their life expectancy is 6.5 years lower. Why?
The DPRK also has half the population, more territory, more arable land, and a larger amount of permanent crops, and a larger agricultural workforce than the ROK...yet no one in South Korea is starving. Why?
Out of 25,000+ kilometers of roadway in North Korea, only 724 km are paved. Of South Korea's 102,000+ km of roads, 90,417 km are paved. North Korea has no celluar phone services, but nearly every man, woman, and child in South Korea has a cell phone. North Korea has a GDP Purchasing Power Parity of $40 Billion. South Korea's GDP PPP is $1.206 Trillion. Why such disparity between the countries?
Why? Communism. Pure and simple. Communism is holding the North Koreans back from economic, political, and personal freedom.
"An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life." --Robert A. Heinlein, "Beyond This Horizon," 1942
Nice post. This morning I
January 6, 2009 - 09:08 ET by EdhenryNice post. This morning I thought how to summarize.
"The best government can do is produce a lousy standard of living" Edhenry 2009
No kidding...
January 6, 2009 - 09:59 ET by CortillaenSo conservative, rational governments are the problem, not communist dictatorships... Kinda revealing of the author's political positions, no?
www.daybydaycartoon.... Proving that conservative comedy is very real.
"With your mind as high as Mt. Fuji you can see all things clearly. And you can see all the forces that shape events; not just the things near to you." - Miyamoto Musashi
A lot of the Socialist and
January 6, 2009 - 12:45 ET by Republic1A lot of the Socialist and Communist sympathizers who work at the AP very likely felt that Matthewsian 'thrill up the leg' over this story. The PRK is a liberal journalist's utopia. Everything done for the glory of the Socialist revolution and their infallible, enlightened leader. Capitalism and freedom of choice eliminated. Only Communism and Socialism promoted or allowed in the government controlled press. Just wait until the coronation of the almighty, glorious, all-knowing Obamassiah in D.C. in a few weeks. The fawning, pandering, subservient leftist media in this country will be showing their commie bretheren a thing or two about apotheosis and blind hero worship.
"I will expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula." -Muhammad
I'm sorry, but I know no other way to say it. North Korea is a
January 6, 2009 - 19:41 ET by R D Helm...sh*t-hole.
I have to seriously question the intelligence of any living person who cannot see that.
For a look inside what has to be the most oppressive regime (cult?) since the fall of Albania, take a look at these:
Welcome to North Korea:
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six
Only the sick, twisted mind of a true, freedom-hating Marxist could watch those videos and come away with anything even remotely positive about that sad, brain-washed country.
Remember, the type of society depicted in the documentary above is exactly the type of society many of our more radical lefty "friends" are trying to bring about in this country.
I wish I could say they are far from reaching their ultimate goal.
-Dave
“Them that’s going get on the wagon. Them that ain’t get out of the way.” -Because enough is enough.