A Nation of Racist Dwarfs

[Lemur]

You know, when it comes to vintage 2002 Axis of Evil, I'm not very worried about Iraq (which will be some decades pulling itself back together) or Iran (which has its hands full attempting to ward of freedom of expression in its own backyard, and which will someday be a very good ally and partner for the U.S.A., if it can avoid falling into the bottomless well of religious fundamentalism—but if you think about it, they ushered in the modern age of Islamic craziness, and they just might lead the way out).

No, the one that freaks me out is North Korea. And here's a good look at why:

All of us who scrutinize North Korean affairs are preoccupied with one question. Do these slaves really love their chains? The conundrum has several obscene corollaries. [...] But race arrogance and nationalist hysteria are powerful cements for the most odious systems, as Europeans and Americans have good reason to remember. Even in South Korea there are those who feel the Kim Jong-il regime, under which they themselves could not live for a single day, to be somehow more "authentically" Korean.

Here are the two most shattering facts about North Korea. First, when viewed by satellite photography at night, it is an area of unrelieved darkness. Barely a scintilla of light is visible even in the capital city. (See this famous photograph.) Second, a North Korean is on average six inches shorter than a South Korean. You may care to imagine how much surplus value has been wrung out of such a slave, and for how long, in order to feed and sustain the militarized crime family that completely owns both the country and its people.

But this is what proves Myers right. Unlike previous racist dictatorships, the North Korean one has actually succeeded in producing a sort of new species. Starving and stunted dwarves, living in the dark, kept in perpetual ignorance and fear, brainwashed into the hatred of others, regimented and coerced and inculcated with a death cult: This horror show is in our future, and is so ghastly that our own darling leaders dare not face it and can only peep through their fingers at what is coming.

[Megas Methuselah]

You know what? Nvm.

[Subotan]

North Koreans today are on average smaller than Koreans at any other point in time in the 20th Century, including the pre-colonial period. The pre-colonial period was a time when Korea was an economically primitive, literally feudal, backwater, a plaything of Japan and Russia, and totally incapable of feeding all of its people. That is the extent to which North Korea has failed its people.

North Korea is a unique place. A Stalinist cult of personality has been pushed to the very extreme, so that certain aspects of Juche border on the religious (E.g. The Juche Calendar starts at the time of the Great Leader's conception, Kim Il Sung is the eternal President, Kim Jong Il can allegedly stop time etc.). There is no doubt that for at least some North Koreans, particularly the less well educated, the devotion felt towards Kim Jong Il is very real. Combined with extreme militarisation, obscene ultra-nationalism (The struggle for independence from Japan has not ended in North Korea), and a externally solid political establishment, this leads to the prospects of internal chaos bringing about the downfall of the regime in the short term being negligible.

That said, North Korea has weaknesses. Despite the ultra-nationalism, North Korea is dependant on Chinese support, and China has strong trade links with South Korea. It remains to be seen which Korea they value more highly. Militarily, it is a nation that possesses Soviet technology from the Eighties and earlier, meaning that South Korea's albeit smaller army could probably hold off the North Koreans pretty easily. It's nuclear weapons could produce a blast as powerful as Little Boy; a weapon that was at the forefront of nuclear thinking sixty five years ago. Although a detonation in Seoul would be a disaster, its nowhere near as dangerous as the Soviet Union's missile stocks. And succession to Kim Jong Il is a big unknown. KJL was groomed for decades to be the successor, but his son has only been groomed for about six months, and it seems likely that KJL will die in the near future.

Attempts at economic reform verge on farce. When tentative steps were made in the Nineties, the concept of profit was literally unknown in North Korea. Periodic attempts to revalue the currency to punish black market capitalists are almost funny. If anyone wants to know more about the economy of North Korea, pm me, as I've just done an essay on development in North Korea.

But I don't think North Korea is the threat everyone imagines it to be. Despite the labels of "crazy" and "Axis of Evil", North Korea has acted amazingly intelligently to preserve it's economic system and the ruling clique surrounding it (Although obviously, not so good at protecting North Koreans). By developing nuclear weapons, it can always threaten to use them, and thus demand resources such as grain and fertiliser from the rest of the world. If it actually used them (it?), it would be wiped off the face of the Earth faster than you could say "hot dog".

[rory_20_uk]

If nothing else was going on, a short sharp invasion would be the best long term option. It would need to be able to destroy all the North Korean artillery aimed, especially at Seoul. The army might be fanatical, but it would quickly seize up as the logistics failed. Most likely it would quickly go underground, literally, and await the invasion. Then the trouble would truely start as there would be a high liklihood of no surrender. It might be better to let the North implode, and slowly roll north as there ceases to be a country in any meaningful sense.

[Louis VI the Fat]

No, the one that freaks me out is North Korea.

A horrific place. If one didn't know better, one would think it was thought up by a 1985 idealistic sixteen year old, writing for a school essay contest to warn of the dangers of totalitarianism, nationalist hysteria, militarism, deceit and siege mentality.
The country is almost a parody.

Besides, state totalitarianism is sooo 20th century. Failed states is where it's at nowadays, for brutal infringements of human rights.

I saw a documentary some time ago, based on testimonies of the few who ever managed to escape the camps, including camp guards. It was harrowing. Very disturbing, things I did not want to know existed, and of which I shall not speak.

At the very least, it showed that North Koreans are not mindless slaves yet, but quite capable of independent thought in their abuse, torture, humiliation, and a 'creative sadism' that was most reminiscent of the Japanese in WWII.

[Centurion1]

If nothing else was going on, a short sharp invasion would be the best long term option. It would need to be able to destroy all the North Korean artillery aimed, especially at Seoul. The army might be fanatical, but it would quickly seize up as the logistics failed. Most likely it would quickly go underground, literally, and await the invasion. Then the trouble would truely start as there would be a high liklihood of no surrender. It might be better to let the North implode, and slowly roll north as there ceases to be a country in any meaningful sense.

hello mercenaries one for xbox.

Ah the north koreans are a difficult to understand conundrum, a problem with no easy situation. we cant starve them to death (well all of them) thanks to the chinese. Well maybe the chinese will become sick of them one day.

[CountArach]

I somehow doubt an invasion would work - the people love their leader so much that they would be willing to die for him in droves. At the end of it there would only be a handful of Koreans left to enjoy the new, free North Korea.

[Fragony]

That map is creepy indeed.

[rory_20_uk]

I somehow doubt an invasion would work - the people love their leader so much that they would be willing to die for him in droves. At the end of it there would only be a handful of Koreans left to enjoy the new, free North Korea.

But as opposed to starvaton year on year, those that came afterwards would have a massively improved quality of life.

The transition is mostlikely going to be painful however it occurs.

[Furunculus]

south korea collectively shudders every time it thinks of the cost of re-integrating that nation of racist dwarves to its north.

[Hosakawa Tito]

North Koreans, particularly the less well educated, the devotion felt towards Kim Jong Il is very real.

A program I saw a while back was about a foreign eye doctor who came to the north to treat people going blind from disease. A female journalist and camera crew was led about town to interview prospective patients and others. I didn't see any believable devotion to the Dear Leader in the parroted pantomime on display. More like absolute pants wetting fear of getting their lines wrong, slip of the lip or not being enthusiastic enough.

[Boohugh]

That map is creepy indeed.

Bet they get some great views of the stars at night though!

With North Korea it's only a matter of time and what China does when Kim Jong Il finally kicks the oxygen habit. If China isn't willing to support his successor, then the North will implode and we'll probably get a united Korea sooner rather than later. If they do support his successor then things will likely drag on much as they are with very little change to the status quo.

[rory_20_uk]

I imagine China finds its satellite rather useful, and worth the cost of supporting; collapse would probably cause them some difficulties in the surrounding areas at a time when China has enough internal changes taking place.

[Subotan]

south korea collectively shudders every time it thinks of the cost of re-integrating that nation of racist dwarves to its north.

What of the cost of maintaing the world's seventh largest army?

I imagine China finds its satellite rather useful, and worth the cost of supporting; collapse would probably cause them some difficulties in the surrounding areas at a time when China has enough internal changes taking place.

There are now far greater economic links between China and South Korea (That have taken decades to set up) than than there ever were between China and the DPRK, so it's hardly a source of economic wealth. It is entirely possible that if China has to bite the bullet that it would go for South Korea rather than the North if the North's destruction was imminent.

[rory_20_uk]

If it was a case of either or, then possibly.

But North Korea is great for providing things for International Affairs to get all worked up about - and then request Chinese mediation, whilst China is then able to do what it wants, be it deals with African nations or building bases on Shri Lanka.

[Beskar]

You will most likely see the North Puppetted by China or under China's sphere and influence.

Then you will see economical reform which parrots what happened in China and see the rise of North Korea as an economical power.

[Furunculus]

What of the cost of maintaing the world's seventh largest army?

pah, by cost they are not even in the top ten according to SIPRI, and their defence expenditure is only 2.7% of GDP (we should be so lucky!), which is hardly a drag on their economy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...y_expenditures

[Louis VI the Fat]

Furunculus, those numbers are deceptive. North Korea's real military expenditure is estimated at a mind boggling 27%-32% of national income. Edit: wait, you are talking about South Korea.

Considering that even lunatic theocratic-military regimes limit defense expediture to around ten percent, North Korea is really completely off the scale. North Korea is completely militarised, mobilised. It is run by the logic of the military and a siege mentality.

http://www.koreafocus.or.kr/design2/...roup_id=102740

[Subotan]

If it was a case of either or, then possibly.

That's the problem, it isn't. Yet.

China likes to have all the trappings of great power status (Puppet regimes, the "right" to obliterate Taiwan etc.) without any of the responsibilities.

You will most likely see the North Puppetted by China or under China's sphere and influence.

That is already the case.

Then you will see economical reform which parrots what happened in China and see the rise of North Korea as an economical power.

That has been attempted, and the results have been pitiful. As I mentioned earlier, the concept of profit is unknown in North Korea. North Korea sees no need to undertake economic reform when it can just blackmail the world for food, fertiliser etc. All that matters is the survival of the North Korean state and the political structures within it.

Considering that even lunatic theocratic-military regimes limit defense expediture to around ten percent, North Korea is really completely off the scale. North Korea is completely militarised, mobilised. It is run by the logic of the military and a siege mentality.

http://www.koreafocus.or.kr/design2/...roup_id=102740

It needs to. It knows very well that if it reduced its spending and militarisation to a conventional level, that South Korea would flatten the North. North Korea is not Opposite Land where Kim Jong Il is a gleeful sadist inflicting suffering on Koreans in the name of Korean nationalism, he's doing it to maintain his power. It has worked for the past twenty years, and it might work for the next twenty years.

[PanzerJaeger]

The picture is apparently famous, but I'd never seen it. Capitalism versus communism incapsulated in one image. Interesting read, Lemur.

[Subotan]

The picture is apparently famous, but I'd never seen it. Capitalism versus communism incapsulated in one image. Interesting read, Lemur.

It is a famous picturem, and you're pretty much correct. But I wonder when the picture was taken, as up until about 1991, North Koreans weren't that much worse off than their Southern cosuins.

[al Roumi]

Anyone in the UK see the documentary on BBC4 last night? 3 Danish guys, 2 of whom were teenagers born in Korea but with family ties to the North. One of the guys had cerebral-palsy, apparentely handicapped children in North Korea don't like long after birth.

It was weird, if not exploitative. But interesting to see something inside the state.

They were mostly karted around elite cultural schools but also participated in a "Peace March/demonstration" which was frankly as close as I hope I ever get to seeing orwell's "Daily Hate" sessions.

[Subotan]

One of the things visitors to North Korea notice is the total absence of any people with disabilities.

[Furunculus]

hmmm, shades of romanian orphanages methinks.

[Boohugh]

One of the things visitors to North Korea notice is the total absence of any people with disabilities.

Considering visitors to North Korea are carefully shepherded around and what they see is carefully controlled that perhaps isn't so surprising, just because they aren't seen doesn't mean they aren't there. Although it is of course possible they are taken away and killed/left to die, it isn't the only, or even most likely, possibility.

[Myrddraal]

You don't need centralised herding of disabled people to make them invisible. All you need is a culture where disability is shameful and embarrassing. I don't know if that's the case in North Korea, just saying.

[Subotan]

I don't know if it's even that. Guy Delisle mentions this to his "guide" in his book Pyongyang, and is given the reply that "There are none... We're a very homogenous nation. All North Koreans are born strong, intelligent and healthy."

[al Roumi]

You don't need centralised herding of disabled people to make them invisible. All you need is a culture where disability is shameful and embarrassing. I don't know if that's the case in North Korea, just saying.

True, but it doesn't bode well for the care or respect they are given. The handicapped guy in the above documentary was quite disturbed that people were nice to him, whilst sensing their disgust and revulsion.

[Centurion1]

Considering that even lunatic theocratic-military regimes limit defense expediture to around ten percent, North Korea is really completely off the scale. North Korea is completely militarised, mobilised. It is run by the logic of the military and a siege mentality.

Very ineffectively of course.

The extent the North Koreans have been "militarized" is frankly, ridiculous. Their highways are designed wide enough for bombers to land on.

But their actual forces are terribly antiquated and poorly led and run. Their navy is total ****, seemingly incapable of cleaning after themselves.

Kim-Jong Il is a flipping idiot he could be so powerful as he can basically dictate his peoples culture and ideas but he squanders that ability through i dont know, stupidity, paranoia? Either way thanks to IL a potentially powerful communist nation is instead one of the poorest and one of the best examples for the failure of communism

by the way alh_p what is that avatar called i got this one for a game but i really wanna switch now and yours looks awesome.

[Subotan]

Potential? North Korea was only powerful with Soviet subsidies.