Muzman on 20/12/2011 at 15:56
If any of you haven't seen The Vice Guide to North Korea you simply must. Also track down the Vice Guide to Film episode on North Korea and Pulgusari, which has additional detail on their trip.
Utterly incredible.
Made me think the place is just going to collapse in on itself more than anything. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of a resistance or liberation movement, which is scary, but the place just can't go on.
Ulukai on 21/12/2011 at 20:26
Quote Posted by Muzman
If any of you haven't seen The Vice Guide to North Korea you simply must.
I just got done watching all 14 parts and wow... how does that place even function? A combination of fear and brainwashing obviously, but still incredible to witness.
demagogue on 21/12/2011 at 20:52
Quote Posted by Muzman
but the place just can't go on.
I was reading the Gulag Archipelago recently and thinking the same thing -- when a society becomes so ridiculously unhinged and mass imprisonment is the basic means of social control -- but these sorts of places just go on and on and on. If it's like GA, then the entire resistance movement (edit: or what would be it if they could act) is basically in the concentration camps by now, and that's where they want to be because they can at least talk to each other there, and outside it's just cynicism and despair for them.
Muzman on 21/12/2011 at 21:58
The Soviets were on a hiding to nothing as well, ultimately. But the place was so damn massive it could absorb that kind of "damage" for a while. And it did actually function, after a fashion; trading internationally, building stuff etc.
North Korea really seems like it's got nothing left. Even if they never give up the faith the bottom will fall out (if it hasn't already). Or so it seems to me anyway. What that means I really don't know. I suspect it'll be virtually unique for a modern nation state to go through this sort of thing. We expect uprisings and so on usually. Maybe China will just waltz on in (can't imagine it going well if S.K tried to do, well, anything.)
demagogue on 21/12/2011 at 22:28
The interesting thing I read about China is now that they're such a big fish on the world stage, stability in their own region is starting to trump ideology, and I think if NK really collapses, they might rather have it absorbed into SK and let them deal with it than have to deal with NK refugees flooding in and a collapsed state on their border. The only catch is they don't want a strong pro-western military presence right on their border, which is about the only thing NK really offers them AFAIK, a buffer to all the American troops in SK.
Azaran on 21/12/2011 at 23:19
The Vice documentary is really good. I saw another one from the BBC about life in Pyongyang: every house in the city has a wall mounted radio that spouts propaganda all day long, and you can lower the volume but it can't be turned off.
The most disturbing aspect of NK's system is how they treat people who try to leave the country; if you're caught trying to leave, or get deported back, not only will you be publicly executed, your entire family will get deported to a concentration camp regardless of their status or loyalty to the regime.
Kolya on 21/12/2011 at 23:28
Someone should sue them for stealing ideas from 1984.
Melan on 22/12/2011 at 08:14
Quote Posted by demagogue
The only catch is they don't want a strong pro-western military presence right on their border, which is about the only thing NK really offers them AFAIK, a buffer to all the American troops in SK.
Reunification, if it happens, provides the perfect pretext for an US pullout: Mission Accomplished, we are happy for the reunited Korea, best of luck to all you guys, freedom, bald eagles, etc.
system shocker on 1/1/2012 at 02:48
Quote Posted by Kolya
Mmh, I figured as much, after I found the original citation for "my body is ready"*.
I still don't get the meaning of this one. (And I can hear RBJ laughing and preparing another "you suck at English" line, so make it quick, if you will.)
*By the way you got off lightly with that one, because when I said "you're ready?" my original plan was to challenge you into singing a kristmas kanon with me. But in the last moment I figured you probably would be too cool for that, so I ended up with a Christmas story thread. :)
This video clip should clear up the meaning for you. Reggie Fils-Aime figured it was so important that he started over when he was interrupted so he could make sure everybody heard it.
(
http://youtu.be/2Gc5cuekQto)
Muzman on 2/1/2012 at 23:35
Vice Pictures seem to have put all their NK stuff on youtube now (which I only just noticed). So if they weren't there last time you looked, check them out.
There's (
http://youtu.be/r-2lDpzbaD4) The Vice Guide to Film : North Korea (part of series on filmmaking in really rough places. The Ep in Palestine is pretty awesome). Watch for the bit where Shane tries to get the names and titles correct of the Kim family after an evening of drunken karaoke. Extra points for featuring The Normal as well.
The new one is (
http://youtu.be/awQDLoOnkdI) North Korean Work Camps wherin the fellas head into Siberia looking for NK labour that run logging mills and so on. They seem to be different from the Gulag-esque things political dissidents get sent to at home. These camps are actual commodities or services sold by the NK government as cheap labour. Siberia is kinda the cold wild west, but with pine forests.
The playlist isn't in any sort of order yet, so you have to dig a bit.
