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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: frankw1900 who wrote (16064)	1/11/2002 6:19:51 AM
From: Maurice Winn	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

I suppose North Korea and China maintain fairly close ties and economic relations, just as South Korea and the USA maintain close ties. I don't believe the 'nightmare in North Korea' propaganda. Sure, it's poverty compared with the South Korean life, but I don't believe the starving millions theories. I expect that their lifestyle has improved over the decades, albeit by a tiny amount compared with Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore. Probably not as much as China's but definitely some improvement. I know I would consider life there very bleak, but as in Soviet Russia, after freedom, many people wished for the good old days. Same here in Hobbitland - after deregulation and freedom of the late 1980s, people longed and still do for the good old days of the dead hand of socialism. We should remember that our beloved leaders like Bill Clinton are not above telling porkies when it suits them. So when they tell us how bleak things are in North Korea, I take it with a grain of salt. A friend I used to work with in London recounted his time serving in the armed forces in Cyprus decades ago. He said it was great in many ways. No need to think. No great stress. No great luxuries, but life was simple and comfortable enough. Get up when told. Do as told. Go to bed when told. Very orderly. Quite nice. Totally useless. That's life in a well-run socialist zone. I grew up in one. That's why I get quite snakey when people start promoting a bit of conscription and forced labour in the name of freedom. <With regard to Vietnam the US left without ever fighting a militarily effective war, although I believe they never lost a battle - much like the Soviets in Afghanistan.> Very similar, though I think the USSR effort was more like an invasion. Though the USA wasn't a heck of a lot different to the man in the street or the families being 'pacified'. Never lost a battle? Maybe not, but they both lost the war and a lot of their own lives and millions of the locals' lives. Mqurice