Quote:No. Think about extortion. "If you don't supply me with free fuel oil and free food, I'll develop an arsenal of WMD." "If you don't capitulate to my demands I will send 1 million refugees into South Korea and destabilize their economy." "If you don't withdraw all your forces from South Korea I will ..."
Thank you, this is a reasonable thing and a nice reply. Better than calling people you don't agree with fools.;)
Quote:What is it with you and despots? The only thing Kim is protecting is his daddy's legacy and his supply of cognac, caviar, and playboy lifestyle while the majority of North Koreans huddle shivering in famine and squalor. You might not like the US military, but from what I can tell it's what's keeping 50 million South Koreans free of Kim Jong Il's tyranny.
GDP/Capita --
United States - $41,800
Netherlands - $30,500
South Korea - $20,400
Cuba -- $3,500
North Korea - $1,700
What is it that you think Castro and Kim Jong Il are doing that is so wonderful for their people?
I'm not saying I like Kim, I'm saying I can understand his reasoning when he choses to get himself a nuke.
Those are two different things.
North Korea I know very little about. But you might also add the price of a bread, a house or medical service in your list.
And I like what Castro is doing. The reason communism failed is because it was existing next to capitalism, and when people see wealth, they want that as well. Just like e.g. the mexicans that come to the US. Once they are in the country theyt see there is a huge group of people even poorer then themselves....that is not what they saw on TV when they were backhome.
I am against dictatorships but for communist regimes it is in todays world the only thing to go with. The world would have been much better if the communist (or lets better say socialists) in the US were not eliminated by the rich industrials of the beginning of the 20th century (if im correct). (who will tell the people....i forgot the writer)
The main reason why I stand for socialism and not for extreme capitalism (like the capitalism we have nowadays) is that creating poverty is inherent to capitalism. Also environmental destruction and maltreating of animals. We will do something against global warming only when we can start making money from it......that sort of thing.
And in a world that (according to me) is going down the drains a person like castro for me is a small positive point, although I of course disagree with oppresion. That is why I react like I do sometimes here on the lounge. I'm no hardcore communist. I just hate the idea a lot of westerners have about 'having defeated communism'.....the results of a worldwide extremistic capitalism will be much and much worse than anything we saw during the communist year.
(sorry for the fuzzy writing, but I dont have internet at home, and am very busy at work....)