Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
Working-level nuclear talks in Sweden between officials from Pyongyang and Washington have broken off, North Korea's top negotiator has said, dashing prospects for an end to months of stalemate.
The talks, at an isolated conference centre on the outskirts of Stockholm, were the first such formal discussions since US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in June and agreed to restart negotiations that stalled after a failed summit in Vietnam in February.
The North's chief nuclear negotiator, Kim Myong Gil, who spent much of the day in talks with an American delegation, cast the blame on what he portrayed as US inflexibility, saying the other side's negotiators would not "give up their old viewpoint and attitude".
"The negotiations have not fulfilled our expectation and finally broke off," Kim told reporters outside the North Korean embassy, speaking through an interpreter.
The US State Department said Kim's comments did not reflect "the content or spirit" of nearly nine hours of talks, and Washington had accepted Sweden's invitation to return for more discussions with Pyongyang in two weeks.
"The US brought creative ideas and had good discussions with its DPRK counterparts," spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. North Korea is also known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
She said the US delegation had previewed a number of new initiatives that would pave the way for progress in the talks, and underscored the importance of more intensive engagement.
[...] On Saturday, negotiator Kim accused the US of having no intention of solving difficulties through dialogue, but said a complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula was still possible.
It would only happen "when all the obstacles that threaten our safety and check our development are removed completely without a shadow of doubt," he said, in an apparent reference to North Korea's desire for Washington to ease economic pressure.
On Sunday, China's President Xi Jinping and the North's leader exchanged messages to reaffirm the neighbours' relationship on the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. China is the North's only major ally.
(Score: 2, Troll) by VLM on Monday October 07 2019, @02:02PM (73 children)
Amazing how diplomacy can compress from endless hours to something really simple.
This is not their first rodeo, this happens every time the harvest was poor and they want a nicer aid package.
In Korean, something along the lines of "We will put down the test tube of glowing stuff if you give us umpty bazillion tons of free rice K thx bai talk to ya after the next shitty harvest" and expand that into endless hours of "diplomacy" not to mention this will all be spun by the propaganda services as the usual, tired, NPC "Orange Man Bad" narrative.
Someday the world's not gonna afford free rice and the NK are gonna push the button... but for many decades now, we have given into terrorist demands and they get free rice out of this stuff... More likely someday the rice market will be juiced up enough that its cheaper to "pursue regime change" in NK than to pay the bribe ... When the rice market goes nuts, that'll be the year "Korean War II" kicks off.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday October 07 2019, @02:19PM (61 children)
Somehow, I suspect rice will never get so expensive that it will prompt war with NK. But, yeah, it's a helluva good deal for NK as things stand right now. The outside world feeds their people, so he can put the people to work at other tasks - whatever those other tasks may be. Soldiering, I guess. And weapons research, propaganda, and other more or less useless stuff. And, mining, of course. Let's not forget the very important task of polishing buttons and door knobs and limousines for the fearless leader.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @03:15PM (2 children)
Former payoffs...
Clinton’s administration successfully established a deal known as the Joint Framework Agreement which offered $4 billion worth of nuclear, energy, economic and diplomatic benefits in exchange for the halting of North Korea’s nuclear program in 1994.
Bush sent $400 million worth of fuel, food and other aid in exchange for North Korea shutting down its main nuclear reactor.
Obama did nothing.
Trumps standing his ground and won't bribe NK.
NK is like the NY mobsters saying "pay me or else"
(Score: 3, Informative) by fustakrakich on Monday October 07 2019, @05:29PM
Well yeah, that's because he's protected by NY mobsters. If they ever had a golden goose, he is it! He's not "standing his ground". He's following orders.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 4, Interesting) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Monday October 07 2019, @10:21PM
And in the meantime, under Trump's administration, North Korea continues to build their nuclear weapons program.
It's much more simple than that: All world leaders know at this point that if they kiss Trump's ass well enough with enough flowery language about how great Trump is that they can get what they want out of him. Trump, after all, is in Love with Kim Jong Un [thehill.com], isn't he? But don't believe me: This is what Trump had to say five days ago [twitter.com] about his great friend. In North Korea's case, all they want is simply time to complete the development of their nuclear program, something Trump has allowed to progress for the last three years.
Trump is giving NK exactly what they want at this point by, "standing his ground," as you put it.
This sig for rent.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @03:27PM (54 children)
Your sig sure show your idiocy. You'd rather focus on some random crazy lady in irder to smesr AOC rather than ever talk about the insanely amor and frequently criminal conduct of Trump. Still hoping that the things you're seeing and hearing are not what is really happening?? Lawl :|
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @04:19PM (1 child)
AOC and the rest of the batshit insane liberals are far greater dangers to America than the chuckling baboon in the White House.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 09 2019, @10:58AM
Trump's mouth will get us into a shooting war far more quickly and his power to use Executive Orders to do batshit crazy things has the greater potential to do damage than AOC.
(Score: 0, Troll) by soylentnewsinator on Monday October 07 2019, @04:22PM (30 children)
Criminal conduct? He's been cleared by more investigators than any past president. But instead, you've lost you're mind because Orange Man Bad. The focus on that woman shows that the rats are now focused on producing panic like they have in that woman. Keep in mind, we're dead in 5 years according to AOC.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @04:26PM (9 children)
Oh right the "total exoneration" report that flatly stated "this does not exonerate" along with all the public admissions of obstruction of justice, emoluments violations, and treason by saying the whistleblowers should be executed.
It is amazing how easily you gullible fools are suckered.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @04:30PM
You think Hellary would be any better? We'd be in WWIII if it was in office while her hubby was getting a roofie.
(Score: 0, Troll) by soylentnewsinator on Monday October 07 2019, @05:43PM (7 children)
If you're investigated by the police, are you exonerated? Obstruction? I thought the investigation completed. If they could have nailed him on obstruction, they would have.
You're lumping a bunch of unrelated items together and claiming: "See! Orange man violated the law!" The last point of whistle blowers. Go ahead and find me the context. We both know you wont.
It's amazing how easily you were suckered. Sad to see how much your 'Orange-man-bad' programming kicked in.
(Score: 5, Informative) by DeathMonkey on Monday October 07 2019, @05:52PM (6 children)
Mueller declares his Russia report did not exonerate Trump [apnews.com]
“If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so,” - Robert Mueller
You know damn well they couldn't indict due to DOJ policy. Stop pretending.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Arik on Monday October 07 2019, @06:52PM (5 children)
No investigation ever exonerates someone fully. He was tasked with finding something legally actionable, he spent years investigating every lead he could find, he came up with nothing. That's as close to an exoneration as is possible in the situation.
Even after a full trial, not an investigation but a full jury trial, you don't get declared 'innocent.' That would be an exoneration, but courts (let alone investigators) are not competent to do so. The closest you'll get is 'not guilty.'
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @07:11PM (3 children)
Mueller is a Republican you dunce, at this point I think you're too partisan to comprehend your own blindness.
This place has become a joke, a circle jerk to reaffirm your emotional attachment to the propaganda agenda. A good section of the user base does try and uphold reality, but we are overwhelmed by the sock puppets and overly-active propagandists. Or "useful idiots" if you're not being paid to support this new push for fascism.
Trump is using his powers as President to attack his political opponents, y'know like that thing Nixon resigned over and had to get pardoned for? It is that simple! Right under your noses.
(Score: 2, Redundant) by Arik on Monday October 07 2019, @07:25PM (2 children)
Republicrat, Demonican. He's just a servant of power, like most in the capital.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @07:45PM (1 child)
Lawl, I remember you conservatives flipping your shit over the smallest things Obama did.
"To the fascist the enemy is at once strong and weak depending on the propaganda message being used."
You are all over the place contradicting yourselves about rule of law and deep state nonsense. You're so focused on "winning" you've become blind to very very veerrrry obvious reality. No MSM or "ministry of truth" nonsense required, Trump's own twitter feed and interviews are all you need. Well, assuming you are capable of critical thinking instead of being emotionally compromised to support "your guy" come hell and high water.
(Score: 1) by Arik on Tuesday October 08 2019, @04:03AM
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @07:57PM
Actually, he came up against long-standing DoJ policy that he couldn't indict a sitting President. Next time, pay attention and get the facts before you put fingers to keyboard.
(Score: 4, Informative) by fustakrakich on Monday October 07 2019, @05:31PM (18 children)
Criminal conduct?
Um, yeah, obstruction of justice is criminal conduct, so they say! And he is definitely guilty of obstruction of justice.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: -1, Troll) by soylentnewsinator on Monday October 07 2019, @05:38PM (17 children)
I thought the investigation concluded. But don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of how the investigation started and those who violated the laws to manufacture a way to spy on Trump will be tried and convicted.
(Score: 2, Informative) by fustakrakich on Monday October 07 2019, @05:43PM (14 children)
He is still obstructing justice as we speak. He won't hand over his tax forms and other papers that are being subpoenaed.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: -1, Troll) by soylentnewsinator on Monday October 07 2019, @05:49PM (7 children)
Back to the tax returns? You must be desperate to remove him.
Is he legally required to hand them over? I think you'll find out the answer is: no.
(Score: 3, Informative) by DeathMonkey on Monday October 07 2019, @05:56PM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @06:05PM
IRS Code section 6103(f). Look it up, sunshine.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Monday October 07 2019, @06:14PM (4 children)
Is he legally required to hand them over?
Yes, we are entitled.. We have a right to make sure our politicians are squeaky clean. And yes, we should remove a president that is committing crimes. I don't care who it is.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @07:15PM
Thank you for being clear on this topic.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @10:10PM (2 children)
And where were you when there were actual crimes such as fast and furious gun running? The paperwork was falsified when buying from gun stores. Hence, a crime. Oh, right, you care about integrity when it benefits your team.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Tuesday October 08 2019, @12:35AM (1 child)
I live in the present. Time for you to catch up!
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday October 08 2019, @06:08AM
Or so you would think.
Kind regards,
Glen Runciter
CEO - Runciter Associates [wikipedia.org]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 3, Informative) by DeathMonkey on Monday October 07 2019, @05:49PM (5 children)
Nixon's third article of impeachment:
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @07:40PM (4 children)
I want Nixon back instead of this "stable genus"
(Score: 3, Insightful) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday October 08 2019, @01:08AM (3 children)
Nobody really wants Nixon back, but it's a weird world we live in when Nixon of all people is better than the guy in power, isn't it?
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Tuesday October 08 2019, @02:37AM (2 children)
You're right, I guess it's time to update my sig.
The crusade was successful.
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday October 08 2019, @02:43AM (1 child)
Well done. What was Reagan then? A failed attempt to make Nixon look respectable?
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Tuesday October 08 2019, @06:03AM
Practice run...(;
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday October 08 2019, @12:53AM (1 child)
Will that be after the Civil War you fools are going to start?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 08 2019, @06:13AM
Even a part-time zombie would starve with the.amount of brain matter the USians demonstrate.
More like an overgrown ganglion than a brain.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @05:36PM
Adjust your medication snowflake.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @04:23PM (4 children)
Yeah, those Trump folks [mediaite.com] have some strange ideas.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/10/04/larouche-pac-claims-credit-for-eat-the-babies-prank-that-fooled-ocasio-cortez/ [breitbart.com]
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tasneemnashrulla/eat-babies-aoc-town-hall-pro-trump-troll-larouche [buzzfeednews.com]
https://www.alternet.org/2019/10/trump-supporter-who-ranted-about-eating-babies-at-aoc-event-is-member-of-a-lyndon-larouche-fringe-group/ [alternet.org]
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/ocasio-cortez-claims-the-woman-who-suggested-eating-babies-to-solve-climate-change-was-a-trump-supporter [washingtonexaminer.com]
https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20191004/pro-trump-group-says-it-staged-eat-babies-outburst-at-ocasio-cortez-event [providencejournal.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @04:28PM (3 children)
Whatabout!!! Whatabout???? WHAT ABOUT!!
Oh, and nice links to at least two outright propaganda sites (fake news for you monosyllabic english users)
Such desperation, it reeks
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @04:31PM (1 child)
There's nothing desperate about the truth.
Unless you're trying to obfuscate it, that is.
You're adorable. Are you available for parties?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @06:59PM
Ah, we've reached the gaslighting portion of your propaganda. Adorable is nowhere to be seen here, you are an agent of evil whether you know it or not. Shill, bot, idiot, doesn't much matter. You are trying to destroy my country and are a terrible person, but you know that or you wouldn't be pushing bullshit like an angry turd that wants to burn it all down.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday October 08 2019, @06:17AM
Take it straight from da horse's mouth [twitter.com]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @05:13PM (15 children)
If any of his conduct were criminal, you'd be able to provide specifics because we'd be hearing about it pretty constantly. Simply asserting it over and over again doesn't make it so.
(Score: 5, Informative) by DeathMonkey on Monday October 07 2019, @05:29PM (14 children)
Soliciting a thiing of value in relation to an election, from a foreign national/government, IS A CRIME [fec.gov]
Ukraine asks for their military aid and Trump says "I would like you to do us a favor though" then asks them to dig up dirt on a political foe. [vox.com]
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Monday October 07 2019, @05:33PM
Just go for the obstruction. You already have him for that. What's the problem?
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 2) by Arik on Monday October 07 2019, @06:46PM (11 children)
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @06:57PM (5 children)
You need to pull your head out of your ass and see the obvious facts sitting in front of your face. Instead you are listening to Fox news and other such notoriously unrtruthful sources blatantly pushing propaganda to US citizens.
Their tactics are straight out of fascist strategy books and you're being used as a useful fool. The vast majority of the US sees what is happening because it has become glaringly obvious, while most conservatives are working themselves up to LITERAL civil war.
I just can't fathom this level of insanity where people ignore all the very obvious facts in place of a verified fraudster's promises. It just boggles. His crimes have been public which seems to have been a truly brilliant move that bypassed conservstive's critical thinking process.
You are cheering on the collapse of the US and apparently have no clue that is what you are doing. Or, even worse, you DO know but you care more about your team "winning" i stead of the ideals of freedom and democracy.
This is reality eadily understood once you don't assume Fox etc. are telling you the truth. Hell, Chris Wallace is getting fed up and Shep Smith has been turned on for bothering to have an ounce of journalistic integrity. Fucking insanity.
(Score: 1) by Arik on Monday October 07 2019, @07:17PM (4 children)
I'm not a TV News guy, I can't remember the last time I watched Faux. I don't even own a TV, I have no use for one. I read. I read AP, I read Reuters, I read dozens of regional and local papers, I read academic papers, I read narratives from activists and partisans on all sides.
What you see on TV, regardless of channel, is 99% nonsense. I don't rely on any of it.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @09:03PM (1 child)
Then your position makes no sense unless you're a shill or an idiot. Do you not believe the President is capable of obstructing justice? Do you really think the Mueller report expnerated Trump? Do you think it is ok to threaten the death penalty for treason to a whistleblower trying to alert THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT about wrong doing? You know, the not-possibly-treason sort of thing? Do you think we should jail Schiff because Trump doesn't like being investigated?
(Score: 1) by Arik on Tuesday October 08 2019, @04:13AM
Quit looking in the mirror, I'm over here.
"Do you not believe the President is capable of obstructing justice?"
Of course he is. Now show me some evidence he's actually done so?
Oh, that's right, you can't. You'll just wave your hands and scream some more.
"Do you really think the Mueller report expnerated Trump?"
Again, an investigation of this nature never exonerates anyone. It only finds, or fails to find, cause to charge someone. It found no such cause. That's not an exoneration - but an exoneration is not a possibility in such a situation. It's illogical to demand milk from a hen.
The rest of this pap is even worse. You're just circle-jerking yourself with nonsense.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @09:43PM (1 child)
So you rely on breitbart then?
Also regarding abuse of office, Trump claimed he was spied upon and made a big stink about the kind of things he is doing right now. Gee, I wonder why we never hesrd about those "illegal wiretaps" he complained about, I mean as prez he should have been able to find out if they occurred right? Couldn't be that he is a total liar who makes up stories to suit whatever his cirrent need is. No, definitely not that :/
(Score: 2) by Arik on Tuesday October 08 2019, @04:15AM
Nope. Been months since I even followed a link there.
What is this obsession with identifying what media I follow rather than engaging with what I'm actually saying, huh?
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 4, Informative) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Monday October 07 2019, @10:13PM (3 children)
And the actual evidence [cnn.com], as released directly in the Administration's call memo, is that Trump did in fact ask a foreign leader for dirt on his chief political rival and the other political party in a manner that he has neither done against other supposed corrupt individuals nor in a way that would be expected of the chief executive of a country. He provably used the power of his office for political manipulation to keep himself in power and nothing more than that. That should be more than sufficient to be considered a High Crime Or Misdemeanor in the eyes of Congress, no quid pro quo necessary.
Then you add in the bonus level that he had pulled desperately needed aid from the Ukraine because of reasons that keep shifting from Trump's own mouth, which certainly does raise the call stakes to an implicit quid-pro-quo. You can add in that he either decided to use his personal lawyer who was neither confirmed by Congress nor an employee of the government, not just the Attorney General, to pursue State business, or that he used his Attorney General to assist his personal lawyer in what should have been a private political matter. Either way, or both together, is wrong.
We see text messaging from people in the State department raising the same kinds of questions about aid to Ukraine and the tenor of Ukraine-U.S. relations being related to this matter of political dirt-digging.
Then we see recent allegations by persons as reported in the A.P. that pro-Trump businesspeople were also operating in the energy sector in Ukraine, although that does have more flavor of run-in-the-mill corruption.
Anyway, there is plenty of actual evidence which makes a pretty strong case that Trump was acting in political, and not national, interests in the Ukraine matter.
This sig for rent.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @11:06PM
Found this perfect explanation for the average conservative:
"By using religion and patriotism they've successfully avoided requiring any substance or moral character whatsoever."
(Score: 2) by Arik on Tuesday October 08 2019, @04:18AM (1 child)
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2, Touché) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Tuesday October 08 2019, @08:52AM
It does indeed support my rhetoric and then some. Apparently unlike you, I have read it quite carefully.
This sig for rent.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 08 2019, @01:59PM
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trumps-ukraine-call-transcript-read-the-document [foxnews.com]
Is this suitable, it is from your preferred news source I presume.
The document is only 5 pages long, you should be able to read it. It quite clearly transitions from Pres Z talking about the Aid package to Trump saying "I would like you to do a favor..."
This is Fox, presenting the document released by Trump, if that isn't 'unbiased' enough for even the most strident Trumpian, I don't know what is.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @10:07PM
He never solicited and I read the transcripts. Nothing exciting. However someone did solicit for the piss dossier. Would you hold them to the Sam standard? No, because you’re a partisan hack.
(Score: 5, Informative) by DeathMonkey on Monday October 07 2019, @05:23PM (2 children)
Nope, "eat the babies" whackjob was a Trump supporter. [buzzfeednews.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @09:56PM (1 child)
in my opinion, it was some comedian pretending to be a trump supporter
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Tuesday October 08 2019, @02:45AM
Of course it is. Just like every time The Creamsicle Charlatan opens his mouth and publicly admits to or commits a crime, it was "just a joke."
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by soylentnewsinator on Monday October 07 2019, @04:25PM
It also doesn't help that Bolton likely set the tone when he said that the US should model it after the Libyan model. Hey, what happened in Libya after they disarmed? Oh, that's right. "We came. We saw. He died. AHAHAHA!"
(Score: 5, Insightful) by DeathMonkey on Monday October 07 2019, @05:21PM (5 children)
Maybe if the Orange Man hadn't traded away all our leverage in return for a photo op and then declare "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" then we wouldn't mention him in this context.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @05:51PM
Benedict Donald is planning to betray the Kurds. Getting kinda crowded under that bus.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Arik on Monday October 07 2019, @06:44PM (3 children)
The idea that there is something wrong with talking with your enemies is one of the more deeply pernicious bits of deception from the mainstream media. It's not wrong, it's exactly right, in fact. That's exactly what our President *should* be doing.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Monday October 07 2019, @06:53PM (2 children)
If we still had something they wanted they would not have ended talks.
There's a difference between talking and lending legitimacy to an illegitimate government by appearing with them on TV.
(Score: 2) by Arik on Monday October 07 2019, @07:01PM (1 child)
I guess that's the crux of the falsehood here.
It's a very dangerous falsehood as well. You can see the results of it on the domestic scene as well. 'De-platforming' and bashing people that don't agree with you - because actually *talking* with them instead would 'lend legitimacy.'
No, no, no. You want to talk about dangerously wrong ideas? This is the most dangerously wrong idea we have. This is a recipe for nothing but ever increasing division and violence, both inside and outside of the country.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @07:21PM
And Trump is the King of de-platforming. Absolutely amazing how easily you are emotionally manipulated.
Fear Uncertainty Doubt
That is the feed trough they have you chained to. But freeing your mind is as simple as taking the red pill and being open to the possibility that the people you hate might actually be the honest ones. There is a reason Trump instructed his base to not believe their eyes and ears, and that all news orgs (cept fox for some strange reason) are FAKE NEWS!
Fascism 101 and y'all be falling for it.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Arik on Monday October 07 2019, @06:41PM (3 children)
The US and SK have been performing 'war games' more years than not over these decades. These start just before harvest time, and amount to a full scale air, land, and sea invasion carrying live nukes that, so far, always pulls back at the last minute, doesn't actually cross the border.
From the NorK side, there's been no assurance at any point that any of these 'war games' wouldn't turn into a real invasion. So each time, they man their defenses, and the harvest gets neglected.
They don't particularly want free rice, though emergency shipments to prevent famine are accepted. What they want is security. They're asking for a peace treaty, for no more maybe-mock-maybe-not invasions, for no more nuclear bombers flying right up to their borders before turning around. They currently spend a tremendous amount of their GDP on defense, far more than they can reasonably afford. But the choice seems more reasonable if you grasp their position, as a very small very poor half of a nation, under constant threat of attack from the worlds superpower for all these decades now. And the story really goes back much further than that. From the NorK point of view they've been continuously in this state of war against a much more powerful foreign superpower since the Japanese invasion in 1910.
Their economy is awful and Kim clearly wants to see it opened up and improved. But even he is a prisoner of the situation to a great degree. If he tried to open up the country to improve the economy without getting these security guarantees first he would not stay in power. And a fall from power in a place like NorK means almost certain death.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 07 2019, @08:04PM (2 children)
so 15 million people wait on the border to repel the evil Amurika? You want us to believe that the entire army is in the fields collecting rice?? Please! DPRK's food issues have nothing to do with "neglected fields". It has everything to do with them neglecting (with shit poor planning) their environment resulting in floods, droughts and destroyed top soil.
Not sure if you are just repeating DPRK's propaganda ..... but you do realize that this is idea that DPRKs dictators have rallied around to maintain complete control? Maybe, just maybe, you will then understand that them spending as much money on the military makes 100% perfect sense and is very sustainable.
(Score: 2) by Arik on Tuesday October 08 2019, @06:15AM (1 child)
Of course I do! Do you realize why it *works*? Do you realize why these people find it credible?
"Maybe, just maybe, you will then understand that them spending as much money on the military makes 100% perfect sense and is very sustainable"
It really isn't. It's resulted in a very poor country becoming progressively poorer, as they spend all their money on weapons while others invest in productive things and grow progressively richer. This is not sustainable, it's never been sustainable. This is the reason the Soviet Union fell, and unlike you Kim has proven smart enough to grasp that fact.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 08 2019, @02:04PM
I'm pretty sure this is the goal here, is to win this war without firing a shot.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday October 08 2019, @01:16AM
I can't believe there are people smart enough to be able to browse the Internet who are dumb enough to continue to defend Donald Trump, and yet this thread is full of them.
It's almost like this reality is too much to handle, so they reject it and substitute their own.