Comments on: Welcome to shiny, shiny North Korea http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/ Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:11:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 By: blueron http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-1152 blueron Thu, 06 Jul 2006 23:18:24 +0000 http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-1152 Blueron here. Thanks for the kind words. But as I still don't know what a Neocrat is, I can't figure out if perhaps I am one without knowing it. Just so long as it's not related to being a Neocon...... Blueron here. Thanks for the kind words. But as I still don’t know what a Neocrat is, I can’t figure out if perhaps I am one without knowing it.

Just so long as it’s not related to being a Neocon……

]]> By: Saleem http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-1153 Saleem Thu, 06 Jul 2006 23:53:25 +0000 http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-1153 No, it's definitely not the same as being neoconned. We haven't yet figured out what exactly a neocrat is; but let's start by saying it isn't all the things we've seen, thus far. No, it’s definitely not the same as being neoconned. We haven’t yet figured out what exactly a neocrat is; but let’s start by saying it isn’t all the things we’ve seen, thus far.

]]> By: blueron http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-1157 blueron Fri, 07 Jul 2006 11:20:52 +0000 http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-1157 Saleem said: "We haven’t yet figured out what exactly a neocrat is; but let’s start by saying it isn’t all the things we’ve seen, thus far." Phew. I'm glad you sorted that out for me. ;-) Saleem said: “We haven’t yet figured out what exactly a neocrat is; but let’s start by saying it isn’t all the things we’ve seen, thus far.”

Phew. I’m glad you sorted that out for me. ;-)

]]> By: Sanisha http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-1158 Sanisha Fri, 07 Jul 2006 11:38:21 +0000 http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-1158 blueron, if you are still here neocratting , the part about fake shoppers is facinating...why would they do that ? and the last line about work units, is that your terminology ? if so, that is very neocratic. I want to say> nice work, very interesting. blueron, if you are still here neocratting , the part about fake shoppers is facinating…why would they do that ?

and the last line about work units, is that your terminology ? if so, that is very neocratic.
I want to say> nice work, very interesting.

]]> By: Saleem http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-1159 Saleem Fri, 07 Jul 2006 11:47:13 +0000 http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-1159 Work units sounds like commmunist terminology, and we're definitely not communists. We're not a political force. San, also, regarding the fake shoppers, I can take a guess: they wanted N Korea to appear a prosperous, normal country, where people buy things and shoot films and so on. It was to give the westerners the impression that it was a successful, functional state; not a deeply failed one. It's unbelievable, though, that they should think the shtick was convincing. Work units sounds like commmunist terminology, and we’re definitely not communists. We’re not a political force.

San, also, regarding the fake shoppers, I can take a guess: they wanted N Korea to appear a prosperous, normal country, where people buy things and shoot films and so on. It was to give the westerners the impression that it was a successful, functional state; not a deeply failed one.

It’s unbelievable, though, that they should think the shtick was convincing.

]]> By: blueron http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-1160 blueron Fri, 07 Jul 2006 13:21:34 +0000 http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-1160 Saleem is correct on both counts. Work unit, or danwei, is a term applied to Communist China, being a local level administrative unit; I confess I don't know if the system is at all replicated in North Korea, but I'd be surprised if the regime didn't have some small control units down to village level. The fakery in the department store and elsewhere is to maintain the pretence for visitors that things are just rosey in the Workers Paradise. It of course begs the question what is going on in the heads of the citizen actors playing their roles in the stores and elsewhere. I can only guess that they are quite privileged citizens who gain some advantage from performing the tasks. In North Korea, just being allowed to live in the capital is seen as a great privilege. These are actually quite innocent masquerades. The darker stuff goes on in work camps in the hinterland, far away from prying foreign eyes. Anyone seriously interested should look up a disturbing book by a North Korean veteran of the regime's gulag system, Kang Chol-hwan, who now lives in South Korea. It is called 'The Aquariums of Pyongyang'. Here is a link to the book on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1843544997/026-5915870-4418809?v=glance&n=266239 Saleem is correct on both counts. Work unit, or danwei, is a term applied to Communist China, being a local level administrative unit; I confess I don’t know if the system is at all replicated in North Korea, but I’d be surprised if the regime didn’t have some small control units down to village level.

The fakery in the department store and elsewhere is to maintain the pretence for visitors that things are just rosey in the Workers Paradise. It of course begs the question what is going on in the heads of the citizen actors playing their roles in the stores and elsewhere. I can only guess that they are quite privileged citizens who gain some advantage from performing the tasks. In North Korea, just being allowed to live in the capital is seen as a great privilege.

These are actually quite innocent masquerades. The darker stuff goes on in work camps in the hinterland, far away from prying foreign eyes. Anyone seriously interested should look up a disturbing book by a North Korean veteran of the regime’s gulag system, Kang Chol-hwan, who now lives in South Korea. It is called ‘The Aquariums of Pyongyang’. Here is a link to the book on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1843544997/026-5915870-4418809?v=glance&n=266239

]]> By: cooper http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-1167 cooper Sat, 08 Jul 2006 08:45:12 +0000 http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-1167 Blueron omited to mention the 'motorway' system which seems to only link the places visitors are ferried to. When exiting the road from an elevated section I looked back to see that the road simply ended in mid air. Blueron omited to mention the ‘motorway’ system which seems to only link the places visitors are ferried to. When exiting the road from an elevated section I looked back to see that the road simply ended in mid air.

]]> By: Sanisha http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-1168 Sanisha Sat, 08 Jul 2006 11:32:22 +0000 http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-1168 another strange factoid I read in The Star yesterday is that North Korea is getting its enriched uranium from the Democratic Republic of Congo...which is worrying Japanese officials as this is the same mine which provided the uranium used in the Hiroshima bomb.To add to the mix > there is now thepresence of Zimbabwaen army which is assisting the DRC in their 'clandestine' exports. but yes, as Saleem rightfully says...Neocrats are not a political force, but we should make every effort to know about the weird world we live in...i still can't get over the fake shoppers ...and the lengths they would go to to show tourists they are well off...how bizarre !! another strange factoid I read in The Star yesterday is that North Korea is getting its enriched uranium from the Democratic Republic of Congo…which is worrying Japanese officials as this is the same mine which provided the uranium used in the Hiroshima bomb.To add to the mix > there is now thepresence of Zimbabwaen army which is assisting the DRC in their ‘clandestine’ exports.

but yes, as Saleem rightfully says…Neocrats are not a political force, but we should make every effort to know about the weird world we live in…i still can’t get over the fake shoppers …and the lengths they would go to to show tourists they are well off…how bizarre !!

]]> By: Saleem http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-1171 Saleem Mon, 10 Jul 2006 00:16:22 +0000 http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-1171 Er, the Star? Which Star? Whose Star? Er, the Star? Which Star? Whose Star?

]]> By: Sanisha http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-1173 Sanisha Mon, 10 Jul 2006 06:14:50 +0000 http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-1173 http://thestar.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=2522&fSearch=1&fQuery=north+korea http://thestar.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=2522&fSearch=1&fQuery=north+korea

]]> By: neurontin http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-20807 neurontin Sun, 25 Mar 2007 02:54:02 +0000 http://www.neocrats.com/2006/07/06/welcome-to-shiny-shiny-north-korea/#comment-20807 <strong>neurontin...</strong> news... neurontin…

news…

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