(September 3, 2017 at 8:16 am)Brian37 Wrote:

(September 3, 2017 at 8:00 am)chimp3 Wrote: NK is claiming this was a hydrogen bomb. Where are they getting the money for this shit?

Just because the majority of their population is poor does not mean the Kim family is poor. This is what most don't get, there is not one nation, friend or foe alike that have powers that invest in the global market. Kim family has global investments and just because the west sanctions them does not mean all their allies do. It is also a myth that Hitler's Germany or Stalin's Russia were anti market. Every nation takes in money and exports, to greater or lesser degrees.

I tend to agree with this. The money has to come from somewhere. If they can't get it from the people themselves, there are investments outside of the country that more than likely, are happening. I think we'd all be foolish to think otherwise.

(September 3, 2017 at 8:16 am)Brian37 Wrote:

(September 3, 2017 at 8:00 am)chimp3 Wrote: NK is claiming this was a hydrogen bomb. Where are they getting the money for this shit?

Just because the majority of their population is poor does not mean the Kim family is poor. This is what most don't get, there is not one nation, friend or foe alike that have powers that invest in the global market. Kim family has global investments and just because the west sanctions them does not mean all their allies do. It is also a myth that Hitler's Germany or Stalin's Russia were anti market. Every nation takes in money and exports, to greater or lesser degrees.

I don't think Kim Jong Un is paying for this out of his own pocket.

(September 3, 2017 at 8:38 am)chimp3 Wrote:

(September 3, 2017 at 8:16 am)Brian37 Wrote: Just because the majority of their population is poor does not mean the Kim family is poor. This is what most don't get, there is not one nation, friend or foe alike that have powers that invest in the global market. Kim family has global investments and just because the west sanctions them does not mean all their allies do. It is also a myth that Hitler's Germany or Stalin's Russia were anti market. Every nation takes in money and exports, to greater or lesser degrees.

I don't think Kim Jong Un is paying for this out of his own pocket.

His country is his fief. His pocket is the entire treasury of the state. He is not just looting from the state, he is the state.

(September 3, 2017 at 8:27 am)A Theist Wrote:

(September 3, 2017 at 8:00 am)chimp3 Wrote: NK is claiming this was a hydrogen bomb. Where are they getting the money for this shit?

The people are starving to death there so it would seem that most of the aid they get from China and elsewhere is probably going to their military and nuke program.

Don't look now , but for once we agree. 

North Korea's capital isn't grim looking at all, but it is where the party loyalist live. 

The private sector exists even in North Korea, it is just that it is crony capitalism where the profits go to support the party and Kim Family. 




 
When you get to the middle age couple sitting at the table smiling, at the mark 32 second mark into the video look closely at the table, A CELL PHONE.

Trade with Russia, China, and South Korea is more likely the source. It's an economic version of shitting in your own nest.

(September 3, 2017 at 8:36 am)Nymphadora Wrote:

(September 3, 2017 at 8:16 am)Brian37 Wrote: Just because the majority of their population is poor does not mean the Kim family is poor. This is what most don't get, there is not one nation, friend or foe alike that have powers that invest in the global market. Kim family has global investments and just because the west sanctions them does not mean all their allies do. It is also a myth that Hitler's Germany or Stalin's Russia were anti market. Every nation takes in money and exports, to greater or lesser degrees.

I tend to agree with this. The money has to come from somewhere. It they can't get it from the people themselves, there are investments outside of the country that more than likely, are happening. I think we'd all be foolish to think otherwise.

Of course he can get it from the people.   North Korea is not a giant peasant village.  It is still a full fledged nation state with its own research institutions, universities, factories, mineral resources,  transportation infrastructure, where the impoverished people work and able to produce things and occasionally invent new things.  Kim just need to make sure enough of that infrastructure is commanded to make things and invent things that goes into the bomb.

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(September 3, 2017 at 8:41 am)Brian37 Wrote:

(September 3, 2017 at 8:27 am)A Theist Wrote: The people are starving to death there so it would seem that most of the aid they get from China and elsewhere is probably going to their military and nuke program.

Don't look now , but for once we agree. 

North Korea's capital isn't grim looking at all, but it is where the party loyalist live. 

The private sector exists even in North Korea, it is just that it is crony capitalism where the profits go to support the party and Kim Family. 





When you get to the middle age couple sitting at the table smiling, at the 2:35 mark look closely at the table, A CELL PHONE.

Well, the bad news is North Korean economy is currently not on the verge of starvation, at least not in 2017.  South Korea also estimated North Korean economy grew at the fastest pace in 17 years during 2017.   So it's ability to weather sanctions in the short term is probably as strong as it's been in a long time.

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(September 3, 2017 at 1:14 am)vorlon13 Wrote: And it is assumed to be as a result of their largest nuclear test to date.

USGS seems to concur with South Korean assessment the quake was a result of an explosion.

On most news networks now.

Seismic events resulting from nuclear tests is hard to mistake for any other types of seismic events.  Nothing else happens on the time scale of micro-seconds, not even conventional explosives designed to mimic nuclear tests.

To all the gung ho Dirty Harry assholes, watch this documentary, but this doesn't just apply to NK. We have this horrible tendency to assume because we don't like their governments that means everyone living under them like them, which is fucking stupid. Atlass is one of our resident Muslims here, and he hates the state of theocracies in the Middle East, now pay close attention, to this documentary. Just like Atlass lives in fear of discovery not all North Koreans like their government and when you suggest war these are the innocent people that could die if you do that. 

And look at the video, we are not talking about merely killing adult soldiers but civilians and KIDS. 

Carrots and sticks, is an apt way to describe North Korea, but also the authoritarian God of Abraham. Obey and he treats you well, try to dissent you get your ass kicked. 

North Korea is not capitalism free, it is political hording of capital. Here is another documentary of how North Korea uses capitalism to fuel it's totalitarian state. AND NO, I AM NOT ANTI PRIVATE SECTOR, just anti monopoly.

(September 3, 2017 at 8:46 am)Anomalocaris Wrote:

(September 3, 2017 at 8:36 am)Nymphadora Wrote: I tend to agree with this. The money has to come from somewhere. It they can't get it from the people themselves, there are investments outside of the country that more than likely, are happening. I think we'd all be foolish to think otherwise.

Of course he can get it from the people.   North Korea is not a giant peasant village.  It is still a full fledged nation state with its own research institutions, universities, factories, mineral resources,  transportation infrastructure, where the impoverished people work and able to produce things and occasionally invent new things.  Kim just need to make sure enough of that infrastructure is commanded to make things and invent things that goes into the bomb.

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(September 3, 2017 at 8:41 am)Brian37 Wrote: Don't look now , but for once we agree. 

North Korea's capital isn't grim looking at all, but it is where the party loyalist live. 

The private sector exists even in North Korea, it is just that it is crony capitalism where the profits go to support the party and Kim Family. 





When you get to the middle age couple sitting at the table smiling, at the 2:35 mark look closely at the table, A CELL PHONE.

Well, the bad news is North Korean economy is currently not on the verge of starvation, at least not in 2017.  South Korea also estimated North Korean economy grew at the fastest pace in 17 years during 2017.   So it's ability to weather sanctions in the short term is probably as strong as it's been in a long time.

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It would seem then that despite the growth of North Korea's economy it doesn't look to be benefitting anybody there besides Kim, Pyongyang, its military, and its nuke program.

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(September 3, 2017 at 8:41 am)Brian37 Wrote:

(September 3, 2017 at 8:27 am)A Theist Wrote: The people are starving to death there so it would seem that most of the aid they get from China and elsewhere is probably going to their military and nuke program.

Don't look now , but for once we agree. 

North Korea's capital isn't grim looking at all, but it is where the party loyalist live. 

The private sector exists even in North Korea, it is just that it is crony capitalism where the profits go to support the party and Kim Family. 




 
When you get to the middle age couple sitting at the table smiling, at the mark 32 second mark into the video look closely at the table, A CELL PHONE.

Nope. Pyongyang isn't grim looking at all. Looks to be very modern and upscale while the rest of North Korea lives in squalor and darkness. 



Every other nation around North Korea, China, Japan, South Korea is lit up at night. Shows how little Kim's world is. It doesn't expand much beyond Pyongyang. His nation starves while he gets fat.

(September 3, 2017 at 8:27 am)A Theist Wrote:

(September 3, 2017 at 8:00 am)chimp3 Wrote: NK is claiming this was a hydrogen bomb. Where are they getting the money for this shit?

The people are starving to death there so it would seem that most of the aid they get from China and elsewhere is probably going to their military and nuke program.

Yep, a good right wing government in action.