An economy in shatters, a broken people, a dim future, Planet Money reports.
One of the best little groups working for NPR is Planet Money and they have done a nice piece on just how completely Kim Jong Il screwed his people over with his pants-on-head retarded lust for “power”.
Read the full article at : Drug Dealing, Counterfeiting, Smuggling: How North Korea Makes Money. Or watch the podcast.
(Source: Planet Money)
6 comments
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Nomen Nescio
December 20, 2011 at 15:33 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
bets on how long before somebody in power in NK faces reality and accepts Chinese help in return for concessions? because i’m thinking a future as an overt Chinese client state might be their best hope for stability and something like reforms, at this point. the stability, at least, might be welcomed by both Beijing and Seoul, not to mention the average north korean.
Assassin Actual
December 20, 2011 at 15:45 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
depends if the Sun (SP?) can keep the NK Generals in line. If he can, it might be more of the same. If not, then I agree, China takes over
Garrett
December 20, 2011 at 16:45 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Wait, what? China is already helping them. SK sends them food, China sends them everything else. And China doesn’t want to take over, because then they’d have all those refugees to deal with.
Steve
December 20, 2011 at 19:12 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Keeping his flag officers’ loyalty is certainly of paramount importance, given that the military — not the communist party — controls the country. But the problem Kim III will have is that the old generals and admirals owe their position and power to a dead man. For the son to really shore-up his support among the senior ranks, he will need to retire more than a few of the Old Guard.
Longjocks
December 20, 2011 at 21:41 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
The video game Homefront spells out what’s going to happen pretty clearly.
Assassin Actual
December 21, 2011 at 08:14 (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Don’t get me started on video games today. Just got my new gaming rig and the mobo was dead on arrival…
Also, do any of my gamer readers player Armed Assualt (its free). I am looking for an apache gunner for long walks on the beach.