State Implosion -- A New Twist In North Korea

[DanS]

About a half year ago, The Washington Post had a couple of good articles about the economic reforms in North Korea (mainly a float of the price of rice and other commodities). They didn't track the story for a while, but apparently those policies are in the process of failing...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46774-2003Jan26.html

It certainly gives an interesting take on the timing of all that has happened in the last couple of months with regard to North Korea.

South Korea is scared to death about an implosion--they take a look at Germany and are not encouraged. China seems pretty freaked out about this. The US is acting coy about it all and is delaying. Personally, I think it's time to see this regime fall.

[mrboo123]

Re: State Implosion -- A New Twist In North Korea

Originally posted by DanS
(...)Personally, I think it's time to see this regime fall.

Yup, North Kearon is more of a theart to the Western civ than Iraq...

[DanS]

We can walk and chew gum at the same time.

Edit: SK saying they don't want a regime change...

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/01/26/1042911603253.html

It would put large strains on SK, but would it be better to stand by while paying a repressive regime to limp along? I think everybody would be receptive to helping SK shoulder the burden. The SK policy seems unprincipled to me.

[mrboo123]

Originally posted by DanS
We can walk and chew gum at the same time.

Yes, you can, I the Brits help (which they will...)

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by DanS
We can walk and chew gum at the same time.

Ahh, but can Bush walk and eat pretzels at the same time?

[mrboo123]

Originally posted by Big Crunch
Ahh, but can Bush walk and eat pretzels at the same time?

Now THAT a differnt matter...

[Drake Tungsten]

Personally, I think it's time to see this regime fall.

Yes it is.

It would put large strains on SK, but would it be better to stand by while paying a repressive regime to limp along?

No it wouldn't. Helping the North Korean regime stay in power might be better for South Korea in the short term, but it is a horrible long term policy.

[mindseye]

How can this regime go away soon enough? It's like something out of a bad Bond film, complete with evil dictator in unlikely hair and elevator shoes.

The only solution I can come up with is to have Japan somehow buy them out or cushion the fall.

[DaShi]

The last Bond film was about North Korea.

[ranskaldan]

Re: State Implosion -- A New Twist In North Korea

Originally posted by DanS
The US is acting coy about it all and is delaying. Personally, I think it's time to see this regime fall.

The problem with the fall, is - what would the fall-out be?

This is a very freaky thing for all the nations around it - Japan, South Korea, China, Russia. Just imagine the millions of millions of refugees pouring across borders and massing themselves in half-rickety boats across the Yellow and Japan Seas, not to mention the missiles that may be launched in any direction.

Frankly I think China or Russia, as traditional allies, should bail North Korea out. Some glances at Chinese online forums show that Chinese popular opinion has turned very sharply against Kim Jong-Il and towards South Korea... and that's China we're talking about. The problem however, is that no one can convince North Korea to carry out the reforms that saved China from a similar fate.

Perhaps the intelligence agency of a certain country can assassinate Kim Jong-Il?

[Ned]

Ahh, the benefits of socialism.

As to the economic collapse, now is the time to be tough. No bailouts. We should insist on a SK takover as the price of aid.

[Dinner]

Never saw it.

[ranskaldan]

And if a nuke lands squarely into downtown Tokyo?

[Dinner]

The Red Chinese will keep propping up their, some what erratic, puppet while the U.S., Japan, and South Korea plunge head long into implementing the national missile defense system.

That's the out come I'm predicting. No collapse and they get enough aid from the Chinese and Russians to keep that sinking ship afloat for a couple more years...

[Urban Ranger]

Re: Re: State Implosion -- A New Twist In North Korea

Originally posted by ranskaldan
The problem however, is that no one can convince North Korea to carry out the reforms that saved China from a similar fate.

Last I heard, Kim was trying to set up "special economic regions" like those in China.