All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[The Cool Thatguy]

I think it's a mighty huge assumption that North Korea would win. While they have a large military, the Republic of Korea is not that far behind them.

In South Korea, support for reunification has been steadily falling, unsurprisingly so.

I imagine that in South Korea, there'll always be strong support for unification, only, ya know, in a sane manner in which they're not left under the thumb of a Bond villain.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I would think the support for unification under Kim in the South would be close to zero.

And should Kim kick the bucket one night (with or without help), it looks like his sister might well take over as ruler. From what little I've seen and read, she's just as psychotic as Rocketman, perhaps moreso, making any shot at reunification pretty much a nonstarter.

[Kirby101]

The only way for unification would be if China pulled all support for N Korea and we had a collapse as in the Germany/East Germany situation. In other words, if S Korea incorporates N Korea.
Also S Korea is not Afghanistan, we are not an occupier. We have around 30,000 troops there.

[Tendrin]

I imagine that in South Korea, there'll always be strong support for unification, only, ya know, in a sane manner in which they're not left under the thumb of a Bond villain.

According to a December 2017 survey released by the Korea Institute for National Unification, 72.1% of South Koreans in their 20s believe reunification is unnecessary,[33] with younger South Koreans saying they are more worried about issues related to their economy, employment, and living costs.[33]

Polls show a majority of South Koreans, even those in age groups traditionally seen as being more eager to reunify the peninsula, are not willing to see their living conditions decline in order to accommodate a reunification with the North.[33] Moreover, about 50% of men in their 20s see North Korea as an outright enemy that they want nothing to do with.[34]

Just saying, it's not that simple, nor is it a foregone conclusion that NK would crush the SK militarily if it wanted to.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Just saying, it's not that simple, nor is it a foregone conclusion that NK would crush the SK militarily if it wanted to.

I'd hope not. I haven't researched the issue well enough to have that informed an opinion, but that said, I rarely bet against stupidity. And North Korea has nukes.

[Mister Mets]

Well, similar to Rand Paul's wife owning stock in a company producing Covid-19 treatments whose profit margins will be helped by there being more sick people and having him spreading Covid-19 information to ostensibly help his own family's bottom line...

We may now know why Ron DeSantis is questioning vaccine efficacy, and has been plainly so anti-mask/pro-gatherings during a pandemic... DeSantis' biggest political donor owns the company that makes the Regeneron treatment (per today's Orlando Sentinel).

They're killing people to help their stock options, and that of their donors.

If you're taking it for granted that politicians will make the wrong decision because their families stand to benefit financially, this has some implications with Hunter Biden selling his artwork for up to $500,000 a pop.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/13/a...ite-house.html

[Mister Mets]

Just saying, it's not that simple, nor is it a foregone conclusion that NK would crush the SK militarily if it wanted to.

From my understanding, the main worries are not North Korea taking over South Korea but North Korea damaging South Korea somehow, as well as the likely shitshow when North Korea inevitably collapses and millions of starving, brainwashed refugees flee a country that borders China and South Korea.

There’s nothing inherently democratic about capitalism or inherently capitalistic about democracy.

And you can have capitalistic wealth generated in non democratic states like China or Singapore.

To be clear, I wasn't saying that capitalism guarantees democracy or vice versa, just that there doesn't seem to be an obvious alternative way to the method of generating wealth.

Modern capitalism sprang from the accumulated wealth of Europeans conquering the Americas and using slavery for centuries. Without it, there would never have been enough accumulated private capital to industrialize. Nowadays, the links between that era when French, English, Spaniards and Portuguese pillaged the "New World" and each other's ships in return is widely recognized to be the cradle of capitalism, which is rather evident in the way capitalism unleash and promote the worst human traits as a way to success : greed, arrogance, brutality and cynicism will always take you farther than empathy, humility and the like.

And sadly, it's what killing our planet.

Regarding Afghanistan proper, what killed any chances for this country as the US diverting back to Irak almost as soon as it had ended invading Afghanistan, no real interest in making the country a better place and basically a repeat of all the same mistakes of the Vietnam War, complete with letting a corrupt government in place, absolute lack of a better life in the rural parts of the country and, of course, no intent to curtail the warlords and Talibans by actually making poppy growing, which was basically the sole source of revenue for a lot of extremely poor peoples, legal, and thus drying up the dark flows of money to the insurgents.

Slavery's been around for thousands of years, so the unusual thing is not that modern capitalism was intertwined with what was for much of human history a major industry, but that slavery largely came to an end.

[PwrdOn]

From my understanding, the main worries are not North Korea taking over South Korea but North Korea damaging South Korea somehow, as well as the likely shitshow when North Korea inevitably collapses and millions of starving, brainwashed refugees flee a country that borders China and South Korea.

Why would there be a refugee crisis if North Korea collapses? One would think that all of those poor starving people would be happy to join the prosperous, democratic society in the South and that the South Koreans would in turn welcome back their long lost brothers and sisters with open arms, because you know, that would be the decent and humanitarian thing to do and the country has more than enough resources to accommodate them. Why the hell would they flee to China?

The only way for unification would be if China pulled all support for N Korea and we had a collapse as in the Germany/East Germany situation. In other words, if S Korea incorporates N Korea.
Also S Korea is not Afghanistan, we are not an occupier. We have around 30,000 troops there.

China hasn't had troops in North Korea since 1953 and in no way dominates their policy decisions the way that the United States controls that of the South. One would imagine they would not be thrilled if the North were to collapse and all of those US troops moved up to the Chinese border, but a unified Korea with no residual American presence would certainly be acceptable to everyone on both sides of the DMZ as well all of the other countries in the region. Of course, there is the matter of that 800 pound gorilla NOT located anywhere near the Asia Pacific that must be accounted for.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

From my understanding, the main worries are not North Korea taking over South Korea but North Korea damaging South Korea somehow, as well as the likely shitshow when North Korea inevitably collapses and millions of starving, brainwashed refugees flee a country that borders China and South Korea.

Why would there be a refugee crisis if North Korea collapses? One would think that all of those poor starving people would be happy to join the prosperous, democratic society in the South and that the South Koreans would in turn welcome back their long lost brothers and sisters with open arms, because you know, that would be the decent and humanitarian thing to do and the country has more than enough resources to accommodate them. Why the hell would they flee to China?

What makes anyone think Kim would willingly let his people flee the North under any circumstances? I wouldn't put it past him to order refugees massacred rather than let them leave. On top of that, what are the chances said refugees, brainwashed since birth would WANT to leave in the first place? They'd probably be too frightened to leave since life in the North has been all they've known.

[babyblob]

If you're taking it for granted that politicians will make the wrong decision because their families stand to benefit financially, this has some implications with Hunter Biden selling his artwork for up to $500,000 a pop.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/13/a...ite-house.html

On one hand it is not much of the same. A guy buying a shitty painting from Hunter in hopes that it will make Daddy Biden happy with him is a far cry from a Senator being Anti Vax, anti mask when he knows that will get people sick while at the same time having stocks in a company that makes the medicine for people when they get the illness the person is trying to prevent.

You made a point to say how little was made by Rand Paul on his stock. It does not matter if it is 1 dollar or a million dollars. Any money made on something like that is very very wrong.

Putting people at risk of a virus risk their lives by telling people not to wear masks and get a free vaccine is fine as long as a person only makes a couple thousand dollars and not a couple million.

[The Cool Thatguy]

The Trumps made hundreds of millions while in office, but people think that a half million thrown at a disgraced son is gonna sway his father.

Republicans are incorruptible no matter how much money is thrown at them, but Democrats will sell out for pennies on the dollar, it seems.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

The Trumps made hundreds of millions while in office, but people think that a half million thrown at a disgraced son is gonna sway his father.

Republicans are incorruptible no matter how much money is thrown at them, but Democrats will sell out for pennies on the dollar, it seems.

It's all about the whataboutism, my friend.

[The Cool Thatguy]

It's all about the whataboutism, my friend.

Yeah, but Republican whataboutism is in the tens of millions, and Democratic whataboutism is lucky to reach a million.

[CaptainEurope]

In fairness, in a two party system, the terrible extremes are going to have to go one way or the other.

That said, the GOP have barely done anything to discourage Klan/Nazi A-holes

The Green Party and the Constitution Party do exist. Donald Trump's first failed presidential run was for the Constitution Party.

Oh yeah, I see your point.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Yeah, but Republican whataboutism is in the tens of millions, and Democratic whataboutism is lucky to reach a million.

Numbers are meaningless to Qpublicans. To them, it's all about the narrative which, thanks to their propaganda arm, Faux News, the GQP can push 24/7 to make Democrats sound like worse crooks and slimeballs than they themselves are.