

Why Revolution Can’t Come to North Korea - adampludwig70
http://techonomy.com/2012/11/why-revolution-cant-come-to-north-korea/

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shin_lao
Right. Because no country ever had a revolution before Twitter and Facebook
existed.

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crusso
The problem is that the government has access to near modern levels of
communication and military equipment, but there's no equalizer on the peoples'
side.

The power and ability gap between the Government and the People in North Korea
is probably the largest that has existed in history.

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shin_lao
The asymmetry always existed. Weapons, education, means of transportation...

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crusso
Never to this level of disparity.

This is satellites and fighter jets vs bows and arrows stuff.

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thejf
Indeed, would the French revolution have even happened without all the bad
press the royal family got from Marie Antoinette's tweets and the subsequent
flashmob at La Bastille? And the American revolution's well-attended "Boston
Tea Party" Facebook event?

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acuozzo
It might not have happened if the French government used a modern (2012)
system of surveillance utilizing both technology and social networks; filled
labor camps with dissenting individuals and their entire respective families;
and regularly executed anyone attempting to escape. France __never__ got as
bad as North Korea is today.

The author did focus too much on the enabling power of the WWW, but don't
dismiss the plight of the North Korean people because of his mistake(s).

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mml
Nit: The entirety of the Korean peninsula is referred to as the "Hermit
Kingdom", dating back to the Joseon dynasty.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermit_kingdom>

This error is a stupid example, but the entirety of this post is a bit
breathless.

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acuozzo
I think the term more accurately describes the north nowadays, so why not use
it?

The DPRK deserves to be ridiculed.

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mikeash
No insight, no new information, not worth the time it takes to read.

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acuozzo
This might be true if you're Lieutenant Commander Data, but both I and others
believe that reframing ``old'' information often results in something of
value. If it makes you think differently (or think at all!), then it's most
certainly ``worth the time it takes to read''.

~~~
mikeash
That is why I led with "no insight". If it was an insightful analysis of
existing information, that would be great, but it's not.

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maeon3
prisoners stuck in prison. can't get out because the guards are immoral
totalitarian rulers and will do anything to preserve their prison. Giving them
internet may be a mistake. they will use it to rule with a unobtanium fist
rather than an iron fist.

