Motley Moose – Archive

This is the second part of two posts examining how North Korea fell behind South Korea.

As the previous post found, for several decades North Korea kept up with South Korea. Then, during the mid-1970s, the country started falling behind. Ever since then the gap between the two countries has widened.

This post will explore several factors behind what caused North Korea to fall behind. There seem to be three main causes: the failed ideology of juche (self-reliance), the end of Soviet aid, and Kim Jong-Il’s incompetent rule.

More below.

By: inoljt, http://mypolitikal.com/

It’s popular amongst the media to characterize North Korea as an irrational state run by a madman. North Korea continuously provokes the West, it is said, for no apparent reason. Proof that it’s an unpredictable, irrational actor that could do anything.

There are in fact very few states in history that could actually can be said to have behaved irrationally.

More below.

In other words, North Korea’s Kim Jong-il has died. Dead. Bought farm, bit dust, cashed in, shuffled coil, croaked, given up the ghost, dirt nap, big sleep, teats up, sleeping with fishes, joined the choir invisible, pushing daisies, belly up, departed, boarded death’s little black train, danced last dance, worm food dead.

…and the world just got a little bit better for it. Is the heir equally as squirrel-turd nutty as Dear Leader? I guess we’ll find out soon enough.  Jump the flip for some lulz trivia about Kim Jong-il.  Otherwise, it’s an OPEN THREAD, so knock yourself out.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton both played instrumental roles in the release of two captive American journalists who were stopped and detained by North Korean soldiers on March 17, 2009, after purportedly illegally crossing the nation’s borders. Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were convicted of “committing hostilities against the Korean nation and illegal entry,” and sentenced in June to 12 years hard labor in a North Korean prison camp.