Meanwhile far away and out of sight in the DPRK..

[John Hill]

Silly me, I should have known that sanctions are applied as a form of benevolence.

[John Hill]

He lives in NZ, the next best thing to DPRK with its draconian laws and lockdowns...

Nice diversion but you still cannot have Jacinda.

[John Hill]

I wasn't going to say it, but YES! Sanctions are only a small part of it, and were not applied for no reason.

The theory is that if the people are starved enough they will rise up and toss out their leaders and welcome the foreign jackboots.

[Dushan]

He lives in NZ, the next best thing to DPRK with its draconian laws and lockdowns...

Nice diversion but you still cannot have Jacinda.

I have the male (although even that is questionable) version of Jacinda.

[ExSp33db1rd]

........but you still cannot have Jacinda.

but "Jacinda-ism " has made a complete horlicks of the system required to book the 14 day compulsory Managed Isolation accommodation on arrival back into the country should we leave. With urgent matters needing personal presence overseas we are imprisoned. Elements of NZ Superannuation is normally stopped for those receiving it who leave the country for more than 6 weeks, tho' there has been some "understanding" of the situation we hear tales of those who have been desperately, and unsuccessfully, trying to book a slot to return, now finding that they are being denied their Super, and with bills mounting up at home are in desperate straits. Meanwhile .... " entrepreneurs", one in Pakistan I believe, are "milking" the MIQ booking system and charging eye-watering amounts to "sell on" slots that they have cleverly obtained by writing complicated computer programmes that snap up the slots within seconds of being posted on the MIQ website. Jacinda is doing nothing about it.

[prospector]

JH
"" Nice diversion but you still cannot have Jacinda.""

No, but you can, as long as you keep her in Aotearoa and away from New Zealand

[ExSp33db1rd]

#26 +1 !!

[John Hill]

Any more diversions?

[Smeagol]

OK John, let's return to the original subject.

Do you really think the even if sanctions were removed the policies of the Fat One would change? Would the peasantry in the glorious DPRK suddenly be awash with food? Or would the ruling elite and the army just be even better fed?

[John Hill]

Do you really think the even if sanctions were removed the policies of the Fat One would change?
Would the peasantry in the glorious DPRK suddenly be awash with food? Or would the ruling elite and the army just be even better fed?

Presumably things would change otherwise would prove the sanctions have no effect. If the sanctions have no effect why are they applied?

[bob2s]

John, don't you think that it is time for the policies of the Fat One to be discarded and he and the rest of North Korea join the rest of humanity,or are you as dense as he is in perpetuating the dictatorship laid down by his Grandfather Kim Il-sung.

[John Hill]

John, don't you think that it is time for the policies of the Fat One to be discarded and he and the rest of North Korea join the rest of humanity,or are you as dense as he is in perpetuating the dictatorship laid down by his Grandfather Kim Il-sung.

Thank you for the kind words Bob.

[OFSO]

For every humane person like JH who shows compassion and sympathy for the people of North Korea there are tens of thousands of the rest of us, including myself, who don't give a damn.

[John Hill]

....... there are tens of thousands of the rest of us, including myself, who don't give a damn.

You may not give a damn but your government (which in a democracy you have some responsibility for) votes at the UN to impose and continue the sanctions that starve the people of the DPRK.

[OFSO]

And why were the sanctions imposed? Under what conditions would they be removed? Who has the authority to change the reasons for their imposition? Should the one person - and it is only one person - change his policy and thus cause the sanctions to be lifted, would the people no longer be starving? Is it not true that North Korea endured massive periods of starvation before the sanctions were applied due to inefficient methods of food production and devoting finance to the military?

[John Hill]

And why were the sanctions imposed?

So long ago, about 70 years in fact and even I am not old enough to remember but it does appear to be because the US and allies had a non-victory in the Korean War.

Under what conditions would they be removed?

Only when the present regime is destroyed.

[Dushan]

Only when the present regime is destroyed.

I think we have a winner answer. Yes, precisely, when the current regime is destroyed or withdraws on its own.

[John Hill]

America and their lackeys are still fighting the Korean War and starvation is their principal weapon.

Employing starvation of civilians as a weapon is a recognized war crime.

[Dushan]

Indeed, and if he doesn’t die of a heart attack and obesity, Fat Kim should be tried and convicted of starving his people, the punishment for which, in his case should be death by starvation. It may take a better part of the year to achieve that, but the longer the merrier.

[John Hill]

As you are such a clever chap blessed with such incredible insight and wit perhaps you can tell us just what Kim Jong-un should do?