North Korea Tells Citizens to Prepare Themselves for Famine

[sufrommich]

Source: Time

North Korea instructed the country Monday to brace itself for possible famine and severe economic hardship — but not to despair, because “the road to revolution is long and arduous,” according to an editorial in the state-run newspaper.

The article, published in Rodong Sinmun — the print mouthpiece of the North Korean government — comes less than a month after the U.N. Security Council voted in favor of slapping the Hermit Kingdom with tougher sanctions, after the country teased its potential nuclear and military capabilities earlier this year. The editorial stated that hardships to come might evoke another “arduous march” — the term assigned to the famine that struck the country in the mid-1990s, killing as many as 3 million people, reports the Telegraph, a British newspaper.

"We may have to go on an arduous march, during which we will have to chew the roots of plants once again,” the editorial piece read.

Rodong Sinmun called for a “70-day campaign of loyalty” and reportedly demanded that the North Korean people demonstrate their allegiance to Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un. To that end, the country is requiring all residents of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital city, to deliver about 2 lb. of rice to state warehouses each month.

Read more: http://time.com/4274666/arduous-march-north-korea-famine/

[saturnsring]

1. we?

Last edited Tue Mar 29, 2016, 02:18 PM - Edit history (1)

"We may have to go on an arduous march, during which we will have to chew the roots of plants once

[Baobab]

10. People interested in the North Korean famine should read this free ebook. Its really very very good.

Kim Jong Il's Hidden War: Solving the mystery of Kim Il Sung’s death and the mass starvations in North Korea

http://www.reachdc.net/book2/KimJongIlHiddenWar.pdf

[happyslug]

31. In the Forward, the author points out three things

(1) The mass famine had been intentionally created by Kim Jong Il. The famine was an unprecedented and planned extermination of several millions of his countrymen. In many senses, this was a “war” instigated by Kim Jong Il.

(2) This “war” could not have been waged while his father, Kim Il Sung, was still alive. Kim Il Sung was therefore the greatest obstacle to Kim Jong Il’s plans. This “war” would not have been possible without removing this obstacle. And so, in another “war”, Kim Il Sung was removed.

(3) Kim Jong Il played the role of planning and orchestrating all three events of the 1990s—the nuclear crisis, Kim Il Sung’s death, and the mass famines. Kim Jong Il staged the nuclear crisis together with his father who hoped to teach his son ways in which to confront the U.S. The apprentice son soon overtook his father. Kim Jong Il applied lessons learnt in the nuclear crisis to carry out the subsequent two “wars”—one against his father and another against his political enemies

In simple terms, the famine was a deliberate policy of Kim Jong Il, to kill off opposition within North Korea.

[Baobab]

33. He killed his own little brother too

When he was a tiny little boy.

[Baobab]

36. watch these videos

http://webtv.un.org/search?term=dprk+seoul

http://webtv.un.org/search?term=dprk+tokyo

http://webtv.un.org/search?term=dprk+london

http://webtv.un.org/search?term=dprk+washington

See the real North Korea

[bluestateguy]

18. They give all the food to the army first

and Commie party hacks.

Then the people get what's left.

[SCantiGOP]

24. A group that got in a few years ago

noticed no animal life - not just domestic animals but no squirrels, birds, etc.
And the bark had been stripped off of the trees. Everything had been eaten.

[SpankMe]

2. I thought they were already in famine? Fucked up country. n/t

[GummyBearz]

25. Yea... seems redundant

They have been starving for around 20 years. That seems like pretty good preparation for a famine

[Jackie Wilson Said]

3. They are gonna nuke somebody, someday. Probably a starving

military person will get pissed and do it.

[hollysmom]

5. the military gets fed, that is why they join and their families are first on the civilian list.

maybe the first step is to admit it.
i wonder if they have any dogs or cats now, I know a few decades ago they ate them all, and put the old people out to die in the cold

North Korea and some countries in Africa are the first on the list to starve, then islands in the Pacific and someAsian countries are next. it is sad and scarey.

[Marrah_G]

38. Even the military are not that well fed.

There is a reason that north korean children are much shorter then south korean children

[alp227]

4. Time or The Onion? nt

[DetroitSocialist83]

6. It seems there has to be a better way to deal with this situation

We have been trying the sanctions for decades. This seems to just make the regime dig in further, and the people are the ones who continue to suffer. I am not sure what the answer is, but the current situation doesn't seem to be working. It seems to be moving in a more dangerous direction.

[Marrah_G]

40. There is nothing we can do about it

Lifting sanctions would do nothing to help. The only country in a position to try to deal with NK is China and they don't seem to care about the people any more then the NK leadership does. In fact if China catches someone who escaped from NK they send them back to be killed.

[downeastdaniel]

7. What a piece of crap! Propaganda and priorities.

[Marrah_G]

39. Yes, North Korea is one giant bowl of propaganda.

[DetroitSocialist83]

8. One option I've wondered about

If the DPRK were to collapse politically ( which I don't think is likely at least in the near future), I think the Chinese would move in immediately, and they would make an alliance with what is left of the establishment and military. I think they would set up a "market socialist" Chinese style Communist party in the country in an effort to stabilize it financially and also keep a buffer between themselves and the South Koreans. I don't see any situation where South Korea would want to even consider moving into the North and dealing with that situation.

[titaniumsalute]

20. I think the ONLY answer is China

China could flex it's economic, political, and military muscles if it really wanted to in the DPRK. They could either lead a coup or just walk in an take over if they really wanted to. Maybe even get Pajama Boy to turn the keys over in return for protection against any prosecution on the world stage.

Sanctions are killing millions in the DPRK but lifting sanctions will only benefit the military and political machine, not the average citizens in the country.

[brooklynite]

45. How would the Korean people make a "market socialist" system work?

They's been so isolated from the outside world that they have no idea how one functions.

[leftyladyfrommo]

9. That is what happened in the last awful famine

that those poor people endured. All the country's money goes into the military.

Thousands died and no one cares. Those people have suffered so much for so long.

[OnlinePoker]

11. I notice the leaders of that glorious republic have never lacked food. n/t

[LiberalLovinLug]

22. I'll take 10 of these

[JohnnyRingo]

12. "...long and arduous"

Since N Korea has been on this "road to revolution" for over 60 years, one would think they'd at least be beyond the famine and economic ruin part.

Little Kim sure makes the argument for a change in "Supreme Rule". The county spends billions propping up a nuclear paper tiger but not one "Red Cent" on the people.

[christx30]

15. "It's over the next hill!" --- Kim

"You said that 3 hills ago!" --- The people

[LiberalElite]

28. Yeah- that's what I thought -

this "road to revolution" bit is getting worn out.

[Dr. Strange]

13. Total propaganda on the part of Time.

Look: Smiling North Koreans.

[LiberalElite]

27. Here's the Crying North Koreans

Point being, if they don't smile when they're supposed to and cry when they're supposed to, they're in BIG trouble. And, they have to cry and smile like they mean it, or else they get an all expenses paid trip to a prison camp.

https://www.google.com/search?q=%22crying+North+Koreans%22&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiVoqmGlOfLAhXDOxoKHRcpBqsQsAQIIw&biw=1600&bih=763

[Dr. Strange]

32. Your post makes Hannah Bell cry.

She weeps for the North Koreans. The happy, happy North Koreans.

[KamaAina]

16. I wonder what would happen if someone tried to airdrop food there.

Would the regime shoot the planes down? Maybe balloons would work better.

[Cassiopeia]

29. That's a very interesting concept.

An overwhelming amount of it, 3 times what every person could use even.

[Oneironaut]

42. I'm guessing that the military would hunt it down and steal it,

possibly killing its intended recipients in the process. They would probably make it an execution-worthy crime to not give it to the military right away.

[Blandocyte]

17. Their chubby leader guy told them? nt

[jtuck004]

19. Why are they revolting? n/t

[Javaman]

21. so how does dear leader expect them to prepare?

put a few more notches in their belts?

since the govern't controls distribution after all.

[WheelWalker]

23. "Prepare for famine" means see your local recruiter. Their military eats.

[olddad56]

30. I was wondering the same thing. Diet, I guess.

[Sunlei]

26. NK Supreme Leader is a very plump man, "Famine"?

[BigDemVoter]

34. I doubt that swine will ever go hungry himself. . . .

I read that he stuffs his pie hole from dawn to dusk with donuts and Rice Krispy treats. . .

[Dont call me Shirley]

35. Oh Kim's merely following the path of the gop's austerity program.

[Marrah_G]

37. They purposefully keep people hungry

malnourished people are less likely to fight back.

[awoke_in_2003]

44. Yep. nt

[Turbineguy]

41. North Korea

The logical conclusion of a Republican Paradise.

[EX500rider]

43. More the logical conclusion of a communist paradise.