You don't deserve to be downmodded for saying that.
But it's not so black and white - I totally understand your position. But if people don't visit no one will really understand how bad it is.
There is no good answer.
I feel so bad for them, I want to do something. War even. I have no ability to. And in any case I don't know if war is even a good idea or not.
But the truth is I only think about it when I see photos like this, then I move on and continue my regular day. These photos need to be constant to have people remember all the time.
I understand your sentiment and sympathize with it. I would agree with it if tourists did actually interact with average citizens. They don't though. So I see no benefit to visiting the country. It does nothing other than bring money to their leadership and this is why I have the view that I do.
A shocking number of people don't realize just how bad it is there. And that there are, in fact, concentration camps of historically unimaginable sizes operating as we speak.
It's a mixed bag. That morally reprehensible money raises awareness of exactly what's going on, and just how abused their citizens are.
One wonders if, ever there were a just war, it wouldn't be to free the North Koreans.
>And that there are, in fact, concentration camps of historically unimaginable sizes operating as we speak.
the entire population of north korea is ~24m. while i have no doubts that the nork prison camps are hideously inhumane, there's no way they approach the extermination camps in eastern europe of ww2
There's not a fair comparison between the two, aside from both types being evil.
European camps lasted, what, maybe 6 years total? They were used to commit attempted genocide. They were hell on earth but those camps are done.
North Korean camps have been around 40 years? They're used to "re-educate wrongdoers". They are a continuing hell on earth that the world allows to continue (unfortunately, due to realpolitik).
He did not interact with ordinary citizens. As far as I can tell he did not talk to any of the dwarfs he referenced early in the album. Nor did he talk with any of the concentration camp prisoners or with anyone else regarding that topic.
That's a simplistic view. I'd argue the more you understand something the better chance you have of changing or defeating it. Add to that, the people who reside there have a chance to see and speak with someone from outside without the constraints of state propaganda.
Finally, economic sanctions don't work very well - as demonstrated by Cuba, Russia and North Korea. They hurt the people more than the regime.
Would you have vacationed in Nazi occupied Poland given the chance? Khmer Rouge controlled Phnom Pen? Is there a regime so deplorable that doing business with it is morally reprehensible? To me the answer is yes and North Korea qualifi4s.
But the US did "do business" with the Khmer Rouge. The moment the Khmer Rouge fell from power in 1979, the US began fighting for them to keep control of the Cambodian United Nations seat. The US began arming them as well.
This thread is great for watching college educated Americans pontificate with great moral indignation about things they know nothing about (but think they know everything about).
I've clearly demonstrated some knowledge on the subject so it is incorrect to characterize me as knowing nothing on it. The crimes of the U.S.government are many and some are morally reprehensible. My question was to icanhackit and it was regarding whether or not it is ever morally wrong to visit a country. I certain icanhackit did not advocate for or do business with the Khmer Rouge. As such your post doesn't really apply to me or to what I wrote.
One could argue that it is wrong to visit the U.S. and I have advocated that people refrain from visiting the U.S. for similar reasons that I advocate that people not visit North Korea. However, the crimes of North Korea seem to be at quite a different level than the U.S.
> However, the crimes of North Korea seem to be at quite a different level than the U.S.
That's debatable. It's all a matter of perspective and the difference here is that the people of NK are the ones that suffer mostly from the crimes of NK whereas the people in the US are definitely not the ones paying for the crimes perpetrated by the US.
This seems to be a recurring thing for communist nations (in so far as they are really communist, but that's another matter entirely), they are very hard on their population.
On one hand, I can understand your statement. But on the other hand, without much insight into the country, the outside world would have a limited view of the country. These pictures shows how bleak and controlled life is in North Korea. For me, I am glad to have seen these pictures.
