Why the hell does North Korea still exist?

[QUOTE]A significant portion of the population watches media smuggled in from South Korea

What proportion of the population has a television, disc player, computer, etc. to be able to watch? Beyond the elites, that is. If you've ever seen nighttime satellite images of N. Korea and surrounding countries, there's scarce little electric use, even in larger cities.

How would the people fight back? NK is unique because they have successfully prevented the people from getting technology while the government has some benefits of western technology at their fingertips. The result is a technologically stunted modern military / police apparatus and citizens who don't have cell phones or internet or any means to create opposition to the government.

I doubt the Russian and French peasants had much awareness of what it was like in other countries centuries ago but they still revolted when they were starving. There does seem to be something particularly docile about the North Koreans, or the suppression of ideas and being able to talk freely is that good.

The starvation crisis of the 1990s seems to be back.

R3 - I think the North Korean military and police are a little more technologically prepared to handle a rebellion than their French or Russian counterparts from another era were.

R5 The Russians had troops with guns and shot hundreds of unarmed protestors. But workers responded with a crippling general strike which forced the tsar to make some compromises. Also, troops were sympathetic to the workers' plight and became politicized.

I'm actually more surprised that people within the military and higher circles haven't performed a coup. They have to walk on eggshells all the time and they know it's a bunch of crap. They have military intelligence of other countries - they know of their media - and some have visited other countries.

THAT boggles my mind - that no one is looking at these LOSERS of the Kim family and for decades just went along with it?

Stop asking questions on the DL

Four important revolutions: French, Russian, Iranian and American. For a revolution to happen the middle class has to be Uber pissed. N Korea is a lost cause. South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Australia, along with America are keeping China and N Korea in check

[quote]For a revolution to happen the middle class has to be Uber pissed.

I can't agree with this - what middle class did France and Russia have? They pretty much didn't have one.

R6 - and the following few decades of Lenin, then Lavrenty Beria and Stalinist-induced famine claiming multi-millions, highlighted every worker's plight to be abused by psychopaths and kleptocrats such as that trio.

I'm wondering in North Korea is the size of, say North Dakota? Los Angeles? I have to Google it. It seems like with our ever-increasing technology, that at some point, North Korea will cease to exist as it is now and its people will be free. Maybe not.

[quote]Four important revolutions: French, Russian, Iranian and American. For a revolution to happen the middle class has to be Uber pissed.

Couldn't they just switch to Lyft?