North Korea - Why???

[vipassana]

I'm trying to figure out why a place like North Korea exists. I live in the USA and have a pretty good life. We are lucky that we do not have complete government control over every aspects of our daily lives (although sometimes I think some people actually want this). We are free to pursue astral projection and other spiritual practices, pretty much anything we want, but this is all but unknown to North Koreans. A lot of people on this board believe in reincarnation of some type, me included, but I cannot comes to terms with why such a miserable place exists on Earth and why anyone would knowingly want to reincarnate there. Are there life lessons to be learned here by those who are born and live in NK? If so, what could they be? If "all is as it is supposed to be" as I commonly read, why this? I would rather take an early permanent OBE than be forced to live in NK. There are a lot of documentaries about NK on YouTube. Check them out if you are not familiar with the country. I thought it would be interesting to see what others think about this.

[kurtykurt42]

It wouldn't be very miserable if you couldn't compare it with anything, would it?

After spending a couple life times in a place like North Korea you begin to appreciate every place, everyone and everything more.

[Stookie]

I watched this last week (all 3 parts):

http://www.vbs.tv/watch/the-vice-guide-to-travel/vice-guide-to-north-korea-1-of-3

It's amazing, like everything the guys at Vice do. If you like it, there's a DVD called "Vice guide to travel" that has several features.

As to why North Korea exists, I don't know. I guess if democracy exists, the opposite can too.

[Everlasting]

Are you saying you are not controlled by the  Government?  you think you're free?, think again.

[vipassana]

Yeah, I've seen that video and many other documentaries about it. And yes, I think we are controlled by our government, but not like North Korea. Kinda hard to draw parallels there. When you put it in perspective, we're much better off.

[Stookie]

Are you saying you are not controlled by the  Government?  you think you're free?, think again.

Go to North Korea and then try to say that. I've done enough traveling to know we've got it good. You create your own personal prison by assuming that.

[WASD]

I think its called "police state" and its starting to spread throughout the world
USA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akwjAjcQnqM

[Stookie]

Those are protesters at the G20, not a police state. And those cops aren't near as brutal as the Chicago riots in '68. Which was wrong, but far from a police state.

I can go anywhere without having to inform anyone where I'm going or showing credentials. If I want to visit another country all I need is my passport and some cash. I can ride my motorcycle anywhere I want at 2 AM with no hassles or questions. I don't see how anyone who goes outside on a regular basis can think they live in a Police State. Oppression in low income/high crime areas is much more a reality.

[WASD]

Alright, bad video choice. But there are some thing i've seen in "normal countries" that reminds me of china/north korea.
Like those new full body scanners...
And police brutality... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIM3k-o5xM0

These are some very lovely guys: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAQrsA3m8Bg
But police often go to them and ask for ID and say what they are doing is illegal and that they cant film and such
At first what they're doing may seem weird but watch the entire video

[Fourthdimension]

i have only briefly looked through this page as i am in a hurry but i think
the only diffrence between the goverment opression here and the goverment opression in nk is merly the fact that nk is controlling there country complettly without hiding the fact there in control.

whilst in the west we have a belief that we are in control of what we do yet behind the curtain it turns out its the goverment thats pulling all the strings without us known.

so nk = country contro without hiding it
west = country control hiding it

just a thought before i forgot lol

[kurtykurt42]

The difference is that the North Korean government doesn't seem to like letting there 'citizens' have much knowledge (knowledge = Power). In the USA we are free to learn and become as smart as possible and when that happens it can be difficult for the government to hold you back. Usually they will just give you grant money, stay out of your way and monitor your progress closely. 

[personalreality]

We can use the internet and rally together in the US, but they have us in a much better trap.  They have us in a belief trap.  We are consumed in the materialistic lifestyle.  People say we have it so much better here.  What, we have a McDonalds?  We are prisoners of the worst kind here.  We've been given just enough rope to hang ourselves with.  We die with little opportunity to know truth.  There are many of us who explore, but there are more of us who don't.  Comparatively we are massive next to NK.  The proportion of people here who are slaves to television, "democratic elections", fast food and christianity has got to be so much higher than that of North Koreans. 

You also have to remember that what we know of North Korea comes from our government who hates North Korea.  North Korea is a theocracy.  The country is designed to have one religion and one government that are one and the same.  And they don't want outside influences to taint what they are building.  They are trying to create their Utopia.  It's like saying that the Amish are awful people for not letting their kids have video games.  They are trying to maintain a way of life that is congruent with their beliefs.  And, if it weren't for the influence of the outside world pushing on North Korea, Kim Jong Il wouldn't have to develop nuclear weapons (though I'm pretty sure he's a bit batty) and ban the internet.  It's people from the outside getting in that is the problem.  And in turn, people from the inside getting out and them coming back to tell of the wonders of the western world.  That is a poison to what is being created.  I'm not saying I agree necessarily, but too many people still have a bad case of "WE'RE THE G*DDAMN US of A AND ALL OTHER's ARE SCUM ON OUR BOOTS!".  This is not the only way to live.  People were living just fine for thousands of years before we ever came around.  In fact, our measly 200 years should keep it's mouth shut.  We're not even teenagers with a little bit of reasoning ability.  We're toddlers who have a bad case of the "NO's!" and the "MINE's!". 

Don't judge another culture that you know nothing about.  Especially if the little bit that you do know comes from american government or media (that includes books, even text books). 

[personalreality]

Also,

V, I haven't seen you around lately, but if you do come back and see this, you say you believe in reincarnation and I neither agree nor disagree with you on that.  But you should know that all existence is as it should be in a sense.  Not necessarily in a deterministic or fatalist kind of way.  But there are reasons for the ways we come into this life.  Perhaps North Korea provides the situation that some souls need to learn their lessons.  Perhaps no where else in this universe could they learn that specific lesson.

[cpt. picard]

No offense to the optomists, but the transition to police state, the financial looting of the nations and the slow disintegration of civil liberties in the West is a hard cold reality, and denying that these things are even happening is just plain ignorant of the documented facts. And contrary to what Americans believe, theyre education quality is very poor. Not saying all Americans are dumb, if youre smart to begin with youll do most learning on your own and not from a school.

[WASD]

This is an example of what i think a police state looks like: http://www.vimeo.com/10191879
As you see in the end of the video, he is being arrested to prevent a crime he have not committed...

Some protesters most likely did something unlawful but the police are still too hard about it, and punish lots of people who haven't done anything wrong.