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US Bans Sales of iPods To North Korea
gamer4Life writes "The United States has created their list of products banned from being exported to North Korea. This list includes iPods, plasma televisions and Segway electric scooters.
U.S. intelligence officials who helped produce the Bush administration's list said Kim prefers Mercedes, BMW and Cadillac cars; Japanese and Harley Davidson motorcycles; Hennessy XO cognac from France and Johnny Walker Scotch whisky; Sony cameras and Japanese air conditioners."
As I've posted before, I think this is a good approach.
There are good sanctions & bad sanctions. An example of bad sanctions were the sanctions the UN imposed against Iraq that caused a lot of human suffering. Yes, it put pressure on the dictator but it was easy ammo to use against the United States. Essentially claiming that we were starving and murdering the civilians--and I knew people that were saying we were doing horrible things!
When we impose sanctions on a country to pressure the dictator, I think that things like food, water, clothing & medicine should be increased with pro-American propaganda along with it. What we should decrease is things like automobiles, electronics & other high standard of living commodities. Therefore we make it annoying for the people of North Korea to get by but it isn't possible to point to conditions of people dying due to our sanctions.
Their economy might stagnate and people might die as a result of that but it's not so easy to point the finger at the UN then. In my opinion, the blocking of these high commodities is precisely how sanctions should be done. If these have little or no effect (which they probably will) then you can always ramp it up to include other things. I think one of the harsher things you could do is just block all traffic two/from North Korea from the United States. I mean, they probably block most of it already so that might not matter but internet access would be another commodity that would certainly upset me if I didn't have access to it.
My work here is dung.
This dastardly attempt by the imperialists to stifle us will surely fail, as it always has in the past.
Our revolutionary scientific laborers, working under the glorious revolutionary banner of Juche, are coming up with our own as we speak! Our fervor shall produce better equipment than the American garbage, whether it be electronics, liquor, or food. Indeed, we have always done so, and the stories of us needing to import so called "luxury" goods are imperialist lies to discredit us.
As just one of many examples, it is well known that Great Leader Kim Il Sung, in his secret bunker on Mount Paekdu, singlehandedly created the Internet during the War of Resistance against the Japanese, passing on the specification to American military whose scientists who took credit dastardly for it twenty years later. I post this first post as a trivial testament to our revolutionary ingenuity, illustrating our pre-eminence!
Once again the imperialist dogs will be reminded of the futility of their ill-advised ways!
The Zune is a go for Lil Kim.
Segway declares bankruptcy after losing it's stranglehold on the North Korean electric scooter market.
Seriously, why would the ban Segway exports?
The man drives BMWs and Caddies, rides a Harley, sips fine cognac and drinks good scotch, plays with cameras, and relaxes in air conditioning, and his country looks like this.
I think if I could choose to stab anyone in the world in the face, he'd be a finalist for sure.
ACs are modded -6. I don't read you, I don't mod you, I don't see you. Don't like it? Don't be a coward.
Woah! North Korea certainly won't be able to progress in their quest for the bomb now that they won't be able to watch the "How to Make a Nuclear Bomb" podcasts anymore! How ridiculous.
Crack - Free with every butt and set of boobs
...they're just turning off all the lights in order to capitalize on the vast demand for meteorological tourism?
"North Korea: No Electricity Means No Light Pollution!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
Kimdude has set a new high for monthly purchases on ebay.
Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
What truth?
There is no dupe
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
I think the more money North Koreans spend on iPods, plasma televisions and Segways, the less they have to spend on nuclear weapons.
It's directed squarely at Kim Jong Il.
They probably should have put a sanction on exports of Brylcreem and hair gel, in that case.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
I think the more money North Koreans spend on iPods, plasma televisions and Segways, the less they have to spend on nuclear weapons.
Actually, I'd vote that we export only iPods to North Korea. (I'd say only Zunes, but I feel like that's probably a crime against humanity.)
"Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
Um...
Does the U.S. even make plasma TVs?
While we're at it, why not ban quantum based time machine portals?
There was a massive nerd-rush for the following products after an effective slashvertisement:
Mercedes', BMWs and Cadillacs; Japanese and Harley Davidson motorcycles; Hennessy XO and Johnny Walker.
When asked for a comment, one nerd replied, "I had no idea there were products other than iPods and Segways. Mr. Kim has really opened my eyes to the new world of non-computing-related consumerism."
I'll be your candy shop of infinite deliciousity if you'll be my discotheque of endless rump-shaking.
The likelihood that Kim Jong Il be even momentarily inconvenienced by this is negligible. The project is a failure before it's even started.
Probably not a lot of money spent, just the salaries of a bunch of high-ranking national security people for a few months. Nothing compared to the costs of an Iraq war or anything, but still... couldn't they find something more useful to do than waste their time on this useless masturbatory fantasy?
If the intention was to make Kim Jong Il fall over and die laughing at those whacky American imperialists, then maybe it would have a slim chance of success.
-b.
BTW- that's why Soviet troops returning from the front after WW II often went straight to Siberia. They simply knew too much about how good the conditions were outside the Soviet Empire (this despite the fact that Germany and Poland were war-torn mudholes).
This dastardry attempt by the imperiarists to stifre us rirr surely fair, as it arrays has in the past.
Our revorutionary scientific raborers, rorking under the grorious revorutionary banner of Juche, are coming up rith our orn as re speak! Our fervor sharr produce better equipment than the American garbage, rhether it be erectronics, riquor, or food. Indeed, re have awrays done so, and the stories of us needing to import so carred "ruxury" goods are imperiarist ries to discredit us.
As just one of many exampres, it is rerr known that Great Reader Kim Il Sung, in his secret bunker on Mount Paekdu, singrehandedry created the Internet during the rar of Resistance against the Japanese, passing on the specification to American miritary rhose scientists rho took credit dastardry for it trenty years rater. I post this first post as a triviar testament to our revorutionary ingenuity, irrustrating our pre-eminence!
Once again the imperiarist dogs rirr be reminded of the futirity of their irr-advised rays!
Actually, I'm pretty the Caddy down the street was paid for by selling even more illicit luxury items to those privileged neighborhoods.
Yes, the North Korean middle class will be hit hard by this and I assume they'll both be pretty pissed.
The theory with having a few nukes and missiles to tote them is not to be able to take on superpowers and win, it is to have enough of a credible threat to avoid being invaded or bombed or regime changed. North korea could not hope to invade the US and take over, nukes or not, but if they had the ability to hit some west coast cities or hawaii-we would never attack them. As it is now, just with conventionals, they have enough destructive potential to avoid getting invaded. They could order "fire" and half an hour later most of south korea's largest cities would be poisonous rubble, just from old plain vanilla cannon fire and some cheap chemicals. You would have to pull a surprise neutron weapon saturation strike to avoid that happening, and even then they are dug in soo well a lot of them might be able to counterattack. They are well known as being heavy diggers.
As to the consumer products ban, it is a big fat joke, that is just easily avoided by them, they will get whatever they want a few steps away from directly, that's all.
IN A.D. 2006
WAR WAS BEGINNING.
Kim: WHAT HAPPEN?
Mechanic: SOMEBODY SET UP US THE BAN.
Operator: WE GET EMBARGO.
Kim: WHAT!!
Operator: VIDEO IPOD TURN ON.
Kim: IT'S YOU!!
Bush: HOW ARE YOU GENTLEMEN!!
Bush: ALL YOUR IPOD ARE BELONG TO US.
Bush: YOU ARE ON THE WAY TO BOREDOM.
Dictator Kim: WHAT YOU SAY!!
Bush: YOU HAVE NO CHANCE TO PRESS PLAY MAKE YOUR TIME.
Bush: HA HA HA HA....
Operator: DICTATOR!
Kim: TAKE OFF EVERY 'MP3'!!
Kim: YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DOING.
Kim: MOVE 'ITUNES'.
Kim: FOR GREAT JUSTICE