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North Korea Erases Executed Official From the Internet

itwbennett writes "The North Korean state propaganda machine has edited and deleted hundreds of news articles that mention Jang Song Thaek, the former top government and party official and uncle to leader Kim Jong Un, who was executed Thursday. Earlier this week, Jang was arrested in front of hundreds of senior members of the ruling Worker's Party of Korea and denounced for numerous alleged acts against the state and Kim Jong Un. From arrest to trial to death took only four days and the unprecedented fall from grace is widely being interpreted as an attempt by Kim Jong Un to keep officials loyal and scared."

21 of 276 comments (clear)

  1. Word unlocked. by SuricouRaven · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The term 'Orwellian' tends to be overused a bit these days. But, having read 1984, this is something straight out of that book. The adjective is appropriate in this situation: Go ahead and use it.

    1. Re:Word unlocked. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I am more than certain that not a single soul posting on Slashdot feels the need for anyone, anywhere, especially not one of their own, to give permission to use blatantly inflammatory language to describe anything at all.

    2. Re:Word unlocked. by TapeCutter · · Score: 2, Insightful

      He murdered his uncle for political reasons and doesn't want everyone to know about it, that kind of behaviour predates 1984 by several millennia.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    3. Re:Word unlocked. by phantomfive · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's the North Korean Happy Fun Time Hour! Be sure to clap for Dear Leader very enthusiastically!

      You might be joking, but one of the accused's crimes was, in fact, to not clap enthusiastically enough. It's almost like they are trying to parody themselves.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    4. Re:Word unlocked. by arth1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      He murdered his uncle for political reasons and doesn't want everyone to know about it, that kind of behaviour predates 1984 by several millennia.

      This is not insightful. He murdered his uncle and erased him from history, and very much wanted every North Korean politician, military and ambitious individual to know about it. It's a demonstration of utter ruthlessness designed to ensure obedience.

      When you work for a man capable of doing that to his own uncle, you tread lightly. And that's what he wants. He knows that you and everybody else knows the charges were false - he wants you to know that. But never say it. And if you're in North Korea, you won't.

    5. Re:Word unlocked. by Nimey · · Score: 5, Insightful

      What makes you think that most people who invoke 1984 have even read it?

      --
      Hail Eris, full of mischief...

      E pluribus sanguinem
    6. Re:Word unlocked. by mysidia · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Just remember that Germany voted for Hitler. History can and does happen again, unless we care to learn from it.

      And the US voted for Obama.

      There is frequently a disconnect between the reason people vote for someone, and what that person actually does once elected.

    7. Re:Word unlocked. by drkim · · Score: 3, Insightful

      He murdered his uncle for political reasons...

      ...but - tell the truth - around the holidays, haven't you ever felt like killing someone in your family?

    8. Re:Word unlocked. by ttucker · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No, he did not win, but you have mistakenly stumbled upon the point. Do you see anything disturbing about the fact that he had 36% of the vote?

  2. Re:Obummer's exit plan by MightyMartian · · Score: 3, Insightful

    How soon before what's left of your pathetic, useless brain leaks out the one nostril you don't pick?

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  3. Re:Arrest To Death in 4 Days for J.S. Thaek by Beavertank · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Due process, for one. And the fact that guilt is rarely obvious enough to justify a lightning quick death.

  4. Re:House of Cards by bondsbw · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Maybe if he killed himself, everyone would win.

    --
    All my liberal friends think I'm a conservative, all my conservative friends think I'm a liberal.
  5. Re:Obummer's exit plan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    The US military oath is to obey the constitution first.

    So is the oath of all public officials. What's your point?

    A president who declared himself supreme leader would suffer from a case of high velocity lead poisoning very quickly.

    No, most of you Internet tough guys would be cowering in your homes.

  6. Re:Obummer's exit plan by Ralph+Wiggam · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Senator Obama voted for warrantless NSA spying 4 months before he was elected President. Try paying attention some time.

  7. Re:Arrest To Death in 4 Days for J.S. Thaek by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The people advocating such schemes tend not to be 'willing to accept' so much as 'overtly gleeful about' a bit of the old collateral damage, so long as it isn't real people or anything.

  8. Sympathy? by Charliemopps · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This guy was one of the top brass in NK. Lets keep in mind how many millions of tortures and death he's likely responsible for. The worlds better off without him, and we can only hope NK becomes unstable soon. Those poor people that live there, my God. How can we still have such a place on this earth.

  9. You'll never understand until you experience it by Taco+Cowboy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The term 'Orwellian' tends to be overused a bit these days. But, having read 1984, this is something straight out of that book

    Millions of Jews died in the hand of the Nazis. Those who went through holocaust hell but survived fully comprehend the meaning of "LIBERTY".

    Many people tried to scale the Berlin wall but was shot to death. Those who were successful fully appreciate the importance of "LIBERTY".

    Some brave souls from North Korea risk everything and went through a very dangerous journey crossing the very heavily guarded border into China. To them, "LIBERTY" is worth much more than all the gold in the world.

    They do not need "1984" to tell them the horror. They have experience it first hand.

    I had befriended several holocaust survivors when I was in the United States (back when many of them were still alive, in the 70's) and I found that, for them, the same thing happen : Mere words could never justify the horrors that they had gone through.

    The scars that they had was much worse than the scars that I have. They had their family slaughtered right in front of them, and yet, when I asked them to describe how they feel, they just shook their head.

    They couldn't.

    It's not the "hurt" that stopped them from telling me what happened. It's that SPOKEN WORDS itself is not sufficient.

    Now, when I see people like you justifying your "understanding" the horror with a fiction, I sadly shake my head.

    "1984" is but an old fiction.

    You guys might find it useful, but to us who had been through the horror, that book does not even come close to the actual experience.

    To us, "LIBERTY" means much more than life itself.

    To some of you, that word is, a word.

    That is why I mourn for the loss of "LIBERTY" of the United States of America but too many born and bred Americans themselves don't even understand what they have lost.

    I humbly ask for your forgiveness because English is not my mother tongue. There are times, like now, I am at a total loss of words to describe how I feel.

    All I can say is this --- You will never understand the importance of "LIBERTY" until you have lost it.

    --
    Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
    1. Re:You'll never understand until you experience it by Oligonicella · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You're being a dick. I understood exactly what he meant.

    2. Re:You'll never understand until you experience it by AK+Marc · · Score: 4, Insightful

      1984 is a way to help those who don't know the definition to understand. You find it offensive that someone might understand liberty without having gone through what you did?

  10. Re:Obummer's exit plan by couchslug · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You modern right-wingers collectively can't muster the balls of Timothy McVeigh (who failed to kickstart anything because the rest of you are gutless) so all you do is snivel on the internet, forward Faux News articles, and grumble like a bunch of blue-haired biddies in your little circle jerk of mutual affirmation.

    You don't do shit, so quit bitching. You rant about the "Greatest Generation" but you aren't a bump on their collective posterior.

    YOUR GOPs relentless incompetence and pathetic candidates are why Obama (who I also dislike) is in office in the first place! YOU got him elected twice.

    The refusal of modern so-called "conservatism" to do anything other than preach like the White Trash Christian Taliban you are at heart while gargling the balls of rich people who wouldn't be caught dead with you is a disgrace.

    --
    "This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
  11. Re:How does that work? by MozeeToby · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Whispers are more powerful than shouts.