N. Korean leader stresses self-supporting economy

Yonhap News ^ | 10/01/09

[TigerLikesRooster]

N. Korean leader stresses self-supporting economy

SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-il recently inspected production facilities for food and other daily goods in Pyongyang, lauding workers for making progress in building the "nation's self-supporting economy," the North's media reported Thursday.

Kim gave field guidance to workers at the Pyongyang Catfish Farm and praised them for bringing about "unprecedented innovations" in fish farming in recent years, the North's Korean Central News Agency said.

Kim was accompanied by Kim Ki-nam, a secretary of the Workers' Party's central committee, and other senior party officials, according to the agency. The report did not say when the visit was made.

[TigerLikesRooster]

The guy says, "This way into the fish tank, Dear Leader, sharks are waiting for you."

[TigerLikesRooster]

Ping!

[sonofstrangelove]

Its hard to have a self sustaining economy when most of the citizens are hungry.

[bruinbirdman]

"The report did not say when the visit was made. "

The picture of Kim is Il looks about 5 years old.

yitbos

[TigerLikesRooster]

It all depends on when his photo is taken between his dialysis schedule. Right before another dialysis, he probably looks the worst.

[PittsburghAfterDark]

Don’t you love all of these socialist utopias like Cuba and North Korea striving to one day being able to feed themselves?

What a major accomplishment for an entire nation!

[bruinbirdman]

Is there info on the dictator's dialysis? Have we seen verifiable pics of the whacko since he was in the gymnasium at that conference thing after his hospital stay?

My mother, 87, has dialysis three times a week for 4 hrs. I have not seen noticeable physical differences before of after.

yitbos

[plsjr]

The U.S.A. used to be independently self sustaining ... I wonder who and why we are no longer (not).

It may be we'll end up there again, albeit not so much of a _world_ producer anymore, if the communists (’rats, media, ed industry, unions, etc.) are successful. We'll probably be a collection of self sufficient agrarian communities.

[bruinbirdman]

Oops. There are the new pics of ol' Kim with The Toon. He looked pretty good in that side by side.

yitbos

[TigerLikesRooster]

I read an account from a S. Korean article. I am not familiar with dialysis patients. I just thought that if one does not get dialysis in time or not have enough rest, things can get worse, and believed the account.

[Leisler]

We’ve never not been a big importer/exporter.

[plsjr]

Are you saying we’ve always been dependent on other nations for critical natural resources and source materials (those necessary to sustain and defend ourseleves)?

Did we not have and have we not given up our ability to function without dependence on other countries?

Please enlighten me.

[Leisler]

Yes. But a few examples...

France during the RW.
England( both sides) during the CW.
Brazil for Rubber, Chile for nitrates, Copper from S. America, Sonar and Radar from England for explosives during the World Wars.

We’ve always traded

[Eric in the Ozarks]

There are a couple of strategic minerals that we don't have that are useful but not available in the US or Canada. When the first SR-71 spy plane was designed, the only source of the exterior skin material was the Soviet Union. The CIA set up a dummy trading company and did an exchange with another private trading company in Brazil. The Brazilians bought the metal from the Rooskies and traded it to us.

[RoadTest]

He calls the people eating grass and each other an “economy”?

[plsjr]

My point remains valid.

[SevenofNine]

Is that Chia Pet or one of his doubles

[Leisler]

Ah, no. Grossly no. Believe as you wish the facts are otherwise.

[plsjr]

OK, I think I vaguely understand the references you're making, though I don't know to what facts you're referring (an arbitrary war and country, assuming I know the history behind the reference - I don't - I spent more than the first half my life in a personal bubble failing to invest in the knowledge of history and unwilling to confront the evil of political malfeasance).

If it's worth your time to provide examples I can research, I would appreciate a ‘leg up’ to disabuse myself of wrongheadedness.

It seems to me that after the World Wars, the U.S.A had the means to stand on our own as a country (whether we did or not), in isolation from other countries and survive and protect ourselves. Unfortunately, we set ourselves up as the world police and therefore required resources beyond our own needs to act as such - and the U.S. being a ‘global force’, many probably considered self reliance unnecessary, relying on that power and forgoing responsible stewardship.

[Jet Jaguar]

BTTT

[plsjr]

OK, I think I vaguely understand the references you're making, though I don't know to what facts you're referring (an arbitrary war and country, assuming I know the history behind the reference - I don't - I spent more than the first half my life in a personal bubble failing to invest in the knowledge of history and unwilling to confront the evil of political malfeasance).

If it's worth your time to provide examples I can research, I would appreciate a ‘leg up’ to disabuse myself of wrongheadedness.

It seems to me that after the World Wars, the U.S.A had the means to stand on our own as a country (whether we did or not), in isolation from other countries and survive and protect ourselves. Unfortunately, we set ourselves up as the world police and therefore required resources beyond our own needs to act as such - and the U.S. being a ‘global force’, many probably considered self reliance unnecessary, relying on that power and forgoing responsible stewardship.

[Leisler]

Most Americans fled their original countries. I. E., they didn’t want the world. The wanted a ‘New World’.

George Washington in his farewell address made the admonition of avoiding foreign entanglements.

One can argue, fairly, how much or little we want to be involved in the world.

I only point out, that in no way have we ever, nor can I ever see us not trading or needing goods, material and services from outside the US. We have always had a navy and commercial shipping for a reason, because we need it and it is good for us economically.

Always for the last hundred years a million or more business people, traders, manufactures, agents have been involved and risked and made money by international trade. They know something you don’t know. They know for some reason of price, quantity, quality or something that it is right and good that they get those goods. I trust their judgement more than any government or economic notion.

[Leisler]

Some sites to pick up some speed, the last three the easiest.

http://www.econlib.org/
http://mises.org/
www.reason.org/
www.cato.org/
www.americanheritage.com/

[plsjr]

I think you misunderstand me - I'm not isolationist - I'm concerned about our dependence on resources outside our nation for survival.

Free, fair and honest competition benefits all, locally, nationally and internationally.

Complete dependence on real or potential adversaries will lead to compromise which can weaken our ability to protect and defend ourselves socially, economically and physically. (e.g., mid-east oil and Chinese industry)

My intended point all along is that we've allowed other than beneficent domestic forces to influence our loss of independence, while the N. Korean government despite being the antithesis of what the U.S. has stood for, is focusing on an issue that we disregard at our peril.