Common ground

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India with less medals than north korea
- What the hell is north Korea doing in the Olympics anyway?
  
  Competing like any other country.
  
  Riight, north korea is a very oppressive country and they violate human rights, so why are they allowed to compete? Countries like Russia aren't allowed to.
  
  If democratic government was a requirement half the countries wouldn't be allowed in. The Olympic Truce just says that countries that are at war may not participate. And, looking at Israel, even that is loosely enforced
  
  Wasn't Russia banned for cheating at the Olympics? I.e, punished w/in the context of the Games for their unethical actions also within the context of the Games - not for their warmongering or oppression or human rights abuses.
  
  It looks like warmongering actually played a part in this year's decision:
  The sanctions against those responsible for the war, the Russian and Belarusian states and governments, remain in place for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. This means, in particular, that:
  No flag, anthem, colours or any other identifications whatsoever of Russia or Belarus will be displayed at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in any official venue or any official function.
  No Russian or Belarusian government or state officials will be invited to or accredited for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
  Olympic page the above text was taken from
  
  Correct
  
  The whole philosophy behind the Olympics is to temporarily put all other international geopolitics aside. Russia is only out due to their extensive cheating.
  
  That makes sense, thank you!
  
  *getting caught with extensive cheating
  
  Source? And preferably not one from the country that murdered 1 out of every 5 civilians in the DPRK a few years ago?
  
  The people who manage to escape NK are a pretty good source. Also, 2 wrongs don't make a right. It's perfectly possible for both the US and NK to be in the wrong.
  
  The people who manage to escape NK are a pretty good source.
  I agree. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V4Hnl7J9H4
  
  South Korea boosts reward for defectors to $860k USD.
  Are north korean defectors really paid to lie by the south? A short documentary.
  Is north korea a totalitarian dictatorship? Are they all really required to get the same haircut? A short documentary.
  
  1st link:
  Defectors can expect to receive the six-figure payout if they cross the border with intelligence that helps enhance South Korea's security.
  That... is actually very reasonable, and does not support or diminish your argument.
  2nd link: I'm sorry, but DPRK news room doesn't exactly scream unbiased.
  3rd link: The tone and channel name seems comedic at first glance, but I'll watch it and get back to you. Plenty of comedians doing real journalism these days anyway, so that shouldn't be a mark against him.
  
  Loyal Citizens of Pyongyang A documentary on the world of defectors and South Korean Intelligence (National Intelligence Service, formerly known as the KCIA)
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V4Hnl7J9H4
  The originally posted documentary is soft-censored behind an age-confirmation verification
  
  Paid testimony is bribery, its not reliable.
  
  That specific BBC article is what I was talking about. It's not publicly available testimony, it's information gathering by the SK state about NK from defectors.
  
  You should move there and see what it's actually like.
  
  So, I watched that third link in its entirety. It was pretty interesting. I think the core idea is that NK isn't some absolutely insane bizarro land, which I actually agreed with beforehand. It did not disprove the fact that NK is an authoritarian dictatorship. The only thing it did prove (which again, I knew about beforehand) is that western media likes to exaggerate the faults to hyperbolic levels. I honestly think that the average north korean would live a better life without the Kim family (or any other family regime) ruling over them. This doesn't mean that they force people to have specific hairstyles at gunpoint or execute politicians for slouching during speeches (as the video joked about), but they still direct a large portion of the states wealth towards friends and family.
  I think you should really honestly consider the fact that two wrongs don't make a right. NK and the USA do terrible things. Instead of litigating which one is worse, maybe we should focus on how to make better alternatives, like you've done with this alternative to Reddit.
  
  The people who manage to escape NK are a pretty good source
  Journalists pay defectors for stories. No effort is made to verify anything they say. This practice is considered wildly unethical in any other context. They're not credible. But just the content should be enough, do you really think North Koreans pull trains from city to city? That the children eat rats who eat children? That they build fake towns with fake schools, presumably the fields are tended by fake farmers?
  It’s perfectly possible for both the US and NK to be in the wrong.
  So why aren't you asking why the US is allowed to participate when they commit far worse atrocities?
  
  To all of those stories, they seem like strawmen. I've not heard anything that ridiculous. Just that NK is an authoritarian regime that rewards friends and family of the regime at the expense of the well being of the populace. Kinda like a red veneer over Saudi Arabia, similar system.
  So why aren't you asking why the US is allowed to participate when they commit far worse atrocities?
  I didn't even ask why NK isn't allowed to participate. Why are you giving me an argument I didn't make?
  
  To all of those stories, they seem like strawmen.
  nvm then, I'd assumed you were referring to those absurd stories that get republished by otherwise reputable news sources every few months.
  I didn’t even ask why NK isn’t allowed to participate.
  Apologies, I didn't realize you weren't the guy who started this comment chain.
  
  Taking selfies together with South Korean sportspeople. Bet the other North Koreans never get to see them though.
- and weightlifting hasn't even started yet.

70 comments