Until yesterday I wasn't aware that (an approximation of) Nazi concentration camps still exist in 2010, in North Korea. As the descendant of an Auschwitz slave, this is beyond horrifying to me. While the purpose of these N. Korean concentration camps is slave labor (not genocide), the similarities are far too close for comfort. Political prisoners not guilty of any crime are sent to isolated work camps and deprived of all human rights, men separated from women, 18 hour work days, sleeping in cramped communal barracks, starvation, routine rapes and beatings, and even crude medical experiments still take place there today. While there's nothing you or I can really do about it, the world should be more aware that this sort of thing still exists in 2010. The less people pay attention, the longer this will continue to go on unhindered. http://www.northkoreanrefugees.com/2007-09-atbirth.htm "...One day when I was 9 years old, my school teacher, always in SSA uniform, searched the children and found 5 grains of wheat in the pocket of a girl. He made her kneel directly in front of us and in full sight, then began to beat her head fiercely with a baton for about an hour until she fainted. It was strange to me that her head never bled but many bumps raised on her scalp from the punishment. We carried her to her house, and were told the next day that she had died quietly the night before. A child was beaten to death and no one was held responsible nor punished! The school teachers in their SSA uniforms had the right to do whatever they liked. This is a common and almost routine case in the camp No. 14, not an isolated or exceptional case." "...Sometime in mid-2004, late in the evening, just as the daily punishment session was over, when 4 SSA officers strangely appeared and asked us âWhich cell has the largest army of lice?â Some prisoners responded, âYes, we have a lot of lice.â The SSA officers said, âOk, then, use this water to clean your body.â And they gave a bucket of water to a group of seven women in a cell and the other bucket was given to a group of 5 men in another cell. Nothing immediately happened when they washed their bodies with the water, except that the water looked somewhat milky and had the same odor as the insecticides used in the fields. However, in about a week, red spots appeared all over their bodies, which began to fester. Within a month, their bodies were covered with running sores. They simply could not get up for work. When we thought that they were about to die, a truck came one day and carried them away to an unknown location. Had I washed my body with that water at that time, I would surely not be here today."
Reading accounts such as this puts all the bellyaching about the US in perspective. By the way, I am sure you know there were also Gypsys, homosexuals, political dissidents, and several thousand Jehovah's Witnesses in those Nazi camps.
Surprised you didn't know that, although I suppose no info from that place is 100% reliable. Check out the documentation of mass starvation, forced labour, torture etc. It's funny how people nowadays think WWII was a "just war", but no one wants to invade N Korea. I disagree nothing can be done about it. If 9/11 could be carried out under the noses of the world's most powerful military for less than $1 million, then it should be definitely doable to wipe out the top N Korean leadership for a similar amount. Whilst it would probably not collapse the regime, it could easily cause a deterrent effect i.e. liberalize somewhat or the next guy in charge gets a price on his head too. In fact, if it were not for knee-jerk anti-"terrorism" attitudes among the major powers, this would be a great project to back or take part in. Anyone who really wants to, could probably arrange this. Especially something with a bit of cash.
Yes, but WW2 wasn't fought because people loved Jews so much, just as the civil war wasn't fought over slavery. People find justifications when war fits their perceived interests. Not that I don't agree with WW2 having been fought. Although I also wouldn't endorse a war with N Korea. Maybe supporting a South Korean initiative or some such thing would be a better way...
Here is a guy who was in one of those prison camps telling his story. It gives you more of a feel of how life is inside those camps and how hopeless it is as many people in there have no idea there is life outside those camps. This guy thought that the whole world was a prison camp before he got out. <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4LYjo81MlQM?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4LYjo81MlQM?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ts_IcywvB9Y?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ts_IcywvB9Y?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
I kind of agree, but why should we accept bad because its not as bad as it could be? instead of how bad it is there or here or now or then we should focus on things getting better and better. If people feel they are going in the right direction, they are happier. If this story was about the closing of this camp or even that they have now abolished the medical experiments but were still raping prisoners, it would still be viewed bad news, but in a positive direction.