Americans vs. North Koreans

[matt819]

Got thinking about this the other day.

North Koreans obey their Dear Leader because failing to do so has dire consequences. Not news to those of us in the reality-based universe, but, per the New York Times, &quot M)any North Koreans live in fear. That is by design, and it is reinforced by the country’s ruthless police state." https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/11/world/asia/north-korea-human-rights.html. As motivations, loss of life is a good one.

American Republicans obey their Dear Leader because. . . who the fuck knows. As this article - https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/01/evangelicals-are-anticipating-the-end-of-the-world-and-trump-is-listening/ - posted today observes, evangelicals are hoping he brings about the rapture. Republicans legislators apparently believe that failure to support Trump is the death knell for their political careers. And run-of-the-mill Republicans just hate everything - non-white people, LGBTQ people, foreigners, legal and illegal immigrants, change, liberals, California.

But they don't risk death in opposing Trump. They see his political, personal, and moral failings, and yet they stand by him. They could do the right thing - they won't be killed if they oppose trump, unlike North Koreans - but they don't.

IMHO, this makes our situation here in the US far worse than that in North Korea. We have the capacity to speak up, do the right thing, etc. But we - well, they - choose not to. No one's threatening them. No one's hold the proverbial gun to their head. They will not be sent to the Gulag. And yet, they behave as North Koreans.

Well, historians are going to have a field day, and let's hope that this era of "North Korean-ness" ends sooner rather than later.

[virgogal]

1. No comparison,we can leave the US,the North Koreans are stuck there.

[cos dem]

2. I think there is still a huge difference between the two.

In this country, we only have sycophants-by-choice, and they are restricted to (mostly) angry white people.

There's still plenty of speaking out going on, including House Democrats and this website.

We do have a dysfunctional democracy, but it is definitely not as bad as the absolute dictatorship of NK. And, no doubt dumbass would like us to be like NK, but we're not there yet (and hopefully never!).

[braddy]

3. Having a political party that we differ from is a major difference we have with North Koreans.