[KP] Highways of North Korea

[asahi]

no, he meant Slovenia. It was, at that time, probably the richest socialistic region in the world. It wasn't an independent country though. Yugoslavia as a whole wasn't that rich at all...
btw I wouldn't call Sweden a socialistic country at any time in history.

[Mateusz]

Shall we say, with high social standards

[Fusionist]

tribal people lving in many countries do not know how the world operates, have no access to the internet, not educated, do not understand democracy, have no use for money yet live happily. Yet we make sure that we go out of the way and protect their way of life. We do not try induce our way of thinking on thier way of life. Why not look at North Korea form that angle ? in what way is North Korea different ? just a thought.

[Verso]

Originally Posted by asahi

no, he meant Slovenia. It was, at that time, probably the richest socialistic region in the world. It wasn't an independent country though. Yugoslavia as a whole wasn't that rich at all...
btw I wouldn't call Sweden a socialistic country at any time in history.

Talking about Slovenia or Yugoslavia, even Yugoslavia was the world's richest socialist country imo.

[Mateusz]

I suppose living in Yugoslavia during Cold War, wasn't that bad

[Verso]

Wasn't glitzy either.

[nuevo-chicago]

so how was it?

[Mateusz]

I don't know how it iwas in Slovenia or in other countries of Yugoslavia. But in Poland as my parents say evereything turned around 360 degrees since 1989. But not always not in positive way...

[nuevo-chicago]

Originally Posted by MateoW

I don't know how it iwas in Slovenia or in other countries of Yugoslavia. But in Poland as my parents say evereything turned around 360 degrees since 1989. But not always not in positive way...

Go on.....so things are worse in Poland now??

[Mateusz]

I'm mean changes in society. Not everyone could fit to the new reality. I think those changes hit every country from old East Block. For exmaple my parents lost their jobs in 1990. In cause of closing companies, because those companies was bringing a profit. They could'nt find a job up to 1996... Employers wanted young poeples with hight high qualifiactions. I'm not happy of beign in England. But my parents don't want to live anymore in sick country. They want to have a job and equivalent money for it. I know, I will be now blamed by polish forumers But that's how it looks. A little example from my life and there are plenty situations like my, and there many much worst situations of poeple in my country.

[Verso]

Originally Posted by nuevo-chicago

so how was it?

Actually it was quite glitzy, if you wanted to; you could go to Italy, Austria, Germany or any other Western country to buy glitzy stuff.

[keber]

Originally Posted by Verso

Actually it was quite glitzy, if you wanted to; you could go to Italy, Austria, Germany or any other Western country to buy glitzy stuff.

That of course was not so easy for Hungarians, Poles, Czechs etc.

[Zanovijetalo]

Originally Posted by MateoW

I suppose living in Yugoslavia during Cold War, wasn't that bad

It was.

[Stifler]

Some time ago I saw an awesome doccumentary in a Spanish channel about North Korea. Some things they said:

About roads:
- Lots of roads are 3x3 or even 4x4. They explain these roads are built for tanks and planes, while the rest of vehicles usually use secundary roads ¿?
- They don't let everybody to have private cars because they don't have many oil reserves and don't want to pollute and waste energy.
- They sweep empty roads.

Offtopic:
- Koreans must have a image of Kim Il Sung in their houses. There are 35,000 statues of him as well.
- Some notes have his face, but those cannot be fold. If you pass close to a statue you must revere and you mustn't turn you back on one of his images.
- You can use hot water only twice a day in hotels.
- As a foreigner you cannot leave the hotel alone, speak with Koreans...
- They read all the emails you want to send.
- They teach N.Korea invented the missiles hundreds of years ago.
- Kim Jon Il appears in the front page of every newspaper EVERYDAY.
- You cannot record or take photos of anything the guides don't say you are allowed to.
- They say The Leader designed the whole city.
- They teach The Leader invented the atomic bomb, software for computers,... It it wasn't impressive enough, Kim Il Sung wrote 18,000 books (1 book per day during 50 years)
- They have bowlings and even slot machines, but they play without money.
- They say everybody lives with 1$/month wage, but they cannot explain the officials have watches, suits and clocks far more expensive.

If you want to watch it, here you have the Youtube links. There are some interesting images of roads as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3Z9u...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p942z...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8jRX...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoTPUGu5TAw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjWUj...eature=related

[Mateusz]

I meant living in Yugoslavia compared to other countries of Eastern Block

[ChrisZwolle]

Yugoslavia was never part of the Eastern Block.

[keber]

That's true, if you mean Warsaw pact, but still we had eastern type of thinking. Be aware, that partial "westernization" began only in mid-seventies.

[Mateusz]

Same in Poland !

[LochNESS]

Of course they have, it's everywhere so also in North Korea.

On the pics, those are amazing, such wide roads, so empty and the quality also is not of the highest. A very surrealist feel it gives me. Thanks for posting these.

[mgk920]

With the total control, regimentation, cult of personality and so forth from the moment of birth - these people are kept like housepets, I seriously wonder how hard the transition will be when the current system there collapses.

Man, oh man what a nightmare life these people live - and they literally know of nothing else.

Mike