So you can drop the “vigilance” crap.

We’ve had an informal agreement to ‘try’ to be civil when discussing politics. I did my part in not firing an eb Nelson style retort in your direction. It was tempting though.

But to the topic, I don’t see the hypocrisy- at least not at the levels that would illicit knee jerk reactions .

You and ER are too familiar with your own perceptions. Some of us need these things spelled out. Not in detail, just a very short simple outline would suffice…If you would be so kind.

The article on Korea is undoubtedly true, certainly interesting and informative, and it should be publicized. But an endless list of I-told-you-sos about the evil Commies gets pretty tiresome, too. Of course, if we weren’t politically oversensitized, we wouldn’t need to have this conversation, would we?

I had just finished reading a story about Cuba arresting protesters prior to the visit of the Pope. I was thinking that paralleled the arrest of the Occupiers in the US.

Then I read TBs post. To me it was a political statement, an attempt to sway public opinion. There’s a reason these stories surface at the times they do.

My post was an attempt to balance the issue, to point out that while North Korea may be a country which disregards human rights and has oppressive prisons, our own country does the same qualitative thing.

I didn’t intend it as an attack, just a counter-balance, and I don’t believe unpleasant information is always a Flame.

It’s a close call, I’ll admit, and you are to be thanked once again for your vigilance. I’m still going to disagree with you on this one.

I can reconstruct it if it blows up.

Although you’re likely correct about the reason Tom posted it, putting it on Off-Topic without comment turns it into a Readers Digest piece.

If one enjoys politics as a cerebral challenge and perceives “their side” under attack, it’s not a foul to draw attention to individuals that paint the other side in a dim light.

I personally no longer care about what happens elsewhere. However that being said…because of globalization, I am forced to care because I will have to clean up someone else’s shit in my back yard.

Mayhem…it is what is for dinner…lunch…breakfast…

The truth is both sides commit atrocities, although one side usually commits more than the other, and often many more than the other. But declaring that usually means you get slammed by both sides.

The problem is you don’t need to lie to propagandize, you just need to select the truth carefully and package it appropriately. My response to this post is “So North Korea is a hell-hole.” But I already know that.

The questions we need to be asking ourselves is “Are we to ignore this story because it’s probably just an excuse to provide justification to bomb Korea’s nukes?” Or, “Does this mean if Obamacare isn’t dismantled we’re going to wind up just like North Korea?”

This new “Detente” is taking some getting used to.