Shwa

Agreed since only a massive ego, such as what might exist within a big, giant head, would believe that spewing these unimaginary cliches is somehow clever or intelligent. Or even mildly insulting. For example, where the above poster says "get out of your mom's basement" I would respond with something like this, this, or even this. We have a massive amount of cultural material at our disposal, where's the originality anymore?

Vitamin B12 is pretty good too in combination with the D, especially in the winter.

Seriously Bill, try to follow along or don't comment on isolated bits of information out of context. Here is an example of what I can do to your post: Is that your solution, to feed the NK army and starve the people?? You sound like a Kim Jong-il supporter.

Or maybe we do what Robert Heinlein suggested in 'Star Troopers' and only confer citizenship on people who have served in the military.

Fantino wins! Fantino wins! And from what I am hearing, the ex-pat Mohawks and other Indians in Vaughn were the swing vote. I mean, they usually vote Liberal, but Fantino, they just love that guy!

You're no anarchist. If you were, you wouldn't be farting around on the Internet, you'd be huddling downtown somewhere with your fellow wags swapping ad-busters magazines. I see you as a radical only and that is not a bad thing. However, while governments and money might not be relevant, you haven't touched on governance or currency. Ok, but replicators are a few years off yet. In the meantime technology IS being used towards solving the problems common to all man. You just want it yesterday. Understandable. The real difference makers were those who advocated different ways of doing in order the solve the problems common to all of us. Then they demonstrated it. Even Edison got off his ass once in a while. A real anarchist would have taken a boat instead.

I am not blaming technology at all. Nor the sun. But you gotta admit, good technology allows for bigger governments. And a "service" economy. Really? Is this before or after the spread of Catholicism in the Americas? I mean, how many Catholics were in the Phillipines in 1548? They've done pretty good over there since ol' Henery the Eight-I-Either-I-Am. Yes, but language doesn't serve itself. Or... hmmm... does it? But you must admit, after talking about Big Brother and technocracies, mentioning a self-pleasuring technological virus had me a little worried there for a minute. LOL. Carry on...

For awhile there, they were hatin' on Buffalo.

This is an interesting point. It might simply be expediant to classify whole subject areas with the same brush rather than hire staff to determine the valid classification of each and every document. I mean, how much staff would you need to properly classify hundreds of millions or billions of documents? I think it would take quite a few people and a heck of a lot of salary dollars.

True. But feeding them, giving them work and currency to buy goods, give them access to the rest of the globe, these things are far better than either killing them or wringing one's hands in crisis and doing nothing. Sure, they have their day, but change does come in one form or another and that is a pretty clear picture from history wouldn't you agree? No one said that it doesn't come with some cost or some pain. Regime changes rarely do. You don't know that. Have I advocated for massive civilian casualties here? What you are saying is that any attack on NK will inevitably result in an all out destructive war with millions dead. That is your 'hell' scenario. But make no mistake, it is your scenario. If you want to create straw men to attack, its your bayonet to use. Korea has it's own history and I am sure plenty of yuan will help them over the hump. No, but taking the head off the beast will create a window for change. If the society is as corrupt as you say, then it is inevitable that some other cadre will have to come in a help them along. Whether it is China, South Korea or an Asian Coalition. You know there was a time I heard the same arguments about the Soviet Union way back in the day. And I am not talking about some valid insight on internet forums, but published experts, scholars, seminars, the whole nine yards. At one time the prevailing opinion was that entire society of the Soviet Union was "corrupted to the bones." But history suggests otherwise. Now, whether we take action today or let some brave unionist dockworkers in Nampho say enough is enough in a few years, we might as well be positive about the outcomes. And the positive outcome, IMO, is the removal of the Jong regime. One way or another, they gotta go. The sooner, the better.

Third time's the charm dre, come on now.

Feed them, give them jobs, set up stores. People are pretty resiliant. When there is a plan. A lot of hand wringing isn't very useful. Some regime changes happen over night. It called 'elections.' That is my plan, while there is a power vacuum, let the Chinese go into, er... "help." No, I meant "Meh, they all are" in the sense that you can't let that stop a good thing. Right, Il Duce. There's that Spanish background messing me up again, sorry. As for what the millions are fighting for, you are listing leaders and leadership. I am saying cut the head off the beast so the people basically have a choice of some effed up ideology that is keeping them starving in tatters or they can join the rest of the party. We'll make room for them. Hey, even when the German leadership was decimated after WWII, the Germans got in the game pretty quickly.

Plus... one could argue that this isn't like Afghanistan at all. If China is on board, this whole operation should take a few weeks, cost a few thousand and then we can get back to business. NK's have no place to escape to...

Damn, you avoided the ringer, but I'll tell you anyways: more and better technology means more people means more politicians and bureaucrats. But you get a point for style. Schism, sure. But the Catholic Church is hardly "down" and even might be going through a mini-resurgence. Despite the printing press escaping their clutches, there they are, every Sunday calling people to their knees with their softly spoken magic spells. That sounds rather uncharacteristically pessimistic. Did you watch The Matrix on the weekend or something?

Hardly. Didn't you notice the target practice and systems shake down in Iraq? Gotta work them bugs out dontchya know. I think Kim and Son are ready for the real deal. Along with the rest of their party elites.

Coattails buddy, coattails. We got enough spare cash for some coattails.

NK represents quite a large market. And workforce. Right. Like regime changes never happen. I didn't say "leader" I am talking "leadership." Besides, what would be the point of anyone filling in after Kim and Son? There wouldn't be any posh left for them to enjoy. Heck, if the cruise are on target, no beer to cry in either. Meh, they all are. Well now, that is the key isn't it? What are they willing to endure for their set of ethics? Heck, even the Italians said enough is enough and hung El Duce on a meathook.

Now we're talkin'. Then, while the NK artillery is being dismantled, send some pinpoint strikes on their elites. "I'll Kim Jong-il you!!"

LOL - are you kidding me? We'd borrow some of yours, let you fire them based on your intel, plans and procedures and then be there in case some peace needs a-keepin'.

Oh they may, they may not. What I am saying that if we want to test that, then test it on the heads of their elites first. Not some clumsy carpet bombing campaign, but right up the arses of their leadership. Which, no doubt they have plenty of surveillance footage to go on. At least give it a try. Now, would NK attack? If a good old regime change is in progress they might rethink the attack strategy and decide to maybe join the global party especially if China comes to the, er, "rescue." However, I am not going to sit back and paint them as fierce little paranoid rats each armed to the teeth with some indestructable set of ethics. That would be naive too.

If it is profitable, then there is a scientific method that is used to predict said profits. Economics, for one, uses a lot of math. Your advocating for Big Brother. No thanks. So you are saying there is some moral imperative to science then? Show me your work on this, you know, the calculations and data you have used to arrive at this moral conclusion. Oh wait, it's relative... Well damn good thing it supports you eh? What with the internet, grocery stores - a job...

Which has resulted in a dramtic downsizing of the Canadian and provincial bureaucracies. Wait, no it didn't. ML182 is offering a radical solution, by definition, not something "in a small way." The printing press brought down the Catholic Church? When? Where? I am not saying technology doesn't have it's utility, but a technocracy serves no one.

Yes Nicky, they will just throw their hands up in the air in exasperation and say, 'those bugger North Koreans, let's just bomb them.' That's naive. What I am saying is respond to shellings and boat sinkings with a few well placed cruise missiles in the middle of their elite suburbs. Do it at night on a new moon. Bye-bye pools and tennis courts. I highly doubt anyone would be lobbing cruise missiles without considering the millions. But I am betting that North Korea is bluffing and when the smoke clears, China will have added to it's already considerable stable of assets. There will be a McDonalds and Wal-Mart in Pyongyang within the year. "Kim Jong? Who is Kim Jong? I'll have a quarter-pounder with a small order of kimchi please."

Maybe, maybe not. But a nice coordinated end play with the Chinese gives them the thin edge during any transitory phase of power. If you can keep the lines of communication a mess, the transitory window is open long enough for the Chinese to get in there and root out the uncooperative.

The pics don't show the underground, but they do show some nice family compounds. Now if they want to live in the cellar while their rich lavish digs are reduced to rubble, all the power to them. But power confers luxury, remove the luxury for the elites and let them get a taste of the average North Korean's lifestyle. It won't be long before the beast is eating it's own tail for dinner.