Kim Jong-il's Life of Luxury

[weasel]

http://www.netscape.com/viewstory/20...xml&frame=true

I confess I have mixed feelings about this article and the whole North Korea situation in general. On one hand, I'm appalled by the kind of utterly selfish behavior displayed by a leader of a country who should be sharing the wealth he so lavishly bathes in. Notice any similarities to Saddam Hussein? I therefore feel that a joint strike force against North Korea would be completely justified both for the sake of North Korean (NK) citizens who don't have lobster flown in to their homes and citizens around the world who are threatened by NK's nuclear ambitions. On the other hand, I sure as hell wouldn't like to see another Iraq despite the fact that we had every right to go in there and defend the safety of America.I also suspect the reason why dear old Kimmy won't like the sanctions is because it'll disrupte his constant influx of cognac and Mercedes-Benz cars. Needless to say I'll be interested to learn what kind of "punishments" the UN will come up with.

You're comments are appreciated.

[Zeebadee]

Great post! Now tell us about how our own "public servants" live, their limos, fancy restaurants, job perks, automatic pay raises, just to give us an idea about how much like the average citizen they really are.

[rmnunez]

Zee, Kim is not a public servant, he is the successor to his dad (also Kim) who ruled the country for decades and "died with his boots on" before his son took over.

[Zeebadee]

Quote by: rmnunez Zee, Kim is not a public servant, he is the successor to his dad (also Kim) who ruled the country for decades and "died with his boots on" before his son took over.

I know who Kim is, I lived in Korea for over 10 years. I was making the point that Kim's extravagant lifestyle isn't a whole lot different than our own "public servants".

[gallo]

Quote by: weasel I confess I have mixed feelings about this article and the whole North Korea situation in general. On one hand, I'm appalled by the kind of utterly selfish behavior displayed by a leader of a country who should be sharing the wealth he so lavishly bathes in. Notice any similarities to Saddam Hussein?

Certainly do. I also see striking similarities to historical figures in Europe, who lived in luxury while their people starved. Just read the history of christian Europe and you will find many examples.

Quote by: weasel I therefore feel that a joint strike force against North Korea would be completely justified both for the sake of North Korean (NK) citizens who don't have lobster flown in to their homes and citizens around the world who are threatened by NK's nuclear ambitions.

Well good for you. Why don't we throw a whole generation into wars on foreign soil. We are already losing control in Iraq with mounting troop losses every month. The same is true of Afghanistan, simply because we didn't stay the course and eliminate the terrorists there. We abandoned a legitimate campaign against terrorists in Afghanistan to over throw the government in a country that had no terrorism and didn't support external terrorists. Why did we do it? Because we wanted to eliminate some non-existent weapons of mass destruction.

Quote by: weasel On the other hand, I sure as hell wouldn't like to see another Iraq despite the fact that we had every right to go in there and defend the safety of America.

But Iraq wasn't a threat to America. Weren't you paying attention? There was Iran with a powerful military and an active nuclear development program, and North Korea with a very powerful military and a more active nuclear development program, and Iraq with an ineffective military and no nuclear program of any kind. Which country did we invade? Duh.

And what moron couldn't see that the result of the overthrow of the government of Iraq would be a civil war? We just helped it along and now we are throwing our young into the fray to be slaughtered once again. Just like my brothers and I were thrown into a civil war in SE Asia for no apparent reason.

But even though you sabre rattlers think that we can just go in and kick ass, that won't be the case. That's why dubya wants to pursue diplomatic means. A military response would mean reinstatement of the draft (my brothers and I are too old - been there and done that - and my elder son is pushing the maximum draft age and would be direct commission in the JAG Corps at field grade. My younger son is an NCO in the Army, now in non-combat MOS, still undergoing rehabilitation from surgery to replace lost bone and ligament damage to his ankle.

Seriously, weasel. Have you ever been in the military and actually served in combat? I went to college with men who had scars and were missing body parts from combat in Korea. I couldn't even begin to name my friends who didn't return from VN.

Gosh! Let's just show those nasty North Koreans what war is about!

Bottom line is, we ain't got the balls because we are spread too thin in Afghanistan and Iraq, where we are taking excessive casualties because 1) we didn't stay the course, and 2) we are caught in a civil war that we created.

Quote by: weasel I also suspect the reason why dear old Kimmy won't like the sanctions is because it'll disrupte his constant influx of cognac and Mercedes-Benz cars.

Nonsense. He has a stock of Cognac that is more expensive than you could even dream of and his Mercedes will last for years.

Quote by: weasel Needless to say I'll be interested to learn what kind of "punishments" the UN will come up with.

If China, South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. stop all trade, then many more people will starve. The government of North Korea will go on, as will the army. They are the ones who have food and clothes. What kind of "punishments" do you actually think any nation is about to inflict. I mean, even Bush isn't so stupid as to believe that war is going to resolve the issue. Oh! Wait. He did thing that war in Iraq was going to solve some imaginary issues. Isn't it great to be involved in another civil war?

Quote by: weasel You're comments are appreciated.

I'm sure.

[GHook93]

Quote by: Zeebadee I know who Kim is, I lived in Korea for over 10 years. I was making the point that Kim's extravagant lifestyle isn't a whole lot different than our own "public servants".

It is a hell of a lot different. First, the US leaders in all respect don't make that much. Little Kim has the key to the kingdom. Second, our leaders don't live the good life, while the vast majority suffers. The average North Korean is not quite that great.

Did you live in North or South Korea. I highly doubt you lived in the North, because you won't be here. Little Kim does let people leave. If you lived in the South, well that is moot, since its a totally different situation.

[bob60292]

Remember the words of Lord Acton "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely"
North Korea should be a warning to all Americans. " Keep government on a leash. More people throughout history have been killed by their own governments than in wars with other governments. Remember this whenever some " bleeding heart" , " lust for power and glory" politician wants to "protect" you and society with new government agencies, government agents, and cooercive beauracracies, and handouts of other people's money. it's better to be free.

[Zeebadee]

Quote by: GHook93 It is a hell of a lot different. First, the US leaders in all respect don't make that much. Little Kim has the key to the kingdom. Second, our leaders don't live the good life, while the vast majority suffers. The average North Korean is not quite that great.

"According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (November 2004), the mean annual income across all occupations in the United States is $37,440. Contrast this figure with the income of the people elected to serve in Congress. There are four hundred and thirty five members in the House of Representatives. Of that number one hundred and twenty three had at least one million dollar incomes. As bad as this is, the disparity in the Senate is far greater.

Here’s an example. Republican Senate Majority leader Bill Frist recently reported an income of forty-five million dollars. Ironically, Frist’s counterpart in the Senate, Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota, was among the least wealthy elected officials.

Congressional wealth, however, is bipartisan. In 2002 forty three percent of incoming freshmen had annual incomes of at least one million dollars. By contrast, only one percent of the public have incomes of one million dollars or more. " The Congressional Millionaires Club

" * Comfortable salaries that are often determined through legislative sleight-of-hand. Contrary to the arguments of many Washington "insiders," the cost of living has rarely eroded the historical value of lawmakers' pay, which on a constant-dollar basis is hovering near the postwar high.
* Pension benefits that are two to three times more generous than those offered in the private sector for similarly-salaried executives. Taxpayers directly cover at least 80 percent of this costly plan. Congressional pensions are also inflation-protected, a feature that fewer than 1 in 10 private plans offer.
* Health and life insurance, approximately 3/4 and 1/3 of whose costs, respectively, are subsidized by taxpayers.
* Wheeled perks, including limousines for senior Members, prized parking spaces on Capitol Hill, and choice spots at Washington's two major airports.
* Travel to far-flung destinations as well as to home states and districts. Despite recent attempts to toughen gift and travel rules, "junkets" are still readily available prerogatives for many Members.
* A wide range of smaller perks that have defied reform efforts, from cut-rate health clubs to fine furnishings.
* The franking privilege, which gives lawmakers millions in tax dollars to create a favorable public image. Experts across the political spectrum have labeled the frank as an unfair electioneering tool. In past election cycles, Congressional incumbents have spent as much on franking alone as challengers have spent on their entire campaigns.
* An office staff that performs "constituent services" and doles out pork-barrel spending, providing more opportunities for "favors" that can be returned only at election time.
* Exemptions and immunities from tax, pension, and other laws that burden private citizens -- all crafted by lawmakers themselves."
Congressional Perks: How the Trappings of Office Trap Taxpayers

You're in for a tough time if you think you can claim that our ruling elite don't live far better than the average taxpayer.

[JohnMK]

They're also paid well so they're less likely to take bribes. As bad as we think it is, it might be worse if they were paid much less. That's also why cops should be paid well. You want these people to be as far above temptation as possible.

Aside from that, of course the wealthy are more likely to run for Congress. They don't live paycheck to paycheck like most Americans (negative savings rate anyone?) so it's easier to afford the time off to run for a job they might not get. What parent wants to expose their family, if they have one, to the uncertainty of a political race? I don't think that'd be very wise unless I had roughly a year of my salary saved up.

Kim Jong-Ill is aptly named.

[PatrickHenry]

Quote by: JohnMK They're also paid well so they're less likely to take bribes. As bad as we think it is, it might be worse if they were paid much less. ...

Ah-hahaha...

Buddy, they're highly paid because the set their own salaries!

[JohnMK]

I'd like to hear a sensible alternative . . .

It is well-known that compensating public employees highly -- does reduce corruption.

[PatrickHenry]

Quote by: JohnMK It is well-known that compensating public employees highly -- does reduce corruption.

Heh. I could say it is well known that you make unsupported statements...

[gr8fuldaniel]

Quote by: PatrickHenry Heh. I could say it is well known that you make unsupported statements...

Good point. It would be hard to prove there is no corruption in DC.

[bob60292]

Quote by: PatrickHenry Ah-hahaha... Buddy, they're highly paid because the set their own salaries!

Amen Patrick

[bob60292]

Quote by: JohnMK I'd like to hear a sensible alternative . . . It is well-known that compensating public employees highly -- does reduce corruption.

Learn a lesson from Pinocchio before your nose grows so much it will take an army to help you carry it.

[JohnMK]

You're misinterpreting my statement. Read it literally, and not as a loaded statement by a politician. Anyone with international awareness would see that public sector wages have an influence on the level of corruption.

You think U.S. corruption is bad? Just look overseas.

[JohnMK]

Quote by: gr8fuldaniel Good point. It would be hard to prove there is no corruption in DC.

Who said there's no corruption in DC?

[JohnMK]

Quote by: bob60292 Learn a lesson from Pinocchio before your nose grows so much it will take an army to help you carry it.

How about you touch a book once in a while or the International section of the Wall Street Journal? I'm not a fan of the ad hominem so please don't tempt me further.

[gr8fuldaniel]

Quote by: JohnMK Who said there's no corruption in DC?

Quote by: JohnMK It is well-known that compensating public employees highly -- does reduce corruption.

The public servants in DC are highly compensated, yet the corruption skyrockets.

public servant n. A person who holds a government position by election or appointment.

[Zeebadee]

Quote by: gr8fuldaniel The public servants in DC....

I love that phrase, the con artist politician that dreamed that lie up was a genius. We all know who the real servants are.