• Skullgrid@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    16 days ago

    ok, let’s get on the same page

    Do you think people in North Korea are in a free, functioning democracy?

    • porous_grey_matter@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      16 days ago

      I know very little about North Korea so I’m not willing to make any claims about it either way. I can tell you I don’t believe that western media or organisations will ever give accurate information about it, so I don’t buy many of the stories you hear. I’m also not saying that does make it democratic. We were talking about Cuba though.

      In the interest of getting on the same page therefore, do you think people in the USA/Anglosphere or Europe are in free, functioning democracies?

      • Skullgrid@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        0
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        16 days ago

        I can tell you I don’t believe that western media or organisations will ever give accurate information about it, so I don’t buy many of the stories you hear.

        what about independent journalists that go there and are restricted from gathering information?

        In the interest of getting on the same page therefore, do you think people in the USA/Anglosphere or Europe are in free, functioning democracies?

        The people in those places live in places that have had their mechanisms examined and reported on by outside parties, and are seen in various reports and rankings. This similar lack of transparancy in NK is what gives weight to the reports of oppression.

        However, the .mlites seem to paint cuba, NK etc with the same “everything is fine here” brush, and I am sick of it.

        Both sets of places can have their faults; but I am not the one denying obvious things that have been reported on time and time again.

        • porous_grey_matter@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          0
          ·
          16 days ago

          I just don’t find the argument that an (in all likelihood American or British) almost certainly anti-communist organisation writing a report about their political enemy proves anything about their level of democracy or lack thereof very compelling. Especially if those same organisations rate a system in which ordinary people have almost zero influence as being somehow more democratic. Again, I’m not saying those countries are perfectly democratic. But in my opinion these reports are pretty much worthless. Agree to disagree I guess.

          • Skullgrid@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            0
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            16 days ago

            But in my opinion these reports are pretty much worthless

            the reports of random people that go on holiday to north korea and are forbidden to take pictures of anything not in the potempkin village set up for them are worthless?

            Alright, have a nice day.