U.S. bans sale of iPods to North Korea

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,559
4
0
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061129/ap_on_go_pr_wh/nkorea_ipod_diplomacy

The Bush administration wants North Korea's attention, so like a scolding parent it's trying to make it tougher for that country's eccentric leader to buy iPods, plasma televisions and Segway electric scooters.

The U.S. government's first-ever effort to use trade sanctions to personally aggravate a foreign president expressly targets items believed to be favored by Kim Jong Il or presented by him as gifts to the roughly 600 loyalist families who run the communist government.

Kim, who engineered a secret nuclear weapons program, has other options for obtaining the high-end consumer electronics and other items he wants.

But the list of proposed luxury sanctions, obtained by The Associated Press, aims to make Kim's swanky life harder: No more cognac, Rolex watches, cigarettes, artwork, expensive cars, Harley Davidson motorcycles or even personal watercraft, such as Jet Skis.

The new ban would extend even to music and sports equipment. The 5-foot-3 Kim is an enthusiastic basketball fan; then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright presented him with a ball signed by Michael Jordan during a rare diplomatic trip in 2000.

Experts said the effort ? being coordinated under the United Nations ? would be the first ever to curtail a specific category of goods not associated with military buildups or weapons designs, especially one so tailored to annoy a foreign leader. U.S. officials acknowledge that enforcing the ban on black-market trading would be difficult.

The population in North Korea, one of the world's most isolated economies, is impoverished and routinely suffers widescale food shortages. The new trade ban would forbid U.S. shipments there of Rolexes, French cognac, plasma TVs, yachts and more ? all items favored by Kim but unattainable by most of the country.

"It's a new concept; it's kind of creative," said William Reinsch, a former senior Commerce Department official who oversaw trade restrictions with North Korea during Bill Clinton's presidency. Reinsch predicted governments will comply with the new sanctions, but agreed that efforts to block all underground shipments will be frustrated.

"The problem is there has always been and will always be this group of people who work at getting these goods illegally," Reinsch said. Small electronics, such as iPods or laptops, are "untraceable and available all over the place," he said. U.S. exports to North Korea are paltry, amounting to only $5.8 million last year.



I have long been in favor of using trade as a political tool.
But this is the most incredibly stupid thing I have ever heard of. It won't stop Kim from getting anything he wants. It is just incredibly stupid. It is a public relations ploy to make Americans think the Bushies are doing SOMETHING about N.Korea instead of just following the worst plan ever, the one that actually encouraged N.Korea to test its nukes.
 

B00ne

Platinum Member
May 21, 2001
2,168
1
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Oh, c'mon. What are you gonna do? Bann food, machinery, gas? This way you are just gonna hurt the general populace. There is not much that can be included in an embargo of a country that doesnt give a damn about its population. So why fuss about something that will (if it does) aggravate the arseholes on top.

The only trade sanctions those guys are going to feel is the lack of luxury goods - and that's what they get. I am all for it.
 

dmcowen674

No Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
54,889
47
91
www.alienbabeltech.com
Originally posted by: techs
I have long been in favor of using trade as a political tool.

But this is the most incredibly stupid thing I have ever heard of. It won't stop Kim from getting anything he wants.

It is just incredibly stupid.

It is a public relations ploy to make Americans think the Bushies are doing SOMETHING about N.Korea instead of just following the worst plan ever, the one that actually encouraged N.Korea to test its nukes.

Does anyone expect Bush to do any better?

Oh that's right, there is a boatload that support his every move right here in P&N.
 

ayabe

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2005
7,449
0
0
Considering the vast majority of DPRK's populace is barely able to feed itself and heat their homes in the winter, I doubt the market for Ipods is all that great anyways :disgust:
 

jlbenedict

Banned
Jul 10, 2005
3,724
0
0
For the N. Korean's that can "afford" luxury items, they'll still get them, whether there are "luxury item" sanctions or not. I guess Bush has never heard of illegal black market imports, smuggling, etc..

If you have money , power and are in high position in society, you'll get what you want. So, if Kim Jong wants a fvcking iPod, I'm sure he'll have no problem getting one.

 

jman19

Lifer
Nov 3, 2000
11,224
659
126
Originally posted by: ayabe
Considering the vast majority of DPRK's populace is barely able to feed itself and heat their homes in the winter, I doubt the market for Ipods is all that great anyways :disgust:

I guess you missed the point. Not that I think it's a great idea anyway.
 

amish

Diamond Member
Aug 20, 2004
4,295
6
81
ehhh, now the NK elite will pay $25 more for their ipod by using the black market. pretty humorous attack though.
 

Mean MrMustard

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2001
3,144
10
81
It's about damn time something was done about North Korea!


All you naysayers saying Bush hasn't done anything about North Korea... what do you have to say for yourselves now?!
 

ayabe

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2005
7,449
0
0
Originally posted by: jman19
Originally posted by: ayabe
Considering the vast majority of DPRK's populace is barely able to feed itself and heat their homes in the winter, I doubt the market for Ipods is all that great anyways :disgust:

I guess you missed the point. Not that I think it's a great idea anyway.

No, I get it I just think it's as stupid as everyone else does.

Firstly, Ipods are made in Chinese slave factories and I'm sure it's not too hard to get one over from China.
 

Firebot

Golden Member
Jul 10, 2005
1,476
2
0
Dang! Now Kim Jong Il will need to cross the border to China to buy the exact same products at a discount. Damn that Bush! How can he hurt Kim Jong Il so badly??? Now we are sure that North Korea will ever think of launching nukes on South Korea. FEAR THE IPOD BAN!
 

jman19

Lifer
Nov 3, 2000
11,224
659
126
Originally posted by: ayabe
Originally posted by: jman19
Originally posted by: ayabe
Considering the vast majority of DPRK's populace is barely able to feed itself and heat their homes in the winter, I doubt the market for Ipods is all that great anyways :disgust:

I guess you missed the point. Not that I think it's a great idea anyway.

No, I get it I just think it's as stupid as everyone else does.

Firstly, Ipods are made in Chinese slave factories and I'm sure it's not too hard to get one over from China.

The point was that the move isn't being made to affect those that can't afford them anyway... but yea this is just stupid.

"Noooes I can't have teh iPod I give up USA!!!!!11111"
 

magomago

Lifer
Sep 28, 2002
10,973
14
76
Originally posted by: B00ne
Oh, c'mon. What are you gonna do? Bann food, machinery, gas? This way you are just gonna hurt the general populace. There is not much that can be included in an embargo of a country that doesnt give a damn about its population. So why fuss about something that will (if it does) aggravate the arseholes on top.

The only trade sanctions those guys are going to feel is the lack of luxury goods - and that's what they get. I am all for it.

This is what happens with sanctions in the first place, which is why they are one of the worst choices period.
 

Specop 007

Diamond Member
Jan 31, 2005
9,454
0
0
Originally posted by: dmcowen674
Originally posted by: techs
I have long been in favor of using trade as a political tool.

But this is the most incredibly stupid thing I have ever heard of. It won't stop Kim from getting anything he wants.

It is just incredibly stupid.

It is a public relations ploy to make Americans think the Bushies are doing SOMETHING about N.Korea instead of just following the worst plan ever, the one that actually encouraged N.Korea to test its nukes.

Does anyone expect Bush to do any better?

Oh that's right, there is a boatload that support his every move right here in P&N.

And I'm sure YOU have the perfect solution all cooked up.
Go ahead, I'm all ears.
 

steppinthrax

Diamond Member
Jul 17, 2006
3,990
6
81
It won't make any difference. Korea is connected to China and every other country including japan and russia can get ahold of an Ipod. So even if we band them from comming all china has to do is sell a large shipment to korea every once and a while.
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,422
14,337
136
What's the complaint here? Should we sanction NK in a way that hurts the general populace instead?
 

yllus

Elite Member & Lifer
Aug 20, 2000
20,577
432
126
The U.S. government's first-ever effort to use trade sanctions to personally aggravate a foreign president expressly targets items believed to be favored by Kim Jong Il or presented by him as gifts to the roughly 600 loyalist families who run the communist government.
Haha, I love it! That's a nice little slap in the face that Jong Il wholly deserves. (Well, he deserves a lot worse.)
 

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,559
4
0
Originally posted by: yllus
The U.S. government's first-ever effort to use trade sanctions to personally aggravate a foreign president expressly targets items believed to be favored by Kim Jong Il or presented by him as gifts to the roughly 600 loyalist families who run the communist government.
Haha, I love it! That's a nice little slap in the face that Jong Il wholly deserves. (Well, he deserves a lot worse.)

Do you really think ol' Jong is doing anything but laughing at this?
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,422
14,337
136
Originally posted by: techs
Originally posted by: yllus
The U.S. government's first-ever effort to use trade sanctions to personally aggravate a foreign president expressly targets items believed to be favored by Kim Jong Il or presented by him as gifts to the roughly 600 loyalist families who run the communist government.
Haha, I love it! That's a nice little slap in the face that Jong Il wholly deserves. (Well, he deserves a lot worse.)
Do you really think ol' Jong is doing anything but laughing at this?
So you're saying we should let him and his few party faithful have their iPods and Rolexes while the rest of NK lives at the brink of starvation?
 

BaliBabyDoc

Lifer
Jan 20, 2001
10,737
0
0
Originally posted by: Vic
What's the complaint here? Should we sanction NK in a way that hurts the general populace instead?

I guess my question is . . . why bother? It seems like our DPRK policy has gone from talk loudly and do next to nothing to talk louder and make a big deal out of doing next to nothing.

The economic sanctions (like curtailing DPRK counterfeiting) makes sense. This latest attempt is just lame.
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,422
14,337
136
Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc
Originally posted by: Vic
What's the complaint here? Should we sanction NK in a way that hurts the general populace instead?

I guess my question is . . . why bother? It seems like our DPRK policy has gone from talk loudly and do next to nothing to talk louder and make a big deal out of doing next to nothing.

The economic sanctions (like curtailing DPRK counterfeiting) makes sense. This latest attempt is just lame.

The whole point of their form of stalinist government is that a few live in royal splendor while the proles live in poverty. Sadly for them though, they cannot make their luxury items on their own. So we hit them where it hurts. Why bother? Why not? This is so trivial a thing that saying we shouldn't bother with this almost seems to imply that we shouldn't bother with anything at all. Or maybe the sympathizers don't like having the true nature of real-life communism exposed like this?
 

daniel49

Diamond Member
Jan 8, 2005
4,814
0
71
cut off liqour, platform shoes, and sweedish prostitutes and you might get thier glorious leaders attention??
 

yllus

Elite Member & Lifer
Aug 20, 2000
20,577
432
126
Originally posted by: techs
Originally posted by: yllus
The U.S. government's first-ever effort to use trade sanctions to personally aggravate a foreign president expressly targets items believed to be favored by Kim Jong Il or presented by him as gifts to the roughly 600 loyalist families who run the communist government.
Haha, I love it! That's a nice little slap in the face that Jong Il wholly deserves. (Well, he deserves a lot worse.)
Do you really think ol' Jong is doing anything but laughing at this?
I think he's a child-man, as so many who have every wish they can ever make granted become. The point isn't to absolutely deprive him of these goods, it's to shove in his face the fact that the U.S. can in some minor ways still dictate what he can and cannot procure (without jumping through a few hoops). I'm all for it reminding that maggot of how little he really is.