From the early days of space exploration it was decreed that space was open to all nations.

If North Korea plans to launch a weather satellite as they are claiming, why the pucker factor by other nations. Who has the authority to block the peaceful use of space?

www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/11/us-ko...

Please don't give me the old bullshit about potential military use; the US launcehed most of its early satellites using military rockets. 

The pucker factor has nothing to do with what is being launched, it has to do with what might be launched, given the capability.

But, as far as North Korea goes, there is also the brag factor.  The ability to launch satellites might make it seem as if they are indeed a major world power, and certainly plays well internally (as with nukes in Iran).  It might even make sense if the morons could manage to feed themselves. 

Space exploration is 100% a military undertaking. The scientific aspect is fine and dandy, but that is not the primary purpose, for any nation. 

Those who do not want NK to have space know how, are the same people who do not want Iran to develop their nuclear capacity.  Everybody wants their enemies as weak as possible. It is all politics, of course.

I wonder what is it that we are been fed about NKorea.  They are constantly being painted as a starving, backward  nation. It is hard to imagine  a starving nation, full of frustrated pèople, to be  be able to make the  scientific progress they are making. And to have those amazing choreographed celebrations. I guess it is possible  in a very controlled society, but I wonder whether we are being indoctrinated ourselves to think of them that way.

 

 

Apr 11, 2012 -- 6:37PM, solfeggio wrote:

I, too, wonder what life is really like in North Korea, and if all the bad things we're told about that country are true.  It's hard to find out anything, but I did see this photo essay in the Sacramento Bee that might shed a little light on things.

blogs.sacbee.com/photos/2012/04/photo-ex...

Usually, we tend to be exposed to the more dramatic side of "other" places. 

For instance, watching the news, one might think all people do in the Middle East is dodge bullets and bombs, and live in utter misery. But talking to some folks who have been there, most people living there have rather quiet, mundane lives. They get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, hang out with the family...

Likewise, many outsiders must think we here in America don't do anything but party, have sex and get into fights and car chases. 

Apr 11, 2012 -- 7:00PM, solfeggio wrote:

Nah, mouse.  I've always found Americans - whether here or back in the States - to be warm, hard-working, welcoming people with a very well-developed sense of humour. 

That quality - humour - is so important in dealing with the stresses and strains of everyday life.  And humour was what helped the Allies defeat the Axis powers in WWII.  How often have we seen those humourous slogans and crude drawings of shapely women on the bodies of the B-24s or other bombers or fighters?

And, as I've said elsewhere, my experience has been that everybody is basically the same inside, whether Americans or Brits or Hispanics, or people from any other place in the world.

Just watch some of the numerous programmes on various cable channels telling us about the lifestyles of people all over the world.

Solf--neat post

We Americans do have fine senses of humor overall--in my English/Irish clan it is a true sense of irony--often just funny and rarely mean. One of my best friends had parents born in Sicily and we love the ironic and outrageous--in faith jabber and in politics. I loved my years in Thailand : the Thais love to laugh and have wicked senses of humor. My husband's best Vietnamese friend did puns in English, his third language--has a master's degree from a Minnesota university. His wife took the girls and me shopping in the old Saigon one afternoon; she teaches French and they now live in Montreal.

At my local market two of my faves have Hispanic backgrounds--new to me : we hug, high-five and chat.

Richar Engel of NBC and msnbc has posted some interesting videos from North Korea this week : perhaps available on www.msnbc.com.

I have loved every land I have visited and many of the cuisenes.