RSSUS to North Korea: No iPods for You
By Ed Oswald | Published November 29, 2006, 4:03 PM
In its continuing effort to rout out North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il, the United States government is now trying a new tactic: banning the sale of iPods and other high-tech items to the country.
Kim has an apparent sweet tooth for high-tech items, which he gives as gifts to families that support or run his communist government. It will be the first time that the US has used sanctions for the specific purpose of frustrating the leader, the Associated Press says.
While the gifts also include non-tech items such as cognac, cigarettes and expensive cars, the ban also includes high-end consumer electronics such as plasma televisions, Segway scooters, and even the ubiquitous iPod. The sanctions have the blessing of the United Nations.
Traditionally, sanctions are intended to block a rogue nation from obtaining military goods. However, world leaders and the United Nations, apparently running out of ideas to get the tyrant to agree to their terms, are trying to hit him in areas they have not previously.
Some close to the situation who have since defected say lavish gifts are one way that Kim uses to keep control of the impoverished nation. Most of these items are all but impossible for the common North Korean to obtain.
It's not clear if the ban would work, but some speculate that it could make it harder for Kim to keep his associates happy. With the latest round of talks between the North Koreans and the US failing, there's not much left for government officials to do, they say.
"It can't hurt, but whether it works, we don't know," former senior State Department official Robert Einhorn told the AP.
The ban doesn't do anything at all. They can just buy US goods from other countries.
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|I agree with you aelspears. This tactic of ipod sanctions is the least of NK's issues.
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|He runs a communist regime, they figure he cant find a way to slip a few iPods in?
He's probably busy with his new PS3 anyway ....
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|Kinda moot if you ask me....
the majority of people in N. Korea can't afford to buy dinner, let alone iPods. Again the Bush administration thinks that affecting the top 1% saves the world. Seriously, many citizens don't even have electricity, what the hell would they do with an iPod?
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|Too bad you have been mislead to believe that the US is alone in its stance--the U.N. actually voted for this as well, for a change.
You guys give Bush too much (dis)credit. He is the President of the United States and he is not King of the United States. There was a democratic process involved to allow this embargo, and interestingly, most Dems supported this particular move.
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|Why didnt they just put an embargo on nuclear weapons to N-Korea in the first place so we wouldnt have this problem? Oh, well if that didnt work then they will probably be able to get ipods, TV's and scooters without too much trouble.
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|Ha ha .... but then he's still known as a connoisseur for the good things of life. Rumour has it he buys 10% of the best wines of the world still.
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|As with most embargoes, all it will do is push the product onto the black market - organised crime could make a fortune out of this :-)
There are lots of iPods on eBay. Presumably Kim Jong has an eBay account?
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|yes but an embargo blocks them from being shipped to korea, so thus he is still out of luck.
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|Guess that means no ps3 or wii for ole kimmy for xmas.
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|This is just chit chat politics.
How clumsy (???) can the State Dept. be?
If N Korea doesn't get American high tech from US directly, they can always bypass it through China, Hong Kong, and many other places close by.
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|If this ban was approved by the UN then chances are China and other members of the UN will ban these items as well.
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|Even if the iPod were given for free I wonder if they would take it. DRM, expensive accessories, proprietary audio format, iTune slave, etc. I wonder why people still buy a device with so much disadvantages.
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|Noth Korea can be very thankful they're not being sent that lemming fodder.
This is probably the ONLY intelligent thing George W. has ever managed to do. naturally, it's for the wrong reason.
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|Clumsy. Talk about sending a message: After the US VP being sternly summoned to Saudi Arabia and dressed down, Bush being dissed by Iraq's PM today, Barbie and Jenna being kicked out of their extended Argentine "party vacation" while soldiers die, I'm glad the republican administration has its priorities straight. "We fight your nukes with iPods and overpriced DRM music!"
Guess those Harvard and Yale diplomas never bought a dictionary with the word reality in it.
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|Yeah, I'm not so sure exactly what this is going to accomplish. Personally, a war with North Korea would have been much more productive and helpful to the entire region than a war in Iraq, which looks like its destabilized the entire region.
I dunno, ever since I saw Team America: World Police I laugh when thinking of Kim Jong Il... :)
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|I hope you're not serious. North Korea probably has a bigger military than we do. At best a war with North Korea would probably end in a stalemate.
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|Not if we bombed the capital first :) Of course that would never happen since so many "innocents" would die in the process (rolls eyes)
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|"Personally, a war with North Korea would have been much more productive and helpful to the entire region than a war in Iraq, which looks like its destabilized the entire region."
Here's where perspective makes all the difference between folks such as yourself and folks like me. In my view, the region surrounding Iraq was completely unstable before we got there, Ed. In fact, Iran and Syria are the bigger threats IMO than North Korea, only because they are willing. N. Korea is a major issue, but had we attacked them, China may have taken a stand against the US, and I can only imagine what could happen with that.
Truth is, Iraq is a great strategic location because it neighbors Syria and Iran. Iran is the source of the destablization, not the US military, as they are the source of the "s***e" Islamists that flooded into Iraq just after the "major conflict" had ended. Had Iran been dealt with as well, I think Iraq would truley have been able to stand for their own government after toppling of the Saddham statue.
But we underestimated Iran, as they initially promised to welcome our military forces. They fooled us, and that is probably the main reason for the destablization. Iran was rotten all along, but they had to wait for the right opportunity before they would openly make a move to destablize the region, and their plan succeeded brilliantly.
It is a matter of perspective, really, and I'd hate it more if Iran found the right opportunity to make a move against the US on our own soil rather than in Iraq!
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|The guy can get f***in nuclear weapons. Do you think ipods are going to be difficult?!
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|Heh, that's a good point...
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|This move will throw Kim on his knees. I think "the beloved leader" rolled on the floor laughing when heard obout the sanctions.
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|No iPods for Korea, no Kia's for us.
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|Kia = South Korea
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|Yipes.
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|that was the funniest thing i ever heard.
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|Wouldn’t imposing this sanction actually bring up the value and strength of him given away these gifts? I’m sure he still will not have any problems obtaining these items, so the end resolute is hurting any customers that would be able to purchase these devices and also strengthen the power of the gifts.
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|I have to say, that was exactly what I was thinking.
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|This is something the U.N. and the U.S. appear to agree on--at least for the moment. Let's see how long that lasts...
--deleted fire-starting comments. Though I do not disagree with them, there is no reason to bring them up here.
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