Parallels to North Korea

by ForbiddenFruit 6 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  ForbiddenFruit

  No, I'm not just talking about the totalitarian regime that is the Organisation. I'm talking about how the JW's will fall, and how it links to North Korea.

  Basically, last night I was watching a documentary on North Korea. A friend of mine has been to North Korea, and can confirm this to be true. North Koreans are increasingly able to get their hands on technology from the South and from China. Be it DVD's of TV shows, or mobile phones (you can in spots pickup phone signals from S. Korea/China), information from the outside world is flooding into North Korea. North Koreans are becoming conscious of how the outside world lives, especially through TV shows and films. The North Korean government is doing everything possible to prevent this flood of information, even imposing death sentences for those found to be in possession of 'propaganda', but the change is inevitable. North Korea keeps it's citizens in line by creating this bubble that North Korea is the world's most powerful nation, and they can maintain this image by blocking off the outside world. However, with this flood of information, eventually North Koreans will realise they've been lied to, that the North Korean government isn't this all powerful entity and that they can do better.
  
  Aliken this to the Jdubs. In this world of technology, it's impossible for them to block out all forms of information. Afterall, I am 20, and by the age of 13-14 I had enough information (without even searching for it), to know that something was amiss with the JW's, especially when it came to things like science and politics (Evolution/The UN). We live in a world where technology and information is everywhere, I mean, everything. The JW's keep people in line by making out they, like Kim Jong-Un's government, are all powerful. With the flood of technology, it'll be increasingly easy for, especially young JW's, to get enough information to call out the BS.

  Basically, just some thoughts I had. The JW's will fall the same way NK and other totalitarian regimes will...through the spread of technology.
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  jean-luc picard

  I have often made this comparison too. A journalist from my country made a documentary there, a few years ago.

  At that time it was next to impossible to speak to North Koreans. They were taught that westerners wanted to harm them: so they ran away.

  They " knew" it was a hard life in their country, but that it was soooo much better than the "outside world".

  I think that information technology is already shaking the Borg. However, I dont think that it will bring it tumbling down.

  There has always been apercentage of people gullible enough to believe anything, without proof. or are maybe

  just too scared to question, because after all, all totalitarian

  powers control people through fear.
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  hijosdelawatch

  But don't forget why these regimes don't fall for a lot of years.

  There's no only the leader nor the leadership group. There are people who owe everything they have to the regime: ministers, high civil servants, their families, corrupt party members who benefit from the situation. And all the power they enjoy. Or just imagine in the NK 'middle class' who would be impoverished in case of a reunification.

  It's the same in the JW world. Who are managing all the money the WT has? Where can some elders, COs or DOs have the same amount of power over so many people?

  Behind every dictatorship, there's always a group of population who supports the government.
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  KateWild

  Thank you ForbiddenFruit, that was a nice post. I enjoyed reading your thoughts. I agree technology will be the end of controllying individuals for much longer. People will fight to get the facts they want. Take care Kate xx
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  RubaDub

  When you see the large gatherings of politicians and military in North Korea, I would bet they have the One Towel Rule there too.

  Rub a Dub
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  WTWizard

  North Korea is a model of Christi-SCAM-ity itself. The jokehovians are more brazen and blatant in imposing communism to its members. But, anyone reading the Law of St Benedict (which is a cat lick document) will soon realize that the cat lick church (the original xian religion) is no better. The protestants did nurf the power of the cat lick church through the Renaissance, but they themselves proved just as bad in the end. Islam is not much better--though you do not have Original Sin, you still have that "If your brother is poor, you are sinning if you are not" smut through their practices. Judaism is the root of both of these rotten religions--Talmud and Old Testament of the LIE-ble say pretty much the same thing (though the LIE-ble is somewhat watered down, Tyrant David's attitude is plenty).

  Problem is, once you are comfortable with Christi-SCAM-ity in any form, it is easy to make the jump to communism. Sex is repressed. Material prosperity is nurfed or totally eliminated. Interrogations are frequent. Work is very tedious, hard, and takes most of the day--and not just 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. In North Korea, they might work 8 hours a day (6 days a week) only to have a meeting that lasts several hours after. Some work more than 16 hours a day, and many often work 7 days a week for months on end. Their workweek is often more than 80 hours a week, and they don't get paid jack squat. Which is very similar to Beth Hell or monastery/missionary life. The only difference is that they take away that jesus thing in communism--the state becomes your savior, replacing the jesus thing.
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  Syme

  Very good post, ForbiddenFruit!

  Wtwizard, you point out some parallels between christianity and 'communism', however, you actually refer to characteristics of some so-called socialist regimes. It is true that states like East Germany, North Korea, (partly) USSR, and China (for different reasons) had in the end a corrupt version of marxism. In principle, Christianity and religion in general has NOTHING to do with scientific socialism, or marxism. In fact, it is the complete opposite, in every aspect. Marxism puts the idea of gods where it belongs, to mythology, and tries to makes better this world, without one surrendering to the futile hope of an afterlife. Christian martyrs gave up their lives because they believed in a better *reward* for them (as Paul so openly says in his letters); in other words, they died for themselves. Communist martyrs gave their life knowing that that would be the end; hence they died for the rest of humanity, not for themselves. If that's not the highest moral point a human can reach, then I don't know what is. True, some also *killed* for the 'sake' of mankind, but that does not diminish the value of the former.

  Sex has nothing to do with communism; it is not to be repressed, but even more freed. Material prosperity is actually the goal of marxism. But for everyone! Not for some! Capitalism if in favour of prosperity, but for a select few. So, until we reach the former goal, what do we do? Start from medium poverty for everyone and slowly increasing everyone's standard of living, or letting the majority to ridiculous poverty so that a lucky elite may prosper? You see, communism is basically a moral question.

  Identifying and attacking the corrupt ascpects of so-called socialist states is fair; attacking the principle of marxism means one likes the continiuation of economic inequalities and poverty, since poverty in Africa, for example, is a prerequisite for you to enjoy higher-than-average well-being.

  The fact that some states came with a corrupt version of marxism, does not corrupt the concept itself, nor the ideal of communism (communism per se is the eventual goal of a socialist state. No communist state ever existed. "Communist states" is a term coined by the capitalist world, actually, so as to use the drawbacks of socialist states in order to attack the ideal of communism. That was a very succesful Strawman argument.)