# Could we precipitate change in North Korea through a "Singularity"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 24, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-precipitate-change-in-north-korea-through-a-singularity/677084 "2013-12-24T15:24:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-precipitate-change-in-north-korea-through-a-singularity/677084/21 "2013-12-25T13:56:10Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > Actually, it may end up being the Chinese tourists (tourism being one of the few ways Kim & Co. can get hard currency) who start the “wow, we really DO suck” realization. > In stories of obnoxious Chinese tourists (they were throwing wrapped candy to the small kids like they were throwing bread at ducks (and the kids acted like the ducks), it was mentioned that the NK mindset was “we’re poor, but at least we’re better off than the Chinese”. > Once it becomes widely known how well off the Chinese have become, and how they got there, the water park and ski resort might not impress the locals anymore. > [@XT](#): > > Hell, you’d be better off air dropping in food than electronics, since their power grid is so creaky and unreliable. I think if you air dropped in McDonald’s meals somehow I think it would be more amazing to the average North Korean than cell phones and satellite news, especially when they realized that even the poorest American has access to such things (and generally eats there WAY too much for their own good). Think about the disconnect between the average North Korean struggling for food, and the average South Korean who has an over abundance (and are starting to get a bit plump on average last time I was there :p) I recently read a book which had a story by a North Korean defector, what stands out in my mind is her description of her amazement when she crossed the border into China and saw a peasant house that had left out white rice for their animals to eat, she couldn’t believe that such luxury and decadence was possible. The Big Mac Airdrop might not actually be such a silly idea…if it was feasible to do. ---
**Author:** ![kaltkalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bb73d2/32.png) [@kaltkalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaltkalt)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-precipitate-change-in-north-korea-through-a-singularity/677084/22 "2013-12-25T14:20:31Z")
if we somehow managed to get rid of the Kims and ‘free’ NK, it would still take 2-3 generations before the people were truly free. The degree of religious brainwashing done on the North Koreans, through threat of death, is unimaginable. It’s the world’s most religious country. Kimism is the official mandatory state religion, and it requires 24/7 obedience and belief. All reason and facts not dictated by the Kims are enemy lies and propaganda. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-precipitate-change-in-north-korea-through-a-singularity/677084/23 "2013-12-25T14:37:25Z")
North Koreans already know that the Chinese and South Koreans both have a higher standard of living than they do, so telling them that probably won’t change much. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-precipitate-change-in-north-korea-through-a-singularity/677084.md?page=1)