North Korea is at its most depressing when it tries to be fancy. Even with all its corruption and the full economic might of a totalitarian regime using a nation's economy as a piggy bank, every time they try to create something luxurious it looks like the interior of a Lithuanian Ramada Inn from 1982.

I'm assuming that like anywhere else, there's doctors, lawyers and university professors who probably make the same amount of money as their Western counterparts, so probably little corruption save for taking the side of the higher-ups. But that's something I've wondered about myself: Of course NK has cops, lawyers, professors, etc. but you never hear about citizens breaking the law. Assuming you're going to school, chances are you're going to learn a thing or two in certain classes (Philosophy, Literature, History etc.) which if nothing else will make you question the logic of such a place, and as such develop a sort of Candide-esque Wanderlust, which, if squashed, would lead to moral decay especially within the youth. And this is probably a simple "yes" or "no" question, but with these computers and the internet, do people with access get the rest of the world's internet, or is it simply an intra-net for NK alone?

It's hard to be guilty of burglary when there's nothing to steal.

Also when you're too busy worrying about committing thoughtcrime and being sent to the salt mines to even consider doing something injurious to others.

It's an intra-net, but even basic net access is limited to the elite and those with direct need for it. Only those at the very, very top can access the web as we know it.

Just people that make a decent living by keeping their heads down and working within the system, just have to ignore all the people starving.

It's really not that different from how the American system works, other than the magnitude difference quality of living for the people not on the right side of the tracks.

do we have the true internet here in the so called free world? Is the deep net as deep as it goes? I've seen Applejack do things on the deep shadownet that would blow your cowboy boots off.

"It's really not that different from how the American system works" chew you havisfaction a singlicious satisfact to snack that up?

Well I knowing what I do about China under Mao I'd say the middle class is probably more of a little attache to the "elites" of North Korean society, upper members of The Party will probably secure themselves a "middle-class" existence through endless schmoozing, and yes, game of thrones shit. They are compared to the poor populous just like the people living in pleasure palaces because they are a comparatively tiny part of the popuation. They might be able to see the pleasure palaces themselves or even work there but they will never acess the american internet through legal means.

"It's really not that different from how the American system works, other than the magnitude difference quality of living for the people not on the right side of the tracks."

You are the dumbest motherfucker on this site.

Oh hey there's also some bad persistent scaling artifacts which make it look like it was using some crappy free DVD producer thing. They probably never noticed because it was checked on a fuzzy CRT or something.

By golly, I think you're right. Part of the building looks like it's barrel-distorted by the lens while a contour right next to it is perfectly straight.

This is the propaganda version. The actual version has no furnishing whatsoever, even the magnificent blue crystals. Most of them probably have no tenants as well, as nobody can afford to live there, just like all the other high rises in Pyongyang. It's probably not far fetched to assume that most units don't even have counter tops, cupboards, plumbing, etc. either.