STICK IT TO THE MAN, KOREANS!

Mythusmage is talking about a small revolution in North Korea:

The people of North Korea are now engaged in open, free trade. In small items, true. Over short distances, true. But they are engaged in trade that is not controlled by the government. Furthermore, they, the people of North Korea, forced local government officials to allow this trade, and the central government has not intervened to force the people to do it the ‘right way’.

Pyongyang has lost control of the North Korean people. In a small way, that is so. But it is a loss of control that could grow in ways we can’t see as yet. For when a people see an all controlling entity lose just a miniscule piece of that control, when they see a faint glint of freedom, they start demanding more. Not at first, not with any great effort. But they do start demanding. The concessions made start small. Often ‘justified’ or rationalized by the ruling authority. But soon anon the ruling authority finds itself granting concessions that only a few years ago would’ve lead to widespread repression and the deaths of thousands.

Who was who said that the ironic thing about communism was that it failed because there was no money in it?