ChinaUkraine

North Korea Discovers Internet Porn

by

Imagine spending your entire life being told your country is the greatest civilization on Earth… then someone hands you a Wi-Fi password. According to a widely circulated—but unverified—report, North Korean troops may have discovered unrestricted internet access and promptly demonstrated why every dictatorship fears broadband more than bombs. Tanks can level buildings. The internet levels narratives. Somewhere, a political commissar is still trying to explain why the greatest threat to operational readiness wasn’t enemy artillery—it was the guest Wi-Fi passsord to PornHub.

Thoughts on Ukraine Part 12: Chinese Interests in the Ukraine Crisis

by

The Chinese are sitting in the catbird seat during the Ukraine crisis. With patience and shrewd diplomacy, they can exploit virtually any outcome. They want to maintain their trade with the EU and keep their economic engine running. I suspect they want to see a protracted crisis that bleeds the west and Russia and strengthens their global position economically and militarily, while keeping the trade flowing. The crisis is in their interests, especially if sanctions blowback on the west and weaken them and open the door for a new reserve currency.