David: North Korea's food stocks are running dry, the UN is warning. And North Korea's
government distribution program of food is actually expected to run completely out in
May and put a quarter of the country's 24 million people at risk of starvation. Here's
the thing, I'm, as I've mentioned before, I'm obsessed with these North Korea documentaries.
People are already starving. Kids picking up kernels of corn from mud and eating them
in North Korea, people are already starving in North Korea, Louis, and if this really
is... if there are going to be further food stock problems, I can't even imagine what
is going to take place there.
The UN World Food Program resumed sending food aid to North Korea in '06, blamed flooding,
foot-and-mouth disease, unusually cold winters, for devastating food supplies to the country,
and the WFP said, "Vulnerable members of society are currently facing increased shocks to their
daily coping strategies, leaving them on a knife edge." If you've ever seen any documentaries
on North Korea, the vulnerable members of society are basically everybody outside of
Pyongyang and even some of the people there.
Of course, Kim Jong-il's family, they have plenty of food, and those who are lucky enough,
I guess, who have shown enough devotion to the great leader and are chosen to live in
Pyongyang, some of them are living in some kind of reasonable way, particularly those
that would ever be exposed to those who come in from other countries and have to be seen.
They can't be malnourished, Louis.
Louis: Right.
David: But other than that, they're all vulnerable members of society.
Louis: So what's going to happen?
David: I don't know. According to one of the sources, many units-- many military units
can only provide a few dozen corn kernels or a couple of potatoes per meal, and they
have enough for two meals a day for soldiers. So what do they do? Soldiers, they can't even
be soldiers like that. So orders come down to make soldiers sleep in the afternoon instead
of doing training or working, to keep energy conservation down, because they've got a couple
dozen corn kernels. Another source, malnutrition among soldiers are increasing fast. I've even
seen a case of an unmarried company commisar who went home, stayed for a month, quote,
"replenishing himself with calories before returning back to his unit".
I really... I don't know what it is that has captivated me about what is happening in North
Korea, I don't know if it's the number of children that are-- that only know this brainwashed,
malnutritioned way of life. I don't know if it's the extent to which broad-based propaganda,
almost I would call them brainwashing campaigns, literally, exist.
Louis: Of course it is, yeah.
David: I don't know what it is, but something about that North Korean regime really is...
I don't know, I focus on it so much more than others.
Louis: It's fascinating. And I think the secrecy adds to it. Like you want to know more about
it because you're not allowed to.
David: Right. If you have Netflix, look up any of the North Korean documentaries and
watch them, and it's... it's amazing.
Louis: Didn't you tell me... maybe... I don't remember who it was, but something about how
the history books there say that Kim Jong-il was born like to a virgin and like could speak
at birth as an infant and he doesn't defacate, and stuff like that.
David: I don't... [laughs]
Louis: I'm almost positive this...
David: I don't remember those, but I know that a lot of what is considered the record
in North Korea is just bizarre propaganda about Kim Jong-il...
Louis: Right.
David: And how he supposedly... there's like, there's a lot of stuff about his supposed
athletic capabilities.
Louis: Oh, yeah.
David: He can do incredible things with a basketball, or whatever it is.
Louis: Yeah, right.
David: I don't remember exactly. It's amazing.
Louis: I'd be happy to take him on one-on-one any day.
David: Coming up... Louis is a hacker, by the way, so don't... do not play basketball
with Louis.
Louis: Oh, yeah, I'm a hacker, yeah, right. Dave's almost gouged my eyes out more times
than I can count.
David: Louis is the type of guy who he throws his elbows around, and that's about it.
Transcript provided by Alex Wickersham and www.Subscriptorium.com. For transcripts, translations,
captions, and subtitles, or for more information, visit www.Subscriptorium.com, or contact Alex
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