Camp 14: Our World’s Disgrace

SGT Donald Croswhite — Thu, 09 Oct 2014 14:18:57 -0400

Camp 14 is a North Korean prison camp that houses an estimated 15,000 people. Generations are born and die here. We know it’s there, we know it’s a modern day holocaust, yet we do nothing. We have survivors that have escaped and given accounts of the conditions there. It’s a disgrace.

Why we don’t do anything: We’re afraid of starting a war with North Korea. This is a coward’s way out. It’s inconvenient to confront the enemy and get messy. If we’re supposed to be the beacon of freedom in the world, this situation shows us to be a liar. They also argue that it would be too hard to integrate that many people. Again this is the coward’s excuse. We would do what we did with the victims of concentration camps in World War 2. You keep the camps intake but steadily improve conditions with provisions and education. There are thousands of people in these camps, and thousands who have died there. But the global community sits by with iPhone in hand. It’s disgusting and we should be ashamed of ourselves.

I know this isn’t a complete CONOP to free a prison camp. Our leaders need to grow a spine, have a drink with John Wayne and get to kicking skulls.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 9 at 2014 2:36 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 09 Oct 2014 14:36:33 -0400

SGT Donald Croswhite, have you read the book "Escape from Camp 14"? I did and it's an excellent read. The plight of the North Korean people is really brutal. They suffer, starve, have zero freedom. I really feel for those people, but I don't know if it's our place to police such issues. Wouldn't the UN be a better body to address that? Or some other world body? Now, if North Korea ever really came after South Korea, then it might become "our business."

http://www.amazon.com/Escape-Camp-14-Remarkable-Odyssey/dp/ [login to see]

Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West: Blaine...

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Response by SGT James Elphick made Oct 9 at 2014 2:58 PM

SGT James Elphick — Thu, 09 Oct 2014 14:58:30 -0400

We have to diplomatically remove China from the equation before we can do anything about North Korea. China wants a buffer against outside influence though in the digital age a physical buffer is not nearly as important. China is not nearly as rampantly communist as they used to be but due to our economic policy of shipping jobs overseas they now have too much economic power to wield against us along with their military might. I have no doubt that the American military could prevail but if China sinks our economy in the process thinks might turn out different. This is why we let the human rights abuses of North Korea continue unchecked, because while we continued to say we were the beacon of freedom, liberty, and justice, we allowed the very support system for that to walk away under economic pretenses.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 9 at 2014 2:58 PM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 09 Oct 2014 14:58:47 -0400

First of all, attacking North Korea is not a U.S. decision alone. The Korean War is still ongoing. Secondly, we have to consider the terrain / geography of North Korea and it's brutal weather. Then there's the small matter of North Korea's Army - about 700,000 with a standing reserve of approximately 4.5 million. Finally, we have to consider the historical precedent set by the Chinese government and their willingness to keep the North Koreans up and running as they exist. Finally, we have to consider the nuclear weapons possibility and the country's unstable leadership.

Now, I'm not saying your point is not a worthy goal. But you and I are not dealing with just the U.S. Military - we're dealing with the U.N. which historically has been fairly useless when it comes to doing anything that makes sense.

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Nov 30 at 2014 10:18 PM

SFC Mark Merino — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 22:18:54 -0500

I saw this episode and it was a good example of the insanity that is North Korea.

Response by SPC(P) Jay Heenan made Nov 30 at 2014 10:25 PM

SPC(P) Jay Heenan — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 22:25:58 -0500

There is tragedy everywhere in the world you look. Hell, even right here in the U.S. We cannot continue to be the world's police officer. We need to focus on all of the issues right here at home!