The North Korean model: Gaps and questions
Abstract North Korea has articulated a comprehensive strategy for economic, political, military, ideological and cultural independence, with sustained high growth ( juche ). Self-reliance, not self-sufficiency, is the stated goal and has been achieved to a high degree, especially in food, machines-tools and energy, in spite of the country having no oil. The political system is highly authoritarian and male-dominated, with special emphasis on the cult of Kim II Sung. The regime is highly secretive and information is unsystematic. There are exceptional methodological problems in evaluating the evidence. Korea is probably the most successful economy in any post-revolutionary society, but the relationship between authoritarian politics (in extreme isolation) and social and economic achievement is obscure. Important lessons can e learnt from the Korean ‘model’ but the problem is how to learn them.
COMPARISON OF THE SOCIALIST ECONOMIES IN CHINA AND KOREA
The socialist economies of the Far East, Mainland China and North Korea, started their economic development from the condition of colonial agricultural countries, so that the initial social reforms, especially Land Reform, are of extremely great significance for their development. In the socialist economies the reconstruction of their economies comes earlier than socialist industrialization, and, in particular, the agricultural co-operatives precede mechanization and electrification. The organized use of labour power as one of the productive forces becomes important and this seems characteristic of the Asian pattern of socialism. From such a viewpoint as this, the present author tries to compare the two economies.
Arab Uprisings and the Outstanding Return to Democracy: Tunisia as a Model
In the wake of the Middle Eastern crises, the Tunisian case in focus has been doted as a unique phenomenon being that it was the Genesis of the revolution that ultimately spread across the Middle East like wild fire, but has eventually heralded a new dawn as democracy has incidentally returned to the Empire. This literature therefore looks closely at the extent to which the ‘DignityRevolution’ has been instrumental in the Middle East uprisings, which have brought an end to dynastic autocracies. The literature zeros in on the Tunisian uprising which has attracted global concerns, sympathy and has sparked interests in the international arena. The literature finds that the people hold colossal prospect in the uprising and its resultant effect, as it paved the way for the revolutionist to generate, gather and disseminate information on the condition of the entire region to the international community. The people in this context were of utmost importance and played a very crucial role in the creation of awareness, mobilization of protesters and utmost determining the direction of the uprising and also ensuring a speedy return to democratic rule. The paper submits that the role of the people in ensuring that the ruins of the uprising is not left littering around and democracy restored is highly commendable and should be a model for all other Arab countries involved in the revolution.