sephallen

"They literally are, and plenty of studies have been done on the subject. Everybody with even a shred of intellectual honesty knows that sanctions are a modern form of siege warfare designed to starve the population."

Sanctions are not a siege: They target trade and finance. While they hurt the general population (that’s often the point), they are not the primary cause of famine when food distribution and production are controlled by the government.

The Primary Cause: The DPRK famine was caused by the failure of centralized agricultural planning (Juche), the loss of Soviet aid (fuel/fertilizer), and the leadership's choice to prioritize the military (Songun) over feeding its citizens. This is the consensus among virtually all UN, NGO, and academic reports. It's a failure of distribution and system design, not just external pressure.

"Wave a magic wand": No, the leadership could have chosen to reform the collectivized farm system or redirect military resources (food, fuel, transport) to the starving regions. They did not. That is the definition of a deadly political choice, not a lack of magic wands.

"Buddy, any economist will tell you that GDP is not a measure of standard of living... Here, go educate yourself... https://hbr.org/2019/10/gdp-is-not-a-measure-of-human-well-being"

Yes, we agree that GDP is an incomplete measure of well-being (happiness, environment, etc.). But GDP is the most basic measure of a nation's capacity to produce wealth.

Your argument requires us to believe that a country that produces 60 times less wealth than its neighbor (ROK vs. DPRK GDP) somehow provides a higher standard of living because of "guarantees."

This is why we use Human Development Index (HDI), which you chose to ignore after raising the issue yourself. The HDI factors in life expectancy and education—and South Korea is top-tier, while North Korea is comparable to the poorest nations. A guarantee of poverty is still poverty.

"Ah yes, defectors are obviously a reliable source of information who have no ulterior motives. Your intelligence continues to shine bright."

You're rejecting:

34,000+ Defectors (the only non-state witnesses).

UN/WFP Reports (non-partisan global bodies).

Bank of Korea Estimates (standard economic methodology).

Meanwhile, your evidence for the DPRK's supposed economic success is an article about South Korean food insecurity and unsubstantiated claims about guaranteed, high-quality welfare.

When you dismiss every source of information that contradicts the premise of a socialist utopia, you are not engaging in an honest debate; you are simply asserting an ideological fantasy. The evidence of systemic failure is overwhelming. Take care.