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Comment by themodelplumber | Hacker News Reader

> Does he really believe it or is he just cynical

Neither, IMO. From observing him over the years, he knows what's good for him, and he knows how to get a good vibe going with others at the same time. The vibe can make anything true or false and is not known for being concerned with moral true/false questions, which get into subjective (qualitative) ethics. (You can argue that those same ethics prevent reasonably helpful business from being done in many cases, as distasteful as it sounds.)

I'd add that he has a good nose for opportunity and a higher than average threshold for risk. This is your typical "fixer" type.

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It’s probably like being an ambassador from a country with lots of controversy around human rights and so on and they get interviewed when something big hits the news. It’s not like they don’t know what happens but it’s in their and their countries’ interest to see things differently.

Probably this. No atrocities committed by any government were done because the government viewed itself as 'evil' so it must do evil things, the perpetrators always view their crimes as justified for some form of greater good. If one believes a single lie is just a single stepping stone on the path to some grand utopia, or if that lie would prevent some chaos (social disorder, rebellion, etc), some will have no problems telling that lie as many times as they need to.

An ambassador is a citizen of their country and is subject to getting recalled and being sent to reform-through-labor camp to forage corn kernels from frozen pig shit if they don't toe the line.

This guy, on the hand, has voluntarily chosen to be an apologist and enabler for one of the most oppressive regimes on the planet.

“one of the most oppressive regimes on the planet.“

Does North Korea have any competition for this title? I thought they were number one on that list.

Eritrea is right up there as well, but they don't have nukes, so nobody cares.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Eritrea

On the other hand, should the stars align so that anyone cares, Eritrea is open to foreign intervention.

Libya cancelled its nuclear program in the early 21st century and welcomed UN inspections. Then an international alliance force removed Gaddafi from power and he was killed.

I am sure would-be-dictators all over the world are taking note - if you have nukes, you don't face invasion.

Unless you have "nukes"

Although he was a bad guy, doublecrossing him was a terrible choice and we’re feeling the consequences of that hubris.

That said what keeps the west from invading NKorea aren’t the nukes. It’s the katyusha and other conventional armament that would rain down on Seoul a few Kms across the border.

I actually believe the nukes are a great deterrent for common people until they are used. Then people will figure out that NKs tiny nukes are toys

No question. The thought process though would be similar. His client isn’t going to take it lightly if he spills the beans—probably wouldn’t get a dose of Pu, but the guy running the place had his brother offed in a foreign airport.

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