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Comment by nwh | Hacker News Reader

I don't follow the reasoning. It's a country that's stuck in a variety of awkward situations with its neighbours, isolated, famine stricken, and threatening to wage war on the South- yet they're worrying about the people having too much freedom with their 10 allowed haircuts? I can't begin to imagine what's going on in their minds. I suppose it could be a distraction from other issues, but restricting to 10 in itself seems almost unreal.

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Do you not understand North Korea at all? It's a tyranny subject to the whims of its ruler. The famines, the violence, the terrorism, the oppression, all of that flows from that tyranny. Haircuts are just one more example of it.

That's how totalitarian regimes work. The word "total" in there, that means the government has total control over whatever they want, including the most mundane and personal aspect of anyone's private lives.

Fashion conformity is another type of crowd control. Also makes it easier to spot troublemakers in a crowd.

You seem to be assuming that the country which has isolated itself so extremely is also led by rational people.

Basically I dont think its bad to "force" people go get one of x haircuts in a "country that's stuck in a variety of awkward situations with its neighbours, isolated, famine stricken, and threatening to wage war" for hygienic reasons of the population. But to force them to have this one spezific one is just dumb and certainly only a innnerpolitic struggle for power by Kim Jong Un, same reason i think he is showing this war waging politics and other stuff, or as u mentioned just a distraction.

> yet they're worrying about the people having too much freedom with their 10 allowed haircuts?

My guess is this is a response to something specific. They're tightening the clamps to assert their control and once people fall back in line they'll loosen the restrictions just a little to show that they are benevolent.

I think the point is that it doesn't matter what is going on in 'their' minds. All that matters is what is going on in the mind of one particular person.

Do you honestly believe a single person can produce that much insanity?

In a round about way, I think so. Did he suggest this? Perhaps not. Is he responsible for the environment that created this decision? I think so.

I think that he is as much of a hostage as he is a perpetrator.

Read 1984 and you will understand why haircuts are important.

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