US to block sale of major electronics to Kim Jong Il

We're not sure which is funnier, that Kim Jong Il is a fan of "luxury items" ranging from cognac to "iPods, plasma televisions and Segway electric scooters" (Yo, Mr. Kim, let's talk shop sometime, ok?) or the fact that the US really thinks its measures, which will likely be ineffective, can stop the Dear Leader's ability to buy these items. In an Associated Press article, William Reinsch, a former senior Commerce Department official, said that iPods and laptops (we're assuming he means in North Korea) are "untraceable and available all over the place." If that's true, then the government's plan is definitely screwed, and perhaps Secretary Rice should give us a call instead. Here's why: if in 2000, then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright can present Mr. Kim with a signed basketball by Michael Jordan, and then get a state dinner in Pyongyang as a thank you, imagine what a Steve Jobs-signed iPod delivered by the editors of Engadget would do for foreign relations. Seriously, Secretary Rice and President Bush, we await your call.

[Thanks, Mack S.]

[Xavier Gill @ Nov 29th 2006 1:32PM]

If you cant stop him having Nukes you're not gonna stop him getting an iPod. Let's hope he orders a MacBook aswell and it burns his balls off.

[Nabil @ Nov 29th 2006 1:34PM]

He can still buy a Zune :)

Or any one of the thousand other mp3 players out there.

[Baffled @ Nov 29th 2006 1:56PM]

This is so retarded. How many of these high-end electronics are actually made in the US anyway?

My guess:.1%

Most of them are manufactured in Korea or China anyway. What exactly is this supposed to accomplish besides hurting the people of North Korea again?

[Gary Combs @ Nov 29th 2006 4:25PM]

Yeah, we all know how banning Ipods, Segways, Cognac, and HD Tvs hurt the 0.00005% North Koreans, who actually can afford such items. The U.S. is simply doing this to make a point. We have done many carrot - stick offers, given North Korea millions of dollars in aid, yet, the money/aid doesn't go to the people. Need a good example? Find a sattelite picture of N. Korea at night and compare that with S. Korea. These bans effect such a small amount of people, more people probably have posted in this blog today then will be effected by the ban.

[ANDREW @ Nov 29th 2006 2:20PM]

It looks as though the sanctions that we're adopting here are going to have some amount of "follow along" with nations that the N. Koreans are trading with. Black market trade will not be hindered, but generally Black Market availability is significantly less than that of the "white market". This is meant to annoy him.

[Fuzz @ Nov 29th 2006 1:56PM]

Awww . . . come on Amewica . .Why you aways gotta bust my bawws?

[Todd @ Nov 29th 2006 2:16PM]

Hey just don't let him import any more Jenna Jameson DVDs - that'll hit him where it hurts.

Oh yeah, and P.S. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO28NQc9tW4

[mespinosam @ Nov 29th 2006 2:30PM]

sooo Mr Kim, Drop a nuke?
No ipod for you !

now thats fair.

[pyro @ Nov 29th 2006 3:07PM]

funny how a comunist leader buys products from major capitolist companies.

[garrett @ Nov 29th 2006 10:30PM]

his glasses are crooked..

[nojetlag @ Nov 29th 2006 5:35PM]

Wooo, fucked up in Iraq big time ? No more good news to come from there, need new headlines to distract from the biggest desaster in centuries ? hahahahah.... Kim sure doesn't give a damn about this... So lets switch back the channel to the disaster show :D

[Parker @ Nov 29th 2006 6:15PM]

they coudnt aford them anyway

[Mike @ Nov 29th 2006 5:56PM]

Shoot... sell him anything that can't be used against us. I'd sell him liquor by the truckload as long as he pays cash-on-the-barrel-head.

The less money he has, the less he is capable of. Every dollar spent on an iPod is a dollar he can't spend developing nukes.

The only items I could see being a legitimate concern are hi-tech networking gear or computing technology.

I think we should GIVE them home theater gear, video games, tv's, and movies. Perhaps they will take an interest in something other than threatening the world and blackmailing everyone.

[falcom @ Nov 29th 2006 7:24PM]

team america! FUCK YEA!!!

[Big Al @ Nov 29th 2006 10:26PM]

Everytime I see a picture of this guy, I remember him the "Team America : World Police" movie. Classic.

[ksmith @ Nov 30th 2006 3:54PM]

That's one seriously fugly dude.

[TIMMAH! @ Nov 30th 2006 4:28PM]

"No PS3 for YOU!!!"