--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think it's a mistake to view North…" description: "\"I think it's a mistake to view North Korea as a government. It really is more like a criminal syndicate.\" — Marco Rubio" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f2/marco-rubio-355_criminals_i-think-it-s-a-mistake-to-view-north-kor_3186672.png" --- # I think it's a mistake to view North Korea as a… ![“I think it's a mistake to view North Korea as a government. It really is more like a criminal syndicate.” quote by Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f2/marco-rubio-355_criminals_i-think-it-s-a-mistake-to-view-north-kor_3186672.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f2/marco-rubio-355_criminals_i-think-it-s-a-mistake-to-view-north-kor_3186672.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f2/marco-rubio-355_criminals_i-think-it-s-a-mistake-to-view-north-kor_3186672.png) > “I think it's a mistake to view North Korea as a government. It really is more like a criminal syndicate.” [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. North Korea operates more like an organized crime group than a conventional state. **In simple terms:** It functions like a criminal syndicate. Key Takeaway Treat it as a security threat. Themes geopolitics authoritarianism crime syndicates Mood critical analytical Type political opinion When to use this quote - foreign policy - sanctions - human rights advocacy Key Concepts statecraft illegal economies power structures Questions to Reflect On - How does this view affect diplomatic options? - What are the risks of criminal framing? A Different Perspective Complexities of international law may limit action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criminals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminals/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Korea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/korea/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [North korea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/north-korea/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Syndicate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/syndicate/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Leaving North Korea is not like leaving any other country. It is more like leaving another universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/leaving-north-korea-is-not-like-leaving-any-other-country-it-is-more/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [“The most dangerous thing to the USA population is not North Korea, it is the USA government.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-most-dangerous-thing-to-the-usa-population-is-not-north-korea-it/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [What happens when I'm dealing with the problems in North Korea and the Middle East? Are you folks going to be reporting all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/what-happens-when-i-m-dealing-with-the-problems-in-north-korea-and/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [A China-friendly North Korea serves as a buffer between southern China and the U.S.'s sphere of influence in the region - something of which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hurd/a-china-friendly-north-korea-serves-as-a-buffer-between-southern/) [Will Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hurd/) > [We went over there and fought the war and eventually burned down every town in North Korea anyway, someway or another, and some in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-lemay/we-went-over-there-and-fought-the-war-and-eventually-burned-down/) [Curtis LeMay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-lemay/) > [The president had a press conference about this this week and he said that the U.S. has no plans to attack North Korea. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/the-president-had-a-press-conference-about-this-this-week-and-he-said/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [North Korea is now threatening the United States with all-out war. You can see they're stepping it up. In fact, they released 10 more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/north-korea-is-now-threatening-the-united-states-with-all-out-war-you/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [We've seen a massive attack on the freedom of the web. Governments are realizing the power of this medium to organize people and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergey-brin/we-ve-seen-a-massive-attack-on-the-freedom-of-the-web-governments-are/) [Sergey Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergey-brin/) > [A huge famine hit North Korea in the mid-1990s. Ultimately, more than a million North Koreans died during the famine, and many only survived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/a-huge-famine-hit-north-korea-in-the-mid-1990s-ultimately-more-than-a/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [The Globe reports that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il raises money by selling fake Viagra pills. What it is about this guy? None of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/the-globe-reports-that-north-korean-dictator-kim-jong-il-raises-money/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [The hope of Internet anarchists was that repressive governments would have only two options: accept the Internet with its limitless possibilities of spreading information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/the-hope-of-internet-anarchists-was-that-repressive-governments-would/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [North Korea is still my homeland, my country. I suffered on the outside because I was alien, without identity. I was nobody. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/north-korea-is-still-my-homeland-my-country-i-suffered-on-the-outside/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [You know Kim Jong Un, the evil dictator of North Korea? Apparently, a guy in his inner circle used his ashtray while smoking and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/you-know-kim-jong-un-the-evil-dictator-of-north-korea-apparently-a/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [During the periods when South Korea played a more active role, the inter-Korean relationship was more peaceful, and there was less tension between the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/during-the-periods-when-south-korea-played-a-more-active-role-the/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [The missile defense component is a minor feature that nobody takes very seriously. Nobody really believes that the US is trying to protect itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-missile-defense-component-is-a-minor-feature-that-nobody-takes/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## More by Marco Rubio > [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [However, however, if the goal is to abandon America's free enterprise economy, if the goal is to convert America into a submissive member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/however-however-if-the-goal-is-to-abandon-america-s-free-enterprise/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [The president we have today is a typical Washington politician that's prone to hyperbole and decisiveness and false outrage. And I think it's very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-president-we-have-today-is-a-typical-washington-politician-that-s/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Donald Trump is not going to be the nominee, because we are not going to allow - people will wake up and we're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/donald-trump-is-not-going-to-be-the-nominee-because-we-are-not-going/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [My first job paid well for a young attorney. I was making over $50,000, which was more than either of my parents had ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/my-first-job-paid-well-for-a-young-attorney-i-was-making-over-50-000/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [My dad was a bartender. My mom was a cashier, a maid and a stock clerk at K-Mart. They never made it big. 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We're going to pick up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-have-been-an-underdog-my-whole-life-both-in-life-and-in-politics-we/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Certainly being governor is an important job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/certainly-being-governor-is-an-important-job/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [The conservative movement is about government playing its important yet limited role, and about not falling into the trap of believing that every problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-conservative-movement-is-about-government-playing-its-important/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [The greatest thing that we can do for the world is be America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-greatest-thing-that-we-can-do-for-the-world-is-be-america/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Our people want jobs. They don't want a safety net as a way of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/our-people-want-jobs-they-don-t-want-a-safety-net-as-a-way-of-life/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [I believe that every single human being is entitled to the protection of our laws, whether they can vote or not. 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They feel that it makes their profession too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/the-proliferation-of-right-to-carry-laws-throughout-the-states-has/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) > [What most needs explanation is not why some people are criminals, but why most people are not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-q-wilson/what-most-needs-explanation-is-not-why-some-people-are-criminals-but/) [James Q. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-q-wilson/) > [A criminal trial is never about seeking justice for the victim. If it were, there could be only one verdict: guilty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/a-criminal-trial-is-never-about-seeking-justice-for-the-victim-if-it/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [There's some criminals that wear badges. Guess what? There's some criminals that work in the media. There's some criminals that are football coaches. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabo-swinney/there-s-some-criminals-that-wear-badges-guess-what-there-s-some/) [Dabo Swinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabo-swinney/) > [Nobody can really compare a relationship in which the victim is 15 years old to one where she's 6. While both criminal, they're very different circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/nobody-can-really-compare-a-relationship-in-which-the-victim-is-15/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [Humanity is not perfect in any fashion; no more in the case of evil than in that of good. The criminal has his virtues,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/humanity-is-not-perfect-in-any-fashion-no-more-in-the-case-of-evil/) [Pierre Choderlos de Laclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-choderlos-de-laclos/) > [“criminals were all derived from the same ethnicity – scumbag”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-h-thomson/criminals-were-all-derived-from-the-same-ethnicity-scumbag/) [L.H. Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-h-thomson/) > [New Orleans food is as delicious as the less criminal forms of sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/new-orleans-food-is-as-delicious-as-the-less-criminal-forms-of-sin/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“When a doctor does go wrong, he is the first of criminals. 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