"Without education, we are weaker economically. Without economic power, we are weaker in terms of national security. No great military power has ever remained so without great economic power."
- Jon Meacham

"The economy's always been the engine for our national security."
- Jim Mattis

"While Ebola's deadly reach has proven to be a complex and unique international challenge, the many uncertainties surrounding this virus continue to threaten U.S. national security."
- Marco Rubio 

Information is leaking out.  What will this due to the regime.  Collapse: loss of central governing effectiveness of the regime combined with the loss of coherency and support of he military.  Think about what happens is there is instability in Pyongyang.

N.Korea 'Suffers Coronavirus Epidemic in Pyongyang, Sinuiju'

english.chosun.com
March 19, 2020 13:03
Despite sealing its borders and halting all trade with China, major cities in North Korea have been hit by the coronavirus epidemic, according to witness accounts.
Christian group Voice of the Martyrs Korea that proselytizes in North Korea said an underground North Korean church member told it that the virus has spread widely in Pyongyang and the border town of Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province. "The situation is so desperate that it is just a matter of dying from starvation or infection," the member wrote.
North Korea claims it has not a single confirmed case of coronavirus, but experts believe that the epidemic has spread significantly there.
U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Robert Abrams said last week that he is "fairly certain" coronavirus has already spread to North Korea.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (center) breaks ground at a planned hospital in Pyonyang on Tuesday, in this grab from the [North] Korean Central Television.
Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended the groundbreaking ceremony of a general hospital in Pyongyang on Tuesday, according to state media.
Kim had been spending time on the east coast since late February before returning to the capital. Kim said at the ceremony that the hospital "must be completed in time for the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the [Worker's] party," which is Oct. 10.
That leaves workers just 200 days to complete construction.



De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell
Senior Fellow
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Personal Email: d[email protected]
Phone: 202-573-8647
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FDD is a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.


If you do not read anything else in the 2017 National Security Strategy read this on page 14:

"A democracy is only as resilient as its people. An informed and engaged citizenry is the fundamental requirement for a free and resilient nation. For generations, our society has protected free press, free speech, and free thought. Today, actors such as Russia are using information tools in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of democracies. Adversaries target media, political processes, financial networks, and personal data. The American public and private sectors must recognize this and work together to defend our way of life. No external threat can be allowed to shake our shared commitment to our values, undermine our system of government, or divide our Nation."