I recently answered a question concerning North Korea that is applicable to this question as well. World Leaders tend to cut of their countries from the rest of the world if they perceive a significant threat of any kind to their well-being as a country. For example, North Korea has supreme control of the flow of information into and out of North Korea. They do this so their citizens do not have access to widespread information; they do not want "contaminated sources" reaching their societies. Overall, it seems that leaders cut off their countries in fears that access to the outside world (access to other media sources) will be a detriment to their overall power.

Simple knowledge is power. And if the citizens of these isolated Countries had knowledge they would rise up against their oppressors. As mentioned in North Korea these people think the US is their enemy, you will be murdered for walking down the street and so many other things that are dangerous in the outside World. If these people only knew what was available to them-freedom, food, jobs and so many other good things. Look what happened to Iraq when the citizens learned of the outside World and then started to migrate and send letters back home and tell everyone what life was like here. The truth is these Dictators are robbing the Countries blind and do not want to give up their personal wealth which includes the national treasury. Where could Lil Kim and his family live in such oppulance? Look at Saddams Palaces with 24K gold toilets. Eventually they will all come down as there is always the weak link in the chain and those that take it to far. This is not a sustainable asset keeping all those people just on the verge of starving and striving for a Gov. job which is the only good one.