Posted on 01/01/2015 8:45:25 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Bright lights, not human rights: Why North Koreans envy their neighbors
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December 16th, 2014
Je Son Lee
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This week Chris M. in the USA asks:
What do people in remote areas like Mt. Paektu think about those in neighboring China and those who live in Pyongyang?
Issues such as human rights or political systems are considered unimportant by most North Koreans. As a result, while those of us living along the border did have envy for the Chinese, it was usually for material reasons: jealousy of the bright lights and products we knew to exist there. Because there is not the best access to electricity outside Pyongyang, most of us in the country are used to lighting up lamps with paraffin and gasoline to see in the dark, suffering from the dark flames, unbearable smoke and nasty odor every single night. As such, the bright lights in nearby China made the country look like a paradise.
Of course, people living along the border are but a small percentage of all North Koreans, meaning that even the thought of seeing Chinese lights at a distance is inconceivable for the vast majority of people living in the DPRK.
Once, when my 10-year-old cousin came to visit my house from a small town far from the border, I took her out for street food at a kiosk in a night market. As it was at dusk, the entire town was getting darker and darker, but thanks to light from nearby China we could see where we were going. Suddenly, my cousin clapped her hands together and yelled excitedly, “Wow, that looks amazing! Je-son, what is that place? Can you please take me there and show me around?”
(Excerpt) Read more at nknews.org ...
P!
And unfortunately, if Kim ever falls from power, his people will clamor for a new leader who will be more generous but just as onerous.
As it’s been said, most men do not want freedom, only a kindly master.
Now, if the North Koreans would only use all that refined uranium for power generation through nuclear power plants scattered across their end of the peninsula, they would have all the electric power capability necessary to light up their country to rival China.
They could then send the “spent” nuclear power rods to China for reprocessing, from which the Chinese would obtain enough plutonium to make a large number of “dirty” nuclear weapons.
I see a most cynical “win-win” for the Chinese and North Koreans.
> As it’s been said, most men do not want freedom, only a kindly master.
Jesus is a kindly master. The wisest, kindest, and most just. I have no problem with that.
But in Christ we also have Liberty. The greatest of all liberties.
Go into the light......
You don’t know the value of freedom, if it’s never been available. But everybody knows the value of food and shelter.
Fascinating memoir from the poorest of the world’s poor—even though North Korea is never listed as such by the UN.
“And unfortunately, if Kim ever falls from power, his people will clamor for a new leader who will be more generous but just as onerous.
As it’s been said, most men do not want freedom, only a kindly master.”
They pick Obama as their next ruler. The One and the Un are both self-proclaimed messiahs.
Time to build some large, optical telescopes there because of the lack of light pollution!
That's true everywhere. If a NYC commune dweller barbecues a NY steak on their balcony or stomps to some loud music, the jackboots will be there in minutes.
I think more accurately that people would prefer freedom, however, when given a choice most would rather have a kindly master than risk their life for the greatness of freedom.
People want freedom in the first person sense.
My freedom...
I have the freedom to...
When it comes to the freedom of others... That’s not as common around the world. Some folks like to pretend they favor freedom but outside of sex and drugs, it’s just not common anymore.
great post, very sobering.
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