If you look at satellite photographs of the Far East by night, you'll see a large splotch curiously lacking in light. This area of darkness is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Interpretation
This quote highlights the stark contrast between North Korea and its neighboring regions, emphasizing the country's isolation.
Barbara Demick's quote draws attention to the lack of light in North Korea when viewed from satellite images, symbolizing not just the physical darkness but also the political and social isolation of the country. This absence of light stands as a metaphor for the restricted freedoms and the stark differences in development compared to its neighbors, suggesting that the darkness represents an area where modern life and connectivity are deeply hindered.
In practice
In a speech discussing global human rights, one might reference this quote to emphasize the plight of North Koreans.
In 2012, a five-year-old girl in Shandong province described to me how ten officials had chased her six-months-pregnant mother through the fields to prevent the birth of the family's second child, a boy. She died during the procedure.
In 1984, George Orwell wrote of a world where the only colour to be found was in the propaganda posters. Such is the case in North Korea. Images of Kim Il-sung are depicted in vivid colours. Rays of yellow and orange emanate from his face: he is the sun.
We need to learn to work with political systems that are not perfect instead of taking the view: let's first fix the politics, then we'll fix the rest.
No, Governor Romney, corporations are not people. People have hearts, they have kids, they get jobs, they get sick, they cry, they dance. They live, they love, and they die. And that matters. That matters because we don't run this country for corporations, we run it for people.
The over-representation of Wall Street banks in senior government positions sends a bad message. It tells people that one - and only one - point of view will dominate economic policymaking.
The very nature and purposes of Government make it impossible for administrative officials to represent fully or to bind the employer in mutual discussions with Government employee organizations.
Democracy is four wolves and a sheep voting on dinner.
Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.
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