Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, is the one point of light in the middle of darkness between South Korea (on the right) and China (on the left) in this recent image taken from the International Space Station.
A good reminder that as proud as you may be for your accomplishments, geography plays an enormous role in the outcome of your life.
The North Korean government is obviously unlike any other governing body in the world, but what I cannot understand is why they are such bad liars. While there may be good reasons to enhance the reputation of their country and their dictator around the world, the propaganda that they promote is so ridiculous and ultimately damaging to the nation’s image that they would be better off saying nothing.
For example, while he was still alive, their official news agency claimed that former North Korean dictator, Kim Jong II, had invented the hamburger, composed six operas and written more than 1,500 books in three years while at university.
His birth was reportedly heralded by a swallow and caused winter to change to spring, a star to illuminate the sky and rainbows to spontaneously appear.
According to his official biography, he did not defecate, despite this book’s insistence that this could not be true.
Best of all (at least to a golfer), he reportedly shot eleven holes-in-one the first time he played golf (a feat verified by his army of bodyguards).
Is the North Korean government so backward as to think that these claims would be received by anything but amused smirks by the rest of the world?
I honestly don’t get it.