The difference freedom makes

From the Daily Mail: a photo of North and South Korea with commentary from Donald Rumsfeld.
north versus south korea

“It says it all. There’s the south, the same people as the north, the same resources north and south, and the big difference is in the south it’s a free political system and a free economic system.

“The people in the north are starving, their growth is stunted. It’s a shame, a tragedy.”

An aide added: “This oppressive regime is too busy trying to make war to make life comfortable for its people.”

Some people have asked me about the city in my blog’s header. It’s Hong Kong. I didn’t pick the image at random – the shining skyline represents one of the newly-created engines driving the world forward. My inner optimist wonders about the progress that economic freedom can bring, while my pessimist wonders at how far New York City has sunk in the mire of statism to lose that honor to Communist China. The trends are not evident to everyone yet – but will it be as clear as North and South Korea in 20 or 30 years?

Edit: there is a discussion on this post here.


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3 responses to “The difference freedom makes”

  1. bigmac Avatar

    The first time I saw a similar photo, it was on an environmentalist’s blog. She was lauding the North Koreans for being so considerate of the environment, and presented the image as condemnation of South Korean capitalism. It’s pretty scary how twisted a mind can become.

  2. Software Nerd Avatar

    Here’s an article by Christopher Hitchens, describing something of North Korea, from a trip he made there in 2000.

  3. Dinesh Avatar

    I’m in Hong Kong right now and the city is simply brilliant.

    Every day, every hour I marvel at this city, its skyline, its transport system, its work ethics – everything! Coming from India, the ease of life here is a stark contrast.

    This is one engine we can’t let extinguish.

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