"Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious."Whether George Orwell quite knew the accuracy of his words, or understood how long they would remain relevant is anyone's guess, but the truth of his most perceptive quote continues to leap out at me from virtually every situation and every news story taking place around the world.
David Cameron's recent, unprecedented delegation to China and the subsequent media attention given to artist and dissident Ai Wei Wei underlined the ongoing issue of human rights and freedom of speech there, but what many forget is that the essence of Orwell's words leak from every pore of the tragic situation in North Korea. The starving millions there unknowingly provide a twisted justification for Kim Jong Il to launch an unprovoked artillery attack on civilians in the South.
A friend in South Korea told me today that she feels 'the west' worries about the recent shelling of those innocent civilians more than the people of S. Korea themselves do - a troubling acceptance due to the flare-ups along the DMZ which have become an unfortunately regular occurrence. The resulting loss of life along the worlds most heavily fortified border more expected these days than ever before..
The South Korean reaction to the sinking of the Cheonan - one of quiet fury - would have been rather difficult for many in the UK to understand - such a vicious and sneaky act which resulted only in condemnation from the respectable west, and infuriatingly empty words from the Chinese.
But at what point do we draw a line under the situation and declare that enough is enough? The toddlers 'running' the North continue to throw stones at their neighbours in an desperate cry for attention - and we limit ourselves by choosing to either reward them, or ignore them - neither of which resolves the issue justly.
How many more must North Korea kill before the international community lives up to their responsibility and actually punishes them for their intolerable and 'belligerent' behaviour?
Kim Jong Il's endless propaganda ensures the people of the North remain unconscious, yet how much provocation must the South endure before they themselves lose their temper?
Unfortunately, with Seoul being within artillery distance of the North itself, the quiet anger of people in the South seems unlikely to increase in volume any time in the near future...
On the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11833217
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