I rather doubt that there are many people who visit LTG (and there aren’t many period) who do not also read a meaningful and well-written blog like The Lost Nomad. But on the chance that someone missed it, here’s an image taken of the Earth at night:

You will note that from this vantage point the Republic of Korea almost appears to be an island. That’s because our neighbors to the north are so bankrupt (financially and morally) that they lack the resources to provide adequate energy to light their cities.

Here’s a crappy zoom I did of the above photo to further illustrate the point:

It is easily forgotten the difference that freedom and democracy makes in the lives of ordinary people (yeah, yeah, I know China is pretty well lit up, but China is another story for another day). Of course, lacking abundant electricity is the least of the problems of the average Joe in the DPRK. Starving in the dark just underlines the misery.

I guess I’m still thinking about the remains of those six soldiers recently returned from North Korea. Their sacrafice did make a difference for 44 million people living in peace and comparitive wealth. And the soldiers today who are all too frequently disparaged while serving in a land far from home are here for only one reason: to keep it that way. It’s a good thing to remember.