The greatest evil is not now done in those sordid “dens of crime” that Dickens loved to paint. It is not done even in concentration camps and labour camps. In those we see its final result. But it is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed, and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice.
As news from North Korea increasingly fuels both our news feeds and our public imagination, I often find myself wondering: are the stories true? Is life in North Korea really like stepping into a time capsule?
Why the cultural enchantment with Game of Thrones? The anticipation of the Season 7 finale begs the question: “Why this broad appeal?” The answer to this question reveals the dominant frame through which one assesses reality.
