--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The packs of cigarettes available here…" description: "\"“The packs of cigarettes available here carried the typical skulls and crossbones on them, but apparently no one in North Korea cared.”\" — David Baldacci" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/david-baldacci-1558_cigarettes_the-packs-of-cigarettes-available-here-c_3093786.png" --- # The packs of cigarettes available here carried the typical… ![“The packs of cigarettes available here carried the typical skulls and crossbones on them, but apparently no one in North Korea cared.” quote by David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/david-baldacci-1558_cigarettes_the-packs-of-cigarettes-available-here-c_3093786.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/david-baldacci-1558_cigarettes_the-packs-of-cigarettes-available-here-c_3093786.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/david-baldacci-1558_cigarettes_the-packs-of-cigarettes-available-here-c_3093786.png) > ““The packs of cigarettes available here carried the typical skulls and crossbones on them, but apparently no one in North Korea cared.”” [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even in oppressive regimes, trivial symbols persist, highlighting absurdities of censorship. **In simple terms:** Censorship can be both strict and oddly lax. Key Takeaway Notice contradictions in restrictive societies. Themes censorship absurdity politics Mood wry observational Type political cultural When to use this quote - travel - media consumption - political analysis - cultural observation Key Concepts authoritarianism symbolism human behavior Questions to Reflect On - What does this say about the limits of control? - How do everyday items reveal political realities? A Different Perspective The quote may exaggerate for effect. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cigarettes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cigarettes/) [Korea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/korea/) [North korea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/north-korea/) ## Related quotes > [“The packs of cigarettes available here carried the typical skulls and crossbones on them, but apparently no one in North Korea cared. They smoked.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/the-packs-of-cigarettes-available-here-carried-the-typical-skulls-and/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [My friend is an idiot. He smokes three packs of cigarettes a day. He won't quit, either. His big excuse is, "Why should I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregg-rogell/my-friend-is-an-idiot-he-smokes-three-packs-of-cigarettes-a-day-he/) Gregg Rogell > [I will just put four or five extra packs of cigarettes in my bag and I will be fine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-daly/i-will-just-put-four-or-five-extra-packs-of-cigarettes-in-my-bag-and/) [John Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-daly/) > [I had gotten up to two, maybe three, packs (of cigarettes) a day. And my lungs were bothering me and I'd had pneumonia two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/i-had-gotten-up-to-two-maybe-three-packs-of-cigarettes-a-day-and-my/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [Anyone who's been a heavy drinker and heavy smoker and has the good future to survive that and give it up knows what a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/anyone-who-s-been-a-heavy-drinker-and-heavy-smoker-and-has-the-good/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [Two packs of cigarettes a day, e strongest whiskey Kentucky can make. That's a recipe to put a vagabond On his hands and knees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shinedown/two-packs-of-cigarettes-a-day-e-strongest-whiskey-kentucky-can-make/) [Shinedown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shinedown/) > [North Korea is now threatening the United States with all-out war. You can see they're stepping it up. In fact, they released 10 more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/north-korea-is-now-threatening-the-united-states-with-all-out-war-you/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [We've seen a massive attack on the freedom of the web. Governments are realizing the power of this medium to organize people and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergey-brin/we-ve-seen-a-massive-attack-on-the-freedom-of-the-web-governments-are/) [Sergey Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergey-brin/) > [A huge famine hit North Korea in the mid-1990s. Ultimately, more than a million North Koreans died during the famine, and many only survived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/a-huge-famine-hit-north-korea-in-the-mid-1990s-ultimately-more-than-a/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [The Globe reports that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il raises money by selling fake Viagra pills. What it is about this guy? None of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/the-globe-reports-that-north-korean-dictator-kim-jong-il-raises-money/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [The hope of Internet anarchists was that repressive governments would have only two options: accept the Internet with its limitless possibilities of spreading information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/the-hope-of-internet-anarchists-was-that-repressive-governments-would/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [North Korea is still my homeland, my country. I suffered on the outside because I was alien, without identity. I was nobody. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/north-korea-is-still-my-homeland-my-country-i-suffered-on-the-outside/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [You know Kim Jong Un, the evil dictator of North Korea? Apparently, a guy in his inner circle used his ashtray while smoking and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/you-know-kim-jong-un-the-evil-dictator-of-north-korea-apparently-a/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [During the periods when South Korea played a more active role, the inter-Korean relationship was more peaceful, and there was less tension between the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/during-the-periods-when-south-korea-played-a-more-active-role-the/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [Leaving North Korea is not like leaving any other country. It is more like leaving another universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/leaving-north-korea-is-not-like-leaving-any-other-country-it-is-more/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) ## More by David Baldacci > [Why waste time trying to discover the truth, when you can so easily create it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/why-waste-time-trying-to-discover-the-truth-when-you-can-so-easily/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [It's the hardest thing in the world to put yourself in someone else's place, try to really feel what they feel, figure out why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/it-s-the-hardest-thing-in-the-world-to-put-yourself-in-someone-else-s/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [“That’s what’s called a ‘valley fill.’ What they fill it with the coal companies call ‘overburden.’ That’s basically everything they tore off the land:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/that-s-what-s-called-a-valley-fill-what-they-fill-it-with-the-coal/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [But if I worried too much about publishers' expectations, I'd probably paralyze myself and not be able to write anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/but-if-i-worried-too-much-about-publishers-expectations-i-d-probably/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [That's what civilization sometimes did to threats, real or perceived. They walled them off. Us against them. Survival of the fittest. You die so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/that-s-what-civilization-sometimes-did-to-threats-real-or-perceived/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [“You could have been a great scientist or something. Or a writer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/you-could-have-been-a-great-scientist-or-something-or-a-writer/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [“That’s good to hear, Billy. Kids have enough shit to deal with without somebody who is supposed to love them beating the crap out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/that-s-good-to-hear-billy-kids-have-enough-shit-to-deal-with-without/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [Most people associate reading with laying on the beach. They don't see that it's crucial for a democracy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/most-people-associate-reading-with-laying-on-the-beach-they-don-t-see/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [I'm ever curious about the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/i-m-ever-curious-about-the-world/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [“There was a time when Stone would have rated a platoon of crackerjack killers coming for him by land, sea and air. Those days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/there-was-a-time-when-stone-would-have-rated-a-platoon-of-crackerjack/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [I'm driven to go out and find new things to write about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/i-m-driven-to-go-out-and-find-new-things-to-write-about/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [It's hard, Cotton. To let yourself love something you know you may never have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/it-s-hard-cotton-to-let-yourself-love-something-you-know-you-may/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [I'm a wicked ping-pong player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/i-m-a-wicked-ping-pong-player/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [“He could compartmentalize at an astonishing level. It came from not giving a shit. And”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/he-could-compartmentalize-at-an-astonishing-level-it-came-from-not/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [“two unconscious, bleeding men and then over at the girl behind the bar. She was staring at him openmouthed, the glass-rag and beer mug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/two-unconscious-bleeding-men-and-then-over-at-the-girl-behind-the-bar/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) [Explore all 214 David Baldacci quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) ## More Cigarettes quotes > [The increased use of cigarettes and tobacco products among youth is worrying. Starting with cigarettes and tobacco, youngsters are soon lured into use of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-jayachandran/the-increased-use-of-cigarettes-and-tobacco-products-among-youth-is/) [M. Jayachandran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-jayachandran/) > [Don't be like cigarettes:people buy you when they need you and step on you when they finish from you,but be like drugs,they DIE if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/don-t-be-like-cigarettes-people-buy-you-when-they-need-you-and-step/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [We have too many preacherettes preaching too many sermonettes to too many Christianettes smoking cigarettes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-ravenhill/we-have-too-many-preacherettes-preaching-too-many-sermonettes-to-too/) [Leonard Ravenhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-ravenhill/) > [Negativity slowly kills your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew/negativity-slowly-kills-your-mind/) [Andrew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew/) > [In the 1960s, you could eat anything you wanted, and of course, people were smoking cigarettes and all kinds of things, and there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-child/in-the-1960s-you-could-eat-anything-you-wanted-and-of-course-people/) [Julia Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-child/) > [I did 12 shows in 13 weeks at a summer theater in Maine where we were paid $35 a week. After taxes and $25…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/i-did-12-shows-in-13-weeks-at-a-summer-theater-in-maine-where-we-were/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) > [I know cigarettes can kill & wonder if non smokers are immortal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hemantsmarty/i-know-cigarettes-can-kill-wonder-if-non-smokers-are-immortal/) Hemantsmarty > [“He lights a cigarette off a candle. These death-tubes, these little crutches or fuses: useful for getting through all sorts of things you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garth-risk-hallberg/he-lights-a-cigarette-off-a-candle-these-death-tubes-these-little/) [Garth Risk Hallberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garth-risk-hallberg/) > [I quit because I'm so tired of hearing bad news about cigarettes... Even if they discover good news, they don't publicize it - like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arj-barker/i-quit-because-i-m-so-tired-of-hearing-bad-news-about-cigarettes-even/) [Arj Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arj-barker/) > [Everything really needs to be paraben-free for me. I mean, because if I’m going to smoke cigarettes, then I need to be aware of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-wasson/everything-really-needs-to-be-paraben-free-for-me-i-mean-because-if-i/) [Erin Wasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-wasson/) > [Cigarettes don't kill people - cancer kills people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weiner/cigarettes-don-t-kill-people-cancer-kills-people/) Richard M. Weiner > [“If you went twenty-four hours without cigarettes, I'd drink a can of pop. Regular pop. The whole can." Isaw the glimmer of Adrian's earlier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/if-you-went-twenty-four-hours-without-cigarettes-i-d-drink-a-can-of/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [Once I thought I found love, but then I realized I was just outof cigarettes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hemantsmarty/once-i-thought-i-found-love-but-then-i-realized-i-was-just-outof/) Hemantsmarty > [I tap a Malediction out of the box, fire it up, and puff. It tastes like a tire fire in a candy factory next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-kadrey/i-tap-a-malediction-out-of-the-box-fire-it-up-and-puff-it-tastes-like/) [Richard Kadrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-kadrey/) > [“Stephanie took another puff from her candy cigarette, reached into her purse, brought out the rest of the pack, and said, "Want one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/stephanie-took-another-puff-from-her-candy-cigarette-reached-into-her/) [K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) [Browse all 199 Cigarettes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cigarettes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The packs of cigarettes available here carried the typical skulls and crossbones on them, but apparently no one in North Korea cared.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Baldacci" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/the-packs-of-cigarettes-available-here-carried-the-typical-skulls-and-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cigarettes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/the-packs-of-cigarettes-available-here-carried-the-typical-skulls-and-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/david-baldacci-1558_cigarettes_the-packs-of-cigarettes-available-here-c_3093786.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/david-baldacci-1558_cigarettes_the-packs-of-cigarettes-available-here-c_3093786.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/david-baldacci-1558_cigarettes_the-packs-of-cigarettes-available-here-c_3093786.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The packs of cigarettes available here carried the typical skulls and crossbones on them, but apparently no…” — David Baldacci", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Baldacci", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The packs of cigarettes available here...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/the-packs-of-cigarettes-available-here-carried-the-typical-skulls-and-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/the-packs-of-cigarettes-available-here-carried-the-typical-skulls-and-2/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```