Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Pligganease]

[contrarian]

plig:

I was born in Canada and lived there is total of 53 years. One of my two degrees is Canadian, the other American. I served 5 years in the Canadian Army. I am a red neck Albertan who will never forgive central Canada (Pierre Trudeau) for the National Energy Program in the 1980s.

[Privateer]

Leaving aside the politics of it, if you'd continually throughout your whole life come across people on TV or in the movies getting worked up over someone else's country, you might find it a bit irritating too. You might even make a few snarky comments from time to time.

I'm not defending the type of lefty who goes on about America as if it were the cause of all the world's ills - not at all - just talking about a common feeling in the general populace everywhere.

[EFLtrainer]

Another stupid-ass thread on anti-Americanism? Don't you people have something worthwhile to do, or, ya-ta, did you feel a need to feed the troll that is gopher?

First you ask a pointless and immature question: why is it OK for China to support dictatorships, but not the US? Ridiculous question on its face. It presumes that anyone not stating in commentary on American policies that other nations are equally wrong on a given policy is in support of the policy as long it's not done by the US. This is a stupid argument.

Second, you state that NOT criticizing China is an indication of hypocrisy. Let me point out again that not making an aside about China (and by extension of your silly question/argument, every other nation on Earth that supports dictatorships) means that one supports China's policies (as well as every other dictator-supporting nation). I repeat: stupid.

As for Goopher? He's the most insipid, self-obsessed, downright unintelligent hypocrite on these boards. He's freaking BORING with the repetition of his gawd-awful slanders on others while stating how horrible it is that people do such things! Anti-American? Someone else stated it already: a critique of US policy = anit-american. Gawd, what stupid shit. But we know what he is already: a republican plant on the board parading as a centrist. It's the old art of claiming an ideological stance to gain legitimacy within a group, but propagandizing for the other side.

He's a fool.

[Sincinnatislink]

[Gopher]

Dude: they really seem to have got to you.

Wake up and think for yourself. Stop repeating what your bitter professors told you.

If you reach similar conclusions, then that is your right. So be it. But it is obvious to me that, at the moment, you merely ape them, especially on the dreaded, bloodthirsty military-industrial complex and its "ins-and-outers."

And yes: it is conspiratorial. "This is not conspiratorial" is little more than a non-effective disclaimer.

[Nowhere Man]

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[Nowhere Man]

[gang ah jee]

[Pligganease]

[gang ah jee]

[Sincinnatislink]

[Gopher]

OK, Sincinnatislink. Thank you for your input. Moving on now...

It occurs to me that I have not yet stated this issue in its "Benign hegemon" vs. "Predatory hegemon" terms. This is a theoretical distinction in some Realist circles. I neither agree nor disagree with it. I do not offer it here as absolute, mutually-exclusive concepts. Useful category for discussion. No more no less.

I think that anytime any power willfully seizes; passively, reluctantly accepts; and/or randomly falls into hegemony (and it is usually not any one of those three but rather a unique combination), others will inevitably come to view it as a "predatory hegemon" -- or a malicious influence in regional or world affairs. Only a matter of time.

Imperial Athens after the Persian Wars, leading into the Peloponnesian war -- a more dispassionate example than citing America. Want another? How about Britain? Still resented and hated in some parts of the world.

I think that for a short period of time -- as in, say, the postwar environment for about a decade, for the United States, when it seized/accepted/fell into hegemony -- hegemons can and sometimes do enjoy "benign hegemon" status. I submit, however, that inevitably people come to view the hegemon as predatory mostly, decisively, because people just resent hegemons. And, ultimately, this has little to do with the hegemon's actual or alleged motives and/or behavior (and as we already know, America, like everyone else in the world, has its faults and shortcomings), although dissinters and dissidents almost always cite said motives and behavior -- imaginary or real -- and vigorously and categorically deny the point I am attempting to make -- which is roughly comparable to discovering, after three months of dating, that this fabulous woman you have been dating is actually just another imperfect girl who may have this or that fault.

And I also think that many are childishly caught up in America's attempting to portray itself in a favorable light -- above all else this seems to vex most of the antiAmericans here. My response: so sorry. Everybody does this. Deal with it. Get over it. Grow up. And move on...

[TheUrbanMyth]

[quote="Sincinnatislink"]

[jinju]

That does explain things. As dumb as most uni students are, he just seems even dumber.

Coming over to teach illegally? I hope somebody rats you out.