|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Troll_Bait
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: [T]eaching experience doesn't matter much. -Lee Young-chan (pictured)
|
 Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 12:59 am Post subject: Korea is Groucho Marx |
 |
|
I highly recommend that you read this blog entry in its entirety.
http://ampontan.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/seouls-choice-busan-or-takeshima/
This part in particular caught my attention.
| Quote: |
South Korea stands to reap substantial benefits from continuing to strengthen ties with Japan, yet their response to the mild revisions of the instruction manual�none of their business to begin with�could be characterized by calling it the Takeshima paradigm. Their actions in the week since then resemble nothing so much as a group of high school students restaging the Marx Brothers� political satire Duck Soup, this time as a soap opera.
In his role as Rufus T. Firefly, the ruler of the mythical Freedonia, Groucho Marx created a running gag by reacting to anything and everything with the statement, �Of course you realize this means war!� |
I had been searching for a way to express my bewilderment at the way Korea abruptly takes things not just to the next level, but to the extreme. Things don't go from fist to knife to gun, but from fist to nuclear bomb.
(Hat Tip to the Marmot's Hole blog) |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:52 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Not defending Korea, but the holier than thou attitude of most Westerners, esp. Brits, is so friggin' lame. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Guri Guy
Joined: 07 Sep 2003
Location: Bamboo Island
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:58 am Post subject: |
|
|
Actually, the article is pretty good all joking aside.
South Korea needs Japan a lot more than they need Dokdo.
A peaceful settlement will bring about immense economic gain for South
Korea and Japan. If only South Korea could see the wisdom in that.
Hoping South Korea sees the light,
GG |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 11:08 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Yaya wrote: |
| Not defending Korea, but the holier than thou attitude of most Westerners, esp. Brits, is so friggin' lame. |
You are very correct. Anyway, people forget that the tourist group was connected to the Hyundai Corporation, and 2MB used to work for Hyundai. Focusing on Dokdo makes people forget his failed policies with North Korea, his low popularity, and the beef issue. He is playing the same kind of nationalistic game that his opponents did. He felt he had to play the game. Politicians do that in the United States, too.
The problem in Korea is there little political balance or of a middle. I don't see much of a strong centrist force. You have the extreme Left and Right, and scientific, objective input doesn't come across enough due to excessive nationalism. I would say science and objective news is compromised in North America, because of excessive power of the market over the interests of the public, so getting objective opinions is harder to come by in the U.S. compared to the past.
Yes, Korea needs Japan, but are Koreans the only ones to behave illogically as a populace when it comes to foreign policy? I beg to differ. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Unposter
Joined: 04 Jun 2006
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 3:22 pm Post subject: |
|
|
"Needing" Japan as a trade partner and cow-towing to its demands are two different things.
Can you imagine the debate in the U.S.?
A: We need Iraqi oil so we should listen and follow every silly thing Saddam Hussein says and does.
B: He's right.
And, you can put any other country in any other region. And, don't give me any superpower b.s. either.
LMB is dealing with his own internal political situation and the realpolitic of protecting their soveriegn territory. Japan will trade with Korea as long as it is in their economic interest and it seems to be. To suggest otherwise is to ignore basic economic sense.
While I would personally like to see Korea do some things differently, I don't see what they are doing so wrong about Dokdo.
If Russia suddenly started talking about how Alaska was theirs, writing in their textbooks about how it should be theirs, you better believe their would be politicians in the U.S. that would be upset and nervous.
There are plenty of better things to complain about in Korea. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
