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michaelambling
Joined: 31 Dec 2008
Location: Paradise
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 Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 5:58 pm Post subject: A Response from Jon Huer |
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I couldn't help but email this guy about his "10 Most Wonderful Things about Korea". I am delighted at his replies (yes, he emailed me TWICE), and want to share it with this wonderful community.
If any of you doubt the veracity of these emails, please PM me and I will forward it to you.
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I normally ignore comments not worthy of a response, but since you call me names (only for the crime of writing a column in a public forum that has nothing to do with you personally.) Yet you personalize a public matter and show your anger, which only reveals the state of intelligence. But I am a sociology teacher, have been for over 40 years, at various US universities, author of 12 books, including one that appeared in TIME magazine in case you are looking for my official qualification.
For your info, I do not get paid a single penny for my articles (all go to a charity). This arrangement is made because of my SOFA status, I admit, not out of my voluntary charity although i do volunteer work for that particular charity org.
Nor am I an idiot, only because you PERSONALIZE everything and cannot disagree honestly. I have a Ph.D. from UCLA, not exactly an idiot school.
Have you ever learned to make a general statement on anything? Do you have to see everything from subjective, particularistic point of view or experience. If you are punched by a Chinese person, are you going to generalize ALL CHINESE as punchers? Only CHILDREN and RETARDED PERSONS have this sort of habit of mind. Obviously you take on their characteristics. You are quoting all those experiences. Does the world revolve around what YOUR experiences are? If you feel that way, you are not really worthy of one single word in response from me.
The notion of safety in Korea, as written in my article, is in a STATISTICAL SENSE, from a SOCIOLOGICAL GENERALIZATION. There are perhaps million specific and particularistic exceptions that dispute EVERY GENERALIZATION ever made: "all men are created equal," "turn the other cheek," "government by the people..." and all other generalized statements have exceptions. Sociologically, generally, and statistically, Korea is one of the safest (if not the safest) countries in the world FROM CRIME. Unsafe driving in Korea is legendary and I have it on my sight to write an article on the issue one of these days. As for crimes in Korea, your own or your friends' experience might be different, but that does not override the Big Picture. The first thing you have to learn to grow into adult frameworks to distinguish these two perspectives: Personal and public. I have this sort of conflict in perspectives in the beginning in ALL of my introduction to sociology courses.
As normally intelligent adults, we learn to ignore exceptions and go with generalizations especially when generalizations are called for (as in the case of what is WONDERFUL about Korea). If YOU, YOURSELF, could name ONE GOOD THING about any country, even about YOURSELF, people could name MILLION specific examples in your conduct to say that you, is an idiot or corrupt, or both. If you just go by your own experiences, you will never grow into adulthood or acquire an intelligent view of the world.
This is, just judging you from your letter, what i think you are: tell me if i am wrong.
1. You are considered very "stupid" and egotistic and selfish by your friends.
2. You are hated by most Koreans you encounter.
3. You hate most people you deal with, including Koreans.
4. You hate yourself, very unhappy with your life, contrary to the appearance.
5. You tend to think very highly of yourself, contrary to public opinion of you....
Hope this helps.
At any rate, in spite of you ill-mannered, childish outburst and namecalling, I do appreciate your effort to write to me.
Jon Huer
Jon Huer, Ph.D.
Professor of Sociology
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
www.jonhuer.com or http://sensei.ad.umuc.edu/jhuer
019-269-6157
"IF NOT EDUCATION, WHAT?" Jon Huer
"It is difficult to teach a man something when his salary (or lifestyle) depends upon his not learning it." Upton Sinclar |
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Don't want people to respect you? Why do you have such a terrible attitude toward YOURSELF? Poor childhood? Or, are you on DRUGS as you write your email messages?
JH |
------EDIT-----
My original email to him:
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"Korean society, for all practical purposes, is remarkably crime-free and street-safe"
Except for the delivery men on scooters driving on the pavement. And the countless number of barber pole-adorned brothels. And the drunk ajosshi who harass me for being with a Korean girl. And the insanely reckless Korean drivers who make it dangerous to walk or drive on any path large enough for a motorized vehicle.
Seriously, does someone pay you to write this?
My favorite is this: "without national xenophobia, yet with a dynamic society and affluent culture, Korea's safe environment and psychology are truly one of the greatest wonders in the world". That explains the question "have you ever raped anyone? I hear American men like to rape" that I got from one girl, or the Korean horror at Itaewon and its dirty foreigners, or Dokdo, or the WBC hysteria, or the figure skating hysteria, or the AIDS tests for English teachers...
Yeah, no xenophobia here.
Either you're an idiot or you're corrupt. Either way, I hope you stop writing, but of course you won't. |
Last edited by michaelambling on Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:22 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Ebrown
Joined: 14 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Wow. Even PhD holders get uppity. You'd think working through that degree would give a person some kind of patience/self confidence to just ignore things said on the internet. |
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michaelambling
Joined: 31 Dec 2008
Location: Paradise
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Ebrown wrote: |
| Wow. Even PhD holders get uppity. You'd think working through that degree would give a person some kind of patience/self confidence to just ignore things said on the internet. |
You obviously haven't met many academics.  |
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freshking
Joined: 07 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Getting under this guy's skin enough to get a full page email must have made your day. Congrats. |
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Xuanzang
Joined: 10 Apr 2007
Location: Sadang
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:05 pm Post subject: |
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| The Ivory tower gets ready to rumble... |
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shaunew
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Location: Calgary
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:05 pm Post subject: |
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| He owned you [mod edit--do not use peoples' real names without their permission]. That is embarrassing. |
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Ebrown
Joined: 14 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:10 pm Post subject: |
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| michaelambling wrote: |
| Ebrown wrote: |
| Wow. Even PhD holders get uppity. You'd think working through that degree would give a person some kind of patience/self confidence to just ignore things said on the internet. |
You obviously haven't met many academics. |
.... Reflecting on my father's side of my family as well as most tenured profs I've had the pleasure to deal with, I shall quietly retract any naivety I may have shown prior in this post, haha. |
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Zantetsuken
Joined: 21 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:11 pm Post subject: |
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| shaunew wrote: |
| He owned you [mod edit--do not use peoples' real names without their permission]. That is embarrassing. |
Damn mike...you must cringe everytime you hear Koreans trying to pronounce your last name.
"하이 미스터 [mod edit--do not use peoples' real names without their permission] 나이스 투 미트 유" |
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Underwaterbob
Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Location: In Cognito
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:16 pm Post subject: |
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| That's a lot of CAPS for a Ph.D. holder. Thought they knew better than that. |
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madoka
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Very asshole-ish of you to print his letter without printing yours to put it in proper context. |
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michaelambling
Joined: 31 Dec 2008
Location: Paradise
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:21 pm Post subject: |
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| madoka wrote: |
| Very asshole-ish of you to print his letter without printing yours to put it in proper context. |
Fair point. See edit above. |
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hugekebab
Joined: 05 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:21 pm Post subject: Re: A Response from Jon Huer |
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It always makes me wince when someone defends their intelligence by quoting their qualifications. Defend your position, not your PhD.
His article is gushing shite.
And this point really annoys me...
(10) Most English teachers in Korea may not agree but Korea's ability to create new English words and concepts, contrary to the purist concept of English, is one of Korea's noteworthy achievements.
There really aren't many English speakers with a 'purist concept' of English; English has no equivalent of The French Loi Toubon. It's one of the most openly adaptable languages on the planet!
The author seems to be trying to paint the Koreans as noble fighters against the English status quo (not the band). Well, it's a non-existent struggle! They hardle ever create new words, they just force existing ones into the limited range of sounds that can be produced by the Hangul script!(and by the band 'Status Quo')
On another point, I don't really agree with the wording of the OP's letter to the guy.
Last edited by hugekebab on Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:38 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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samd
Joined: 03 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Sad troll. |
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michaelambling
Joined: 31 Dec 2008
Location: Paradise
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:25 pm Post subject: |
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This thread wouldn't be the same without you, sam. |
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hugekebab
Joined: 05 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:25 pm Post subject: |
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Who? |
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