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AfroBurrito
Joined: 19 Dec 2013
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maitaidads
Joined: 08 Oct 2012
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Old Painless
Joined: 01 Jan 2014
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 Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 8:01 am Post subject: |
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| One thing is for sure: Koreans are not pussies when it comes to pulling that final trigger. People will tell us all day that suicide is a cowardly way out, and that's one way to look at it. OTOH, pulling that trigger is a very difficult thing to do even when one wants out in the worst way. |
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Sector7G
Joined: 24 May 2008
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| Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 1:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Old Painless wrote: |
| One thing is for sure: Koreans are not pussies when it comes to pulling that final trigger. People will tell us all day that suicide is a cowardly way out, and that's one way to look at it. OTOH, pulling that trigger is a very difficult thing to do even when one wants out in the worst way. |
I am not trying to be argumentative, but I don't know how you could possibly know how difficult it is for any one individual. Who knows, for someone who felt like life was not worth living, it might be the easiest thing in the world. It's just impossible to know someone's state of mind, which is also why I don't jump to the conclusion that it is necessarily a cowardly act. Now if they take someone out with them in a murder-suicide, like an ex-lover or their kids, that's a different story. |
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Old Painless
Joined: 01 Jan 2014
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| Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 1:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Sector7G wrote: |
| Old Painless wrote: |
| One thing is for sure: Koreans are not pussies when it comes to pulling that final trigger. People will tell us all day that suicide is a cowardly way out, and that's one way to look at it. OTOH, pulling that trigger is a very difficult thing to do even when one wants out in the worst way. |
I am not trying to be argumentative, but I don't know how you could possibly know how difficult it is for any one individual. Who knows, for someone who felt like life was not worth living, it might be the easiest thing in the world. It's just impossible to know someone's state of mind, which is also why I don't jump to the conclusion that it is necessarily a cowardly act. Now if they take someone out with them in a murder-suicide, like an ex-lover or their kids, that's a different story. |
You're absolutely right. I can't speak for others, and while it may look one way to me, everyone is different. |
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SeoulNate
Joined: 04 Jun 2010
Location: Hyehwa
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atwood
Joined: 26 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 7:15 pm Post subject: |
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Workers comp insurance would have helped. But the question is will Koreans pay more taxes for such programs? (Yet continue to spend mucho won on private insurance.) |
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SeoulNate
Joined: 04 Jun 2010
Location: Hyehwa
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| Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 10:09 pm Post subject: |
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| atwood wrote: |
Workers comp insurance would have helped. But the question is will Koreans pay more taxes for such programs? (Yet continue to spend mucho won on private insurance.) |
Koreans already pay a crap ton of tax. The problem is that tax is used really inefficiently. Also, the system for checking on people who dont pay is ineffective, thus leading many people to evade, thus leading to higher taxation for those who do pay. |
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atwood
Joined: 26 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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| SeoulNate wrote: |
| atwood wrote: |
Workers comp insurance would have helped. But the question is will Koreans pay more taxes for such programs? (Yet continue to spend mucho won on private insurance.) |
Koreans already pay a crap ton of tax. The problem is that tax is used really inefficiently. Also, the system for checking on people who dont pay is ineffective, thus leading many people to evade, thus leading to higher taxation for those who do pay. |
According to who?
I'd say it's being used rather efficiently for those who benefit from it--chaebols, large companies and banks and the politicians in their pockets. And considering who was elected president, lots of Koreans seem to be fine with that.
As for rooting out corruption and incompetence, you're talking about changing centuries of habits and customs. That kind of change is tough. And does the general citizenry really want that or would they rather claw, scratch and scramble to get their share of the spoils? |
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SeoulNate
Joined: 04 Jun 2010
Location: Hyehwa
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| Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 11:13 pm Post subject: |
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| atwood wrote: |
| SeoulNate wrote: |
| atwood wrote: |
Workers comp insurance would have helped. But the question is will Koreans pay more taxes for such programs? (Yet continue to spend mucho won on private insurance.) |
Koreans already pay a crap ton of tax. The problem is that tax is used really inefficiently. Also, the system for checking on people who dont pay is ineffective, thus leading many people to evade, thus leading to higher taxation for those who do pay. |
According to who?
I'd say it's being used rather efficiently for those who benefit from it--chaebols, large companies and banks and the politicians in their pockets. And considering who was elected president, lots of Koreans seem to be fine with that.
As for rooting out corruption and incompetence, you're talking about changing centuries of habits and customs. That kind of change is tough. And does the general citizenry really want that or would they rather claw, scratch and scramble to get their share of the spoils? |
True, but in lieu of what this article was about, I would say that the money is getting used horribly inefficiently.
I know how people in the west complain about how badly their money is spent in government, but I don't think they have any ground on which to stand if compared to how bad it is in Korea.
TBH, the system in Korea seems more like, cheat as much as you can, as often as you can. steal when able, coerce when not when any kind of money is involved. This happens across the board. |
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atwood
Joined: 26 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 11:58 pm Post subject: |
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| SeoulNate wrote: |
| atwood wrote: |
| SeoulNate wrote: |
| atwood wrote: |
Workers comp insurance would have helped. But the question is will Koreans pay more taxes for such programs? (Yet continue to spend mucho won on private insurance.) |
Koreans already pay a crap ton of tax. The problem is that tax is used really inefficiently. Also, the system for checking on people who dont pay is ineffective, thus leading many people to evade, thus leading to higher taxation for those who do pay. |
According to who?
I'd say it's being used rather efficiently for those who benefit from it--chaebols, large companies and banks and the politicians in their pockets. And considering who was elected president, lots of Koreans seem to be fine with that.
As for rooting out corruption and incompetence, you're talking about changing centuries of habits and customs. That kind of change is tough. And does the general citizenry really want that or would they rather claw, scratch and scramble to get their share of the spoils? |
True, but in lieu of what this article was about, I would say that the money is getting used horribly inefficiently.
I know how people in the west complain about how badly their money is spent in government, but I don't think they have any ground on which to stand if compared to how bad it is in Korea.
TBH, the system in Korea seems more like, cheat as much as you can, as often as you can. steal when able, coerce when not when any kind of money is involved. This happens across the board. |
I agree with you. i was just being a bit sarcastic.
A good example is how often the sidewalks have to be repaved. Yea, it creates some part-time work, but you know the guy selling the bricks and the person who awards him the contract are the ones really making out. |
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Sector7G
Joined: 24 May 2008
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 6:15 am Post subject: |
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| atwood wrote: |
| A good example is how often the sidewalks have to be repaved. Yea, it creates some part-time work, but you know the guy selling the bricks and the person who awards him the contract are the ones really making out. |
Yeah, you mean the sidewalks made with brick pavers? I noticed that too in my 3 years in Korea. I'm not even much of a "construction guy", and I could tell they had to be doing something wrong. Sidewalks are not supposed to buckle up a week after being put down. I saw this time and time again. Someone is making money off it though. |
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falco
Joined: 26 Nov 2005
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| Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 6:27 am Post subject: |
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| Old Painless wrote: |
| One thing is for sure: Koreans are not pussies when it comes to pulling that final trigger. People will tell us all day that suicide is a cowardly way out, and that's one way to look at it. OTOH, pulling that trigger is a very difficult thing to do even when one wants out in the worst way. |
I always thought it must take balls to actually end ones life. A LOT of balls. Suicide is one of those kindof taboo issues in the west but in Japan for example, in certain circumstances, it is viewed as acceptable, even honorable in certain cases. |
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Stan Rogers
Joined: 20 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 6:35 am Post subject: |
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| His life, his choice. |
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GEOM
Joined: 04 Dec 2005
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| Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 7:18 am Post subject: |
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Suicide can happen to anyone. It has nothing to do with being cowardly or not.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/12/19/stress-special-operations-chris-faris/1781157/
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he nation's most elite fighting forces — celebrated this year in film and best-selling books — are under more emotional strain after a decade of war than commanders realized, according to the senior non-commissioned officer for special operations.
A tragic part of that is record suicides this year, says Command Sgt. Maj. Chris Faris.
According to Pentagon data, there were 17 confirmed or suspected suicides this year among commandos or support personnel through Dec. 2, compared with nine suicides each of the past two years. |
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