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superacidjax

Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 7:14 am Post subject: They are happy to take our money.. |
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This is a consolidation of some of my previous posts in which I lament the torture of dogs, the ignorance relating to fan death and the general level of crudeness (spitting in buildings, talking ultra loud on cell phones, etc.)
I've been accused of wanting Korea to be like "home." I've been accused of being "ignorant" or "intolerant" of cultural differences. I'm not going to defend against those claims. First, very few of you on here, know where I'm from or my background or the places I've lived. So claiming that I want Korea to be like "home" is just a factless statement. I've lived in some of the worst hell-holes in the world. I've worked in a variety of places amongst countless cultures. I certainly don't need "educating" from a few Canadians that have lived in Korea for a year or two and defend everything about this place as a knee-jerk reaction.
Every culture has it's quirks and contradictions. However, the difference with Korea is that this place has invited most of us here. They want to be viewed in the international community as a developed place. That street runs two ways. If they want to be treated like adults, they should start acting like adults.
Weekly FTA riots with firebombings, protests against the US military (whom the Korean government has asked to stay here LONGER than the US wanted) hysteria over US beef. All of these things highlight the hypocrisy of the country. The Koreans are happy to let the US pay for the majority of military expenditures, yet they attempt to manipulate trade agreements or impose US citizen immigration restrictions that are stiffer than those of any other Western country? America has paid for most of the affluence that Korea enjoys, yet Korea is unwilling to be more "tolerant" in areas such as trade, immigration and business?
I'm happy here in Korea. I like this place, I am just trying to understand why many people here on Dave's enjoy defending everything Korean. I don't expect or want Korea to be "like home." But I do expect Koreans to give the same respect geo-politically that they expect from everyone else.
They demand trade consessions from our home countries. They are happy to take our money. They are ultra-eager to have some of us teach their children or invest in their businesses. They want the world to view them as "modern" and "developed." Yet, many Koreans persistantly maintain third-world attitudes and manners.
Korea has no problem taking money from the west, or even outright stealing (IP law anyone?) yet, they seem to only want to selectively import moderninity.
I would suggest that the West embargo Korea. Just shut the country's trade down. If Koreans want to continue to practice unfair trading and business practices such as chaebols, import quotas, excessive tarrifs, Intellectual Propery protections. Then perhaps they aren't ready to be "modern" like they all seem to want.
The west, of course is far from perfect, however, the balance, especially in areas such as trade, is excessively skewed towards Korea. |
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ChopChaeJoe
Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 7:41 am Post subject: Re: They are happy to take our money.. |
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superacidjax wrote: |
(1) First, very few of you on here, know where I'm from or my background or the places I've lived.
(2)I would suggest that the West embargo Korea. . |
1. Even less care.
2. Then leave immediately. |
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superacidjax

Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 7:51 am Post subject: Re: They are happy to take our money.. |
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ChopChaeJoe wrote: |
1. Even less care.
2. Then leave immediately. |
I'll happily take their money. |
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ChopChaeJoe
Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 8:00 am Post subject: Re: They are happy to take our money.. |
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superacidjax wrote: |
ChopChaeJoe wrote: |
1. Even less care.
2. Then leave immediately. |
I'll happily take their money. |
You don't take their money, you exchange goods or services for it. And so will anyone doing business with korea, which is why they, as well as you, feel no need to embargo it.
If you want to effect changes, you start at the individual level.
think about the awful stuff China does, why not embargo them? |
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superacidjax

Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 8:09 am Post subject: Re: They are happy to take our money.. |
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ChopChaeJoe wrote: |
superacidjax wrote: |
ChopChaeJoe wrote: |
1. Even less care.
2. Then leave immediately. |
I'll happily take their money. |
You don't take their money, you exchange goods or services for it. And so will anyone doing business with korea, which is why they, as well as you, feel no need to embargo it.
If you want to effect changes, you start at the individual level.
think about the awful stuff China does, why not embargo them? |
Good idea. Let's embargo China too. |
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pugwall
Joined: 22 Oct 2006
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 8:16 am Post subject: |
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I'm not happy about a lot of the stuff the US does. Lets embargo them too |
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Matt_22
Joined: 22 Nov 2006
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 8:28 am Post subject: |
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I suggest that we place an embargo on manpurse manufacturers, and I'm personally going to place an embargo on this thread. Immediately after I submit this. |
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superacidjax

Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 9:01 am Post subject: |
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pugwall wrote: |
I'm not happy about a lot of the stuff the US does. Lets embargo them too |
Go ahead.
It isn't internal policies of Korea about which I'm arguing.. it's the trade and economic policies. The US has a trade deficit, which means they import more than they export. An embargo of the US isn't going to have much effect. It will hurt everyone else more than it would hurt the US.
If you'd like to embargo the US, start by not watching CNN, Fox or any American movie or TV show. Stop listening to American music. Don't wear Levi's or Nike and certainly throw your computer in the river, as OS X and Windows are American products. Might as well not use GPS or watch satelite TV either. Those satelites are US owned. Perhaps you ought to invest in an Israeli gas mask.. because getting rid of the US overseas influence would invite certain attack from North Korean chemical weapons. You can also ground the Korean Air Force, as they use American F-16s. The missle systems in the South? American made. The radar and satelite imagery? US also.
Go ahead. Embargo America. See how effective the Canadian Army would be against the North.
If you thing an American embargo is such a good idea.. go visit North Korea.. there are no American-related products there.. obviously, that policy is working well. |
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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 9:39 am Post subject: |
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Your diatribe suggests you have placed an embargo on English grammar and syntax. I especially liked this bizarre phrasing:
If Koreans want to continue to practice unfair trading and business practices such as chaebols, import quotas, excessive tarrifs, Intellectual Propery protections. Then perhaps they aren't ready to be "modern" like they all seem to want. |
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superacidjax

Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 9:57 am Post subject: |
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Qinella wrote: |
Your diatribe suggests you have placed an embargo on English grammar and syntax. |
People on Dave's have a tendency to launch personal attacks rather than worrying about the issues being discussed.
Who cares about the subject? If there is a bad phrase or a mispelling, then obviously the person is full of it.
I'm sure that in your conversations you always use perfect syntax. I'm certain you've never ended a sentence with a preposition, or split an infinitive.
Childish. |
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JZer
Joined: 13 Jan 2005 Location: South Korea
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 12:28 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: |
Every culture has it's quirks and contradictions. However, the difference with Korea is that this place has invited most of us here. They want to be viewed in the international community as a developed place. That street runs two ways. If they want to be treated like adults, they should start acting like adults. |
I have to partly agree. It reminds me of a presentation that I heard this weekend. A Korean professor was talking about requiring more trained teachers in schools instead of just an BA. One major problem is that Koreans do not treat teachers like professionals so how do they expect to recruit qualified teachers. Not to mention that they do not offer permanent jobs in their school system to foreigners with payscales that continue to go up like they do for Korean teachers. Korean might find some permanent teachers who have experience and/or training if they actually offered more than a one year job. |
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babtangee
Joined: 18 Dec 2004 Location: OMG! Charlie has me surrounded!
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 12:53 pm Post subject: |
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superacidjax wrote: |
Who cares about the subject? If there is a bad phrase or a mispelling, then obviously the person is full of it.
I'm sure that in your conversations you always use perfect syntax. I'm certain you've never ended a sentence with a preposition, or split an infinitive.
Childish. |
While you come off as a loud-mouthed American, at least you state your case. And you put that grammar-trolling Quenella in her place. Good onya! |
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Cerebroden

Joined: 27 Dec 2006
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 2:53 pm Post subject: |
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korea isn't the only country that does all of the things you noted. |
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kaizer
Joined: 03 Feb 2007
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 2:55 pm Post subject: |
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boo fvcking hoo, cry me a river. son |
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jdog2050

Joined: 17 Dec 2006
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 3:23 pm Post subject: |
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JZer wrote: |
Quote: |
Every culture has it's quirks and contradictions. However, the difference with Korea is that this place has invited most of us here. They want to be viewed in the international community as a developed place. That street runs two ways. If they want to be treated like adults, they should start acting like adults. |
I have to partly agree. It reminds me of a presentation that I heard this weekend. A Korean professor was talking about requiring more trained teachers in schools instead of just an BA. One major problem is that Koreans do not treat teachers like professionals so how do they expect to recruit qualified teachers. Not to mention that they do not offer permanent jobs in their school system to foreigners with payscales that continue to go up like they do for Korean teachers. Korean might find some permanent teachers who have experience and/or training if they actually offered more than a one year job. |
This is a damned good point: it just reinforces the fact that Korea has a culture where they are Enthusiastic about "A", manage to squeeze out "C", but completely skip "B"
Think of the Underpants Gnomes from SouthPark. Step 1: Steal Underpants, Step 2: ???, Step 3: Profit!!!
Like you're saying, they want to raise the standards for teachers, all the while, not treating teachers like...well...teachers, and not making a better deal than many business camps or hagwons.
Another thing is Itaewon. So many Koreans despise Itaewon, and yet, they give so much lip service to being an "international" city, ignoring the fact that if Seoul were truly international, *more* of the city than not would look like Itaewon. How can you have a truly dynamic city if you have to sell your soul just to open a friggin bar or restaurant? How can you join in on globalization if you hate foreigners and really...*really* don't want much to do with them? |
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