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Alias
Joined: 24 Jan 2003
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 Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 7:13 pm Post subject: Koreas 'to hold historic summit' |
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President Roh Moo-hyun will visit the North Korean capital Pyongyang for a meeting with the North's leader Kim Jong-il between 28-30 August.
The summit comes seven years after the first one, when Mr Kim met then-South Korean President Kim Dae-jung.
Correspondents say the meeting will be a boost to Mr Roh, who is approaching the end of his presidential term.
The BBC's Dan Griffiths, in the South Korean capital Seoul, said Mr Roh will be hoping to secure his legacy after a largely unpopular five years in office. |
Roh is pathetic.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6936158.stm |
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howie2424
Joined: 09 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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| wonder how much they paid for this one? |
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mack the knife
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: standing right behind you...
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 12:55 am Post subject: |
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| I can't see what the big deal is this time around. Roh and Kim are both Commies, and their methodology similar (controlling the media, bashing America, etc.). |
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The Perfect Cup of Coffee
Joined: 17 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 2:37 am Post subject: |
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| howie2424 wrote: |
| wonder how much they paid for this one? |
Yeah really. I guess Roh knows he's got zero positive legacy so he may as well claim to be the 2nd Korean president since his idol Kim Dae-jung to meet the North Korea leader. Roh's party is going to get roasted in the election though. I've gone beyond trying to understand the center-left in this country. Absolutely shameless and without morals. |
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Ilsanman
Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Location: Bucheon, Korea
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 4:21 am Post subject: |
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I wonder if the Nobel people will feel sorry for that pathetic loser and give him the Nobel prize too.
If they do, I will puke. |
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riverboy
Joined: 03 Jun 2003
Location: Incheon
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 6:16 am Post subject: |
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| I've gone beyond trying to understand the center-left in this country. Absolutely shameless and without morals. |
Not trying to defend the centre, or the left, but are you of this opinion based on yourobservations of previous regimes? |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 9:05 am Post subject: |
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| riverboy wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I've gone beyond trying to understand the center-left in this country. Absolutely shameless and without morals. |
Not trying to defend the centre, or the left, but are you of this opinion based on yourobservations of previous regimes? |
It's quite simple. Uri tries to keep the hope of imminent reunification alive, with a series of increasingly meaningless gestures, because the rest of their reform agenda hasn't really panned out. As far as substantial accomplishment goes, it's mostly just a lot of symbolism now.
Like I've said before, I think there are some advantages to Sunshine, in terms of establishing, albeit probably in the long-term, a modicum of SK influence in the North. The actual results might not be apparent until there is a change of leadership in the North.
What gets me is the idea that, once the GNP comes into power, we're gonna see a return to a policy of hard-nosed, commonsensical effectiveness re: North Korea. Gimme a break. We had fifty-odd years of hard-nosed common sense under the dictators, and it did nothing whatsoever to stop the Kims from establishing their dynasty in the North.
The hard fact of the matter is, it really doesn't matter what the South does. They can send truckloads of gold bullion to Pyeongyang, or they can cut off aid entirely. Neither policy is going to change the North's behavior in any substantial way. Why? Because South Korean aid is not what keeps the regime afloat. |
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bucheon bum
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 12:00 pm Post subject: |
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| true, but what DOES keep it afloat these days? Chinese aid? What else? |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 12:59 pm Post subject: |
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Here's a pretty clear-eyed assesment of the 'summit'.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/AsiaandthePacific/wm1584.cfm
My students were pretty blase about it last night. Very different reaction from 2000. Unless The Buffant One comes up with more than just a photo op for Roh, I think this trip will fizzle in its intended goal of rescuing the OOPs (Uri Dang) and North Korea from 5 years of GNP government.
The Left has taught Koreans to be cynical about foreign relations. I don't care how much love jelly Roh takes with him, this trip north is going to hurt when KJI inserts the boomerang.
It will be interesting to see if Roh tries to cancel the joint exercise with the USFK scheduled for this month. (Ulchi something?) Given how cooperative the allies have been for the last few years, that conversation would be entertaining to listen in on.
Roh would have been more likely to get the respect he's seeking if he had announced the Norks have been asking for a summit, but he refused until significant progress had been made on the denuclearization front and spun it by saying the safety of the people was more important than short-term political gain. |
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The Perfect Cup of Coffee
Joined: 17 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 1:00 pm Post subject: |
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| riverboy wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I've gone beyond trying to understand the center-left in this country. Absolutely shameless and without morals. |
Not trying to defend the centre, or the left, but are you of this opinion based on yourobservations of previous regimes? |
My observations of previous center-left regimes? Or are you trying to bait me into a debate about right-wing military dictatorships? |
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Alias
Joined: 24 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 6:26 pm Post subject: |
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| I remember the reactions to the summit back then. They really came to life during the year of anti-Americanism (2002). |
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riverboy
Joined: 03 Jun 2003
Location: Incheon
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 10:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| My observations of previous center-left regimes? Or are you trying to bait me into a debate about right-wing military dictatorships? |
Not really trying to bait you into anything. I'm just wondering if you are like others on the board who justify atrocities commited by right wing dicatatorships and comdemn every action done by a left wing regime.
I agree that the left in this country are shameless, but the right are no better considering the war the right wing press launched on Noh from the beginning and the way the minority sabotaged every little thing the government tried to do from the outset.
Were Noh's policies any good? It's hard to tell from all the stalling, gerimandering and crying the the opposition put up. I'd like to see politicians behave like that in other countries. Shameless and without morals in my opinion. |
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The Perfect Cup of Coffee
Joined: 17 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 3:23 am Post subject: |
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| riverboy wrote: |
| Quote: |
| My observations of previous center-left regimes? Or are you trying to bait me into a debate about right-wing military dictatorships? |
Not really trying to bait you into anything. I'm just wondering if you are like others on the board who justify atrocities commited by right wing dicatatorships and comdemn every action done by a left wing regime.
I agree that the left in this country are shameless, but the right are no better considering the war the right wing press launched on Noh from the beginning and the way the minority sabotaged every little thing the government tried to do from the outset.
Were Noh's policies any good? It's hard to tell from all the stalling, gerimandering and crying the the opposition put up. I'd like to see politicians behave like that in other countries. Shameless and without morals in my opinion. |
Actually I agree with you on Chung-hee's regime. Ruthless and single-focused on development.
But as for stalling, gerimandering, and opposition crying - you do actually know about democracies in other countries right? This isn't a Korea-only thing! We could debate simply those things in a single state in the US or better yet the EU. |
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riverboy
Joined: 03 Jun 2003
Location: Incheon
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| Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 5:26 am Post subject: |
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| True enough. |
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saw6436
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Daejeon, ROK
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| Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 6:06 am Post subject: |
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| "shameless and without morals." Completely accurate description of American politicians of the Left and the Right. |
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