Rob's World

Slaying Christopher Hitchens' Ideas

2011-12-25T02:37:00.000-08:00

An interest in ideas led me to Christopher Hitchens.

His words could seemingly take any proposition, even the inherently grimy, and shine them until they glistened under harsh light. It was his knack for deconstructing the arguments of others that first grabbed my attention, though, particularly his assailing of Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 in 2004 and his leftist, secularist case for the invasion of Iraq.

I was in my mid-20s, still unsure of what to make of the world three years after the day when 19 hijackers armed with box-cutters and no regard for self-preservation showed our overconfident country that it was not invulnerable. Invading Iraq, a country that had nothing to do with that attack had not seemed like the best course of action, but didn’t Saddam deserve his fate? Didn’t America need to do something in order to show that something like 9/11 wouldn’t be permitted again?

These questions troubled me, and arguments against the Iraq invasions coming from sources like The Nation, and arguments in favor of it in the pages of The National Review were too predictable to answer them. Hitchens, a vocal foe of religion and proponent of Marx and Orwell, suddenly became a compelling voice for the crusade of modernization against Islamic fundamentalists, an endeavor he was confident the invasion on Iraq could further.

As the occupation grew two and then three years old, though, the eloquence of Hitchens’ words and the ideals of reason he espoused could not conceal the Iraq mission’s failure. Though thousands of miles removed from it, untouched by the bullets and mortar shells, as well as by the atmosphere of terror that they leave behind, one could see that we were not winning. Every day brought new reports of Americans killed (and, I found later, glossed over dozens of dead Iraqis for every fallen U.S. soldier). Questions about the future of our country if the effort failed became commonplace.

The best America’s right-wing politicians and pundits could offer was a determination to stay the course, assuring us that to abandon the mission would bring worse consequences. The liberals countered by insisting either that a) the war was worth it, but had been badly managed, or b) the war had been a mistake, but would require more competent prosecution to preserve America’s “honor.” Start electing Democrats, they insisted, and you’ll see a change.

America’s intellectuals had failed.

Not only had Iraq been a disaster, but it was time to start comprehensively re-evaluating our foreign policy, to see just how benevolent a force our military had been around the world. A few American politicians and intellectuals would try to do so, but they were rare voices, ones not tolerated in “serious” discussions.

Fortunately, though almost all of my news came from mainstream sources, my entertainment did not.

The thrash metal veterans Slayer share with Christopher Hitchens a confrontational approach, especially in their disregard for religious custom or supernatural belief. Those who know of my religious inclinations and reading habits are generally surprised by my appreciation for music of such raw aggression and distaste for subtlety; but I have no plans to stop listening to Slayer until they stop coming up with interesting lyrical concepts and memorable riffs.

Since their early days, one of their strengths has been their ability to set a mood of horror, one especially appropriate when their songs deal with war. Guitars that sound like a galloping infantry or planes raining death from above, along with a “singer” with the bark of hell’s drill sergeant make a compelling case against war that even Bob Dylan and Barry McGuire could not match.

And for all Dylan and McGuire’s accomplishments, Slayer are the only songwriters I can think of to have ever changed a viewpoint of mine completely.

Christ Illusion, released in 2006, was a concept album of sorts, detailing thoughts on religion and war. What Hitchens saw as a noble effort to curb religious influence on public affairs, with the Middle East as this conflict’s first theater, Slayer portrayed instead as a natural by-product of religious belief, particularly when two different orthodoxies conflict with one another. It’s not a thesis one need buy in its entirety (human greed is the main cause, in my opinion, and religion can be used for greedy or benevolent purposes) to find it compelling.

Hitchens may be more literate and sophisticated, but Slayer’s lack of intellectual pretension resulted in clearer thinking in this instance, and allowed them to spell out the unfolding disaster’s numerous after-effects, from casualties on the ground, to increased fervor among Jihadists, to increasing paranoia at home.

“Eyes of the Insane” is not the best-executed song on the album, but its concept is one of their most interesting: A soldier, having served time in combat, struggles with PTSD, never free of images of “mutilated faces” and the constant fear remaining from the battlefield. The best thing about the song, though, is that it resulted in this video.

This is hopefully the closest I’ll ever come to combat, to being gravely wounded, to having to take a life, and to seeing lives snuffed out in front of me. This video was enough, though, to make me realize that Iraq, even if its supporters had noble ideas, had resulted in an untold number of fatalities, wounds, and minds forever scarred.

And Iraq was a choice.

Hitchens, along with Thomas Friedman, Fareed Zakaria and others embraced this war of choice, insisting that the threat of Islamic terrorists was one that had to be met with proactive uses of force. They’ll never see the deaths, never lose a drop of blood in combat, and never have to deal with the memories of the atrocities taking place in war zones. Neither will I, hopefully, but I will never favor sentencing anyone to that fate unless we’ve been attacked first and are sure we face attack again if we don’t act.

In the months that followed the release of the “Eyes of the Insane” video, Ron Paul launched his 2008 presidential bid. His brave insistence on a policy of non-interventionism in debates with a stage full of militarists eager to send other people’s children to war solidified my belief, and reading Glenn Greenwald, Justin Raimondo and Chris Hedges since then has provided a literate foundation for this view, one at least as solid as Hitchens did for the interventionists.

Hitchens clung to the view that the war in Iraq was worth fighting, that the war in Afghanistan had to be continued a decade past its launch, and that more, not less, aggression toward the Muslim world was required to defeat its fundamentalists. With the release of God is Not Great, he shifted the tone of the argument, insisting that Iraq and the war on terror were battles for secularism against religion, and that anyone who disagreed was blinded by or to religion’s deceit. The number of those who saw Iraq and Afghanistan as logical efforts continued to dwindle, but in debates with Hedges, Raimondo and Greenwald, Hitchens sought to overcome his position’s weakness with the ferocity of his attack.

In the past two weeks, Hitchens died and the war in Iraq officially ended. My country launched that endeavor to prove that, despite the loss it suffered on 9/11, the rest of the world would still see it as strong. Today it is weaker for having wasted so much blood and treasure there. The lives of civilians lost in Iraq (and in Afghanistan, and Pakistan, and Yemen, and Somalia) have scarred the minds of many in those countries who will not forget nor forgive the U.S. for its choices.

A right-wing government proposed Iraq, but it took a broad coalition to make it happen. That alliance consisted of the far right, the moderate right, the center-left, and even a few on the far left who thought to blame 9/11 on radical Muslims rather than the principle of blowback. Had a Christopher Hitchens or a Thomas Friedman stood up then and said that, no matter what else they thought of the Islamic world, the war was not going to change things for the better, we might still have fought it.

But the broad coalition in place made many afraid to speak out against it. One was taking his career in his own hands to say such things prior to the point at which George W. Bush’s approval ratings went down. By late 2005, when the consensus was that Bush had bungled Katrina and was bungling our wars, more than 2,000 Americans and an untold number Iraqis were dead.

Hitchens response, when told 2,000 had died, was that it wasn’t an “important milestone.”

But his death two weeks ago was viewed as significant, because he was an outspoken atheist, a great writer, or just a great character we all enjoyed watching. For years we’ve heard atheists proclaim that religion is evil because it has caused wars. When an atheist, one who they continue to praise, champions one of the most unnecessary wars of modern times, what does that give us to look forward to when religion has been erased?

If a person’s personality, or their way with words, can erase their complicity in war crimes, what grounds have we to criticize Chairman Mao or Kim Jong-il? Like Hitchens, we have no evidence they ever killed anyone themselves.

Christopher Hitchens’ career was built on ideas, and for a time their appeal was undeniable. To have ideas, though, is not the same as having veracity. It is not the same as having morality.

Christopher Hitchens, as time would tell, had neither on his side. That he is being honored now shows that wasn’t alone in this.

New Buffalax

2010-10-08T01:13:00.000-07:00

It's just as good in Japanese.

South Koreans Face Death to Enhance Life

2010-09-15T04:08:00.001-07:00

Talking with James Blake at BR

2010-08-28T03:33:00.001-07:00

Earlier this month, Bleacher Report arranged for me to have a telephone interview with James Blake. Since the news had a lot to do with the US Open, I've held it until now. On Monday the event will begin, and that night Blake will be honored for having overcome childhood illness and a series of harrowing events in 2004 to have become a top-ranked tennis player.

All in all, it was a pretty exciting assignment to have taken part in, and I'm thankful for the chance.

In Adventist Today, Talking About Marriage

2010-08-09T07:31:00.000-07:00

Meeting my quarterly deadline at Adventist Today is getting harder, but I somehow found the time to crank out this one over the weekend. I speak bluntly therein, much more so than I used to when writing columns for The PI or The Chattanoogan, but I figured with this topic there was no sense in holding back.

Also, I was largely inspired by this Onion clip, whose sentiments I could once relate to. Deeply.

A Fine August Day In the Park

2010-08-07T21:55:00.000-07:00

Just Dropping In

2010-08-05T02:55:00.001-07:00

So, yeah, I'm in class a lot these days, meaning there's no time for blogging. Probably won't be for awhile, either. But Jeoak is still at it, and I can't really pass this up.

"Asian gonorrhea," we said!

He's a machine.

North Korea Watch: McPaper Weighs In

2010-06-01T00:10:00.000-07:00

USA Today, that beacon of all that American journalism has become, has weighed in on the North Korea issue under the subtle headline of "Tension in Korea: A sunken ship, and talk of war."

Now, if it were just any newspaper, I'd be worried about a paper that doesn't have all that much to say on this issue suddenly churning out a story in these tense times as written by a guy with distinctly non-Asian sounding name. I'd be concerned that maybe, just maybe, the guy would lack the proper context to know just what the heck he's talking about. Given the hard times newspapers are going through, I'd be tempted to think that USA Today might just be covering the story now for the purpose of sensationalism, just to scare up readers.

But given USA Today's reputation, I gave it a chance. And guess what! In this case, Calum MacLeod has actually taught me, an almost five-year-resident of this peninsula, some things I didn't know! For example:

The March 26 sinking of the South Korea warship Cheonan by a suspected North Korean torpedo, killing all 46 sailors aboard, has grown into a crisis in which the world's two largest militaries — those of the United States and China— are lined up on opposite sides behind the South and North, respectively.

Silly me! I was under the impression that there were 104 on board and that all but 46 had been rescued. Also, I had come to the conclusion that the Chinese were rather neutral in all this, what with all the economic ties to South Korea, so thanks for clearing that up!

For several years, South Korea has pursued a policy of aid and diplomacy to the repressive and closed Stalinist country on its northern border, as a way of keeping peace.

Interesting! Opinions on the Sunshine Policy differ, but I thought it was because the economic consequences of a sudden collapse of the North Korean regime would devastate the South Korean economy, which they have worked so hard to build up, even under peaceful conditions.

Koreans have long lived with the nightmarish possibility of a devastating war, but the likelihood of conflict increases when all communications are cut off as they are now, says Daniel Pinkston, a regional analyst based in Seoul for the International Crisis Group, a think tank.

If war does break out, "there could be casualties like we've never seen," Pinkston says, as the North will "get off a lot of artillery" before being stopped, and there is the potential that chemical and even nuclear weapons could be used.

Yet for now, "people are going about their business and discount the possibilities," Pinkston says. "It may be denial, as the possibility is too horrible to imagine."

Or it could be that communications themselves are actually a recent development (2004, in fact), and that war didn't break out for all the decades before communications were established. In fact, it could be because the two sides have coexisted for decades without going to war despite the North's statements.

But, hey, you've got all the answers.

South Koreans show no stomach for a fight, complains Park, who runs the activist group Fighters for Free North Korea from a small office in Seoul.

Oh. I thought South Koreans had no stomach for seeing their capital city obliterated, millions killed and their way of life reduced to third-world status all over again. But I could be wrong.

Unlike in the isolated, impoverished North, there are many non-political diversions for South Koreans, one of Asia's most successful economies.

"I pay more attention to soccer than North Korea," telephone salesman Park Sang Kil says.

And, of course, the hawkish types like Park above and the apolitical soccer-centric types like Park below are the only two types of South Koreans that exist. Really, those are your only two choices.

At the nearby Noryangjin fish market, stall owner Ko Yang Lin, 56, is fatalistic about the crisis.

"I don't care about war, I'm happy to die as I'm too tired to live!" says Ko, who works daily from 2 a.m. to 6 p.m. Ko says she is angry at the North but high taxes are more of a concern.

Ah, if only the South Koreans weren't such pessimistic losers they could stand up to the North. Show them the way, USA Today!

All South Koreans know "the danger of war is worse for us as (we) have a lot more to lose economically and socially," says Lee Shin Wha, a professor of political science at Korea University. Lee worries her fellow citizens suffer a "security inertia," she says.

"After 9/11 in the USA, there were many diverse views, but when it comes to security, Americans are united."

Yeah, and look at all the great things unity and a lack of "inertia" did for us!

Recent polls indicate people are thinking harder more about the North. A poll by Gallup Korea published in The Chosun Ilbo said 60% of respondents supported sanctions against the North. In Washington, analysts say that the current situation escalating into an all-out war is unlikely, but the situation remains tense and could become more dangerous.

Of course, if you put that quote near the top of the story as opposed to the end, it doesn't sell papers, because who is going to read "all-out war unlikely" when "talk of war" is available? If nothing else, USA Today knows how to sell papers!

South Korea has 680,000 servicemembers backed by 28,500 U.S. troops, but it is outnumbered by the North's troops and vast advantage in rocket launchers, tanks and artillery.

Of course, North Korea's troops are impoverished and stunted in growth, plus their weaponry is outdated as demonstrated by the lickings they took in the naval skirmishes of 1999 and, hey, just last fall, but they must have had some reason not to include that context.

"(China) may want this (issue) to stick around a while to keep their dog on a leash and keep the United States looking weak. It serves them politically."

Say what? What does China stand to gain from having North Korea destabilize the region and thus threatening their growth? Why would China relish having Japan, the US, and pretty much the rest of the Western world line up behind South Korea, thus causing the Chinese to feel the pressure of having to act?

I'm beginning to think that USA Today's sources aren't the best-informed on this subject. Oh well. At least this time their sources actually exist.

North Korea Watch: Preparation

2010-05-27T06:18:00.000-07:00

Today was a better day, not because all the news was good, but because there was less of it. There have been some positive developments, apparently on the China front, and today there are more voices saying that we should, in effect, mellow out.

One must wonder how it got to this point, though. South Korea's gross domestic product is currently ranked 15th in the world, at $1.364 trillion, it far outweighs the North's $40 billion. What's more, though North Korea boasts a bigger military than South Korea's, naval skirmishes in the past decade have actually revealed its military to be poorly equipped compared to their neighbors.

Malnourishment has left North Koreans in a state where they are, on average, considerably shorter than their neighbors. The recent currency reform backfired when the people protested, suggesting that the public's devotion to the regime has its limits. They have the material to make nuclear weapons, but not much evidence exists that they can miniaturize it and load it to a weapon (for all the threats the have made, a nuclear assault is not one of them).

South Korea, though, would pay an enormous price economically if unification took place even under peaceful circumstances, leaving them in no hurry to complete the process. And even if they defeat the North, it has artillery capable of reaching and inflicting enormous damage on Seoul, as would an initial forward push by a few million North Korean troops coming across the border.

South Korea's economic growth over the past forty years has been justly described as a miracle, though in retrospect leaving the capital, with half the nation's population, most of its industry and its whole central government within North Korea's sights was clearly a miscalculation. South Korea has been unprepared to properly defend itself, but it seems doubtful that re-labeling the North its "archenemy" is going to do the trick, and restarting propaganda broadcasts probably can't do anything but anger the North more.

Though war may not be imminent, it's a shame that this nation hasn't done more to insulate itself from these threats.

Well, even if the South Korean government isn't prepared, there's no reason we can't be.

North Korea Watch: What's Next?

2010-05-26T04:14:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted at all lately, largely because my new role as a guest on the Evening Show at TBS eFM keeps me even busier than usual. Another reason is that I don't really know what to say, particularly regarding North Korea.

About a year ago I began trying to explain to people why they shouldn't worry about North Korea. I mostly did so for the benefit of friends and family at home, who only see news regarding this peninsula when the North is causing a diplomatic skirmish, and who have therefore been led to believe that war could break out at any moment.

Whenever I wanted to reassure myself regarding the future of this country, I could always look to actual Koreans to see what they thought. Without fail, their response was that North Korea was something they had always lived with, and would for the foreseeable future. And it made sense; the North is ruled by a family that has for years been teaching its people that American imperialists were waiting to conquer its people, and that the South was the tool of those Yanks. The North had to maintain that position or its people would know they were being lied to, but an actual war was not what anyone wanted; not the South, because it endangered their rapid economic growth, and not the North, because they faced long odds of victory.

With that dynamic in place, the North's belligerence seemed the status quo.

The sinking of the Cheonan has changed that. Now, while I don't see people panicking in the street or issuing warnings to run to bomb shelters, this is the first time I've seen real concern about the North's actions. The Cheonan sank, and now South Korea has vowed to cut trade with the North and resume its propaganda broadcasts at the border. The North has responded by cutting all ties with the South and threatens to shoot the speakers that broadcast the South's propaganda.

We're all waiting to see whether they follow through. War won't be the next step, but we don't know what the next step will be, or whether one side will back down. From a logical standpoint it would seem that one side would have to, but sinking the Cheonan had a logic that only Kim Jong-il and/or his defense council understands. One day the reason for this will be revealed; the only question is how much pain the country will have to endure to reach that answer.

Jeaok is Back

2010-05-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

I hadn't heard this song before Jeaok buffalaxed it, but that doesn't detract from its pleasures. His skills extend beyond Korean songs, by the way, and into Mongolian ones.

New K-Pop Video

2010-03-20T21:50:00.000-07:00

Jeaok is back. I will gladly do PR for him for as long as he'll keep it up.

North Korea Watch: Wine and Dine Me

2010-03-15T04:40:00.000-07:00

Only a week after threatening to "blow up" South Korea for daring to conduct joint military drills with the U.S., North Korea is trying to lure the capitalist pigs to the South back to make a deal.

North Korea has revised an investment law to lure South Korean and other investors back to a free-trade zone on its northeast border with China and Russia, a news report said on Sunday.

Yonhap news agency, quoting unnamed Seoul officials, said the January 27 revision of the law paved the way for "Korean compatriots living outside the DPRK (North Korea)" to invest in the Rason free-trade zone.

In 1999 the North revised a law governing Rason to ban South Korean investors from the zone, Yonhap said.

The latest revision seeks to lure them and other foreigners back in, by reducing taxes and simplifying regulations, it said.

Their state-controlled media will probably continue to say crazy things, but there's not much incentive to annihilate those who are giving Kim Jong-il the funds it takes to keep his wine cellar stocked.

North Korea Watch: Not So Great Divide

2010-03-11T01:13:00.000-08:00

SEOUL | North Korea has recently created an army division in charge of newly developed intermediate-range missiles capable of striking U.S. forces in Japan and Guam, a South Korean news agency said Tuesday.

The report came as North Korea stepped up its war rhetoric against the U.S. and South Korea after the allies started their annual drills aimed at improving their defense capabilities.

I'll spare you more of my thoughts on the "stepped up war rhetoric." Read on:

"The missiles could pose a threat to U.S. forces in Japan, Guam and other Pacific areas where they would be redeployed in time of emergency on the Korean Peninsula, Yonhap said.

The report, however, didn't provide further details such as how many missiles the new division possesses and where they are positioned."

Yes, they could theoretically pose a threat to U.S. forces, should the North suddenly become completely indifferent to the concept of "counterattack." Interesting how the South Korean government could have such specific information about their presence, but no details or numbers. Almost like the North wanted them to know ...

Adverse Possession

2010-03-11T01:06:00.000-08:00

Korea's Ven. Beopjeong passed away following a bout with lung cancer today.

"Beopjeong, whose most famous book is 'Without Possession,' maintained a frugal and secluded life while preaching the virtue of possessing nothing, a soothing message to Koreans tired of chasing their possessive desire in vain.

"'When you do not own anything, you actually own everything in the world.' This one line in 'Without Possession,' a collection of 35 short essays, sums up the Venerable Beopjeong's lifelong philosophy."

Apparently Without Possession sold 3 million copies in the three decades following its publication. But let me ask those who purchased a copy of it this: Isn't buying a book called Without Possession itself a repudiation of its core teaching?

And if the Ven. Beopjeong wanted his teaching of the avoidance of possessions to spread, then how did he expect that to happen without people buying his books?

OR DID I JUST BLOW YOUR MIND?!

Pyongyang Traffic Girls From the Sky

2010-03-10T23:22:00.003-08:00

Just watch. I have nothing to add.

North Korea Watch: Trading is Light

2010-03-10T01:48:00.000-08:00

For the first time in more than a decade, trade is down in North Korea, apparently going from bad to ... more bad.

The report by the state-run Korea Development Institute made available on Wednesday said the largest impact came from a sharp decline in trade with China, the North's biggest benefactor that its leader is expected to visit in coming weeks.

Trade with South Korea and the European Union was also down, and the combined decline in trade with the three parties that account for nearly 90 percent of the North's trade points to an overall decline of at least 5 percent in the past year, KDI said in the report.

South Korea is not surprising, given the problems over Mt. Geumgang, and the EU isn't altogether surprising with the given North Korea's generally bad behavior culminating in sanctions.

But China? I guess that's why they're working so hard to rectify the situation.

North Korea Watch: Parsing Reuters

2010-03-09T00:54:00.000-08:00

North Korea (claims to be) on combat alert as U.S., South hold drills

SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea said on Monday it had put its army on full combat alert, ready to "blow up" South Korea as joint drills between the South and the United States got underway (which they traditionally do, though we will of course neglect to mention that they make this threat every friggin' time there are joint exercises between the two allies, at least until the attention-getting part of the story is past).

The drills, seen by Pyongyang as nuclear war maneuvers (at least according to their Central News Agency, which has been making ridiculous claims about its impending actions as long as any of us can remember), last for about two weeks and are aimed at testing the allies' defense readiness. They draw fiery rhetoric from the North each year (which every single news source dutifully reports regardless of how incredible it is) that fuels tensions on the Korean peninsula, though they have been held for decades without major incident.

"The units of the three services of the KPA (Korean People's Army) should keep themselves fully ready to go into action in order to blow up the citadel (whatever that means) of aggressors once the order is issued," the North's KCNA news agency quoted its military command as saying (though they probably never did).

The comments were made after China, the North's main benefactor, said it wanted stalled nuclear disarmament talks resumed before July. It urged all parties to the six-country forum, including the United States and South Korea, to try harder (although the talks will remain meaningless as long as China, along with Russia, is determined to reward North Korea's behavior with trade and economic aid. Still, we really should "try harder").

The North has come under pressure to return to the disarmament (which won't ever happen) -for-aid nuclear talks because of (pointless) U.N. sanctions imposed after a May 2009 nuclear test.

The North said at the weekend that any talks to denuclearize the Korean peninsula would "naturally come to a standstill" because of the drills. North Korea conducted "live fire" exercises near sea borders with the South earlier this year.

Sanctions have dealt a blow to its wobbly economy (or so we like to tell ourselves), and a botched currency move late last year has sparked inflation and rare civil unrest.

The two Koreas are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty.

The Resolve/Foal Eagle drills involve about 18,000 U.S. troops, U.S. Forces Korea said, with 8,000 coming from abroad and 10,000 already stationed in the South.

The South's Defense Ministry said about 20,000 of its troops would participate.

The United States, which fought on behalf of the South during the war, has about 28,000 troops in the country to support its 670,000 soldiers. The North's deploys most of its 1.2 million troops near the border with the South.

(This is where the story ends, without context or any sense of history. But it sure does have an eye-catching lead that will surely land it at the top of more than a few search engines, guaranteed to make those in Middle America who know none of these things for themselves believe war is a distinct possibility. And to think, some people question our credibility.)

New Column

2010-03-08T18:06:00.000-08:00

My latest column on Adventist Today is up and available here.

North Korea Watch: Exciting Foreign Investment Opportunity!

2010-03-03T19:47:00.000-08:00

Revaluing its currency didn't work so well, so North Korea is desperate to attract FDI, The Herald reports

Regardless of its questionable charms as an investment spot, Pyongyang began laying out economic policies reminiscent of China's market opening and reform measures in the early 1990s.

North Korea announced a 10-year plan to build infrastructure using foreign investment, and reportedly designated eight cities including Pyongyang as special economic zones.

Ebert on The Chaser

2010-03-02T20:46:00.000-08:00

On Jan. 27 (while I was in America, and on a lengthy vacation from blogging) Roger Ebert gave a three and a half-star review to The Chaser, a sleeper hit in Korea in 2008 that has since arrived in America.

While noting the film's brutal, unfiltered violence, Ebert was mostly positive:

"The Chaser" is an expert serial-killer film from South Korea and a poster child for what a well-made thriller looked like in the classic days ...

When I see a film like this, it reminds me of what we're missing. So many recent movies are all smoke and mirrors. A thriller is opening soon in which the star cannot be clearly seen to complete any physical act in an action sequence. We might as well be reading a comic strip, where our minds are expected to fill in the movement between the frames. You sit there and "The Chaser" unfolds, and the director knows what he wants and how to do it without insulting us. In addition to remaking this movie, Hollywood should study it.

My wife bought The Chaser for me on DVD as a birthday gift in September 2008. Neither of us knew anything about it, really, as she doesn't study film with the interest that I do, while the language barrier prevents me from keeping fully up to date on Korean cinema.

Many of the movies scenes were shocking in their content, especially one near the end involving a hammer. There was a time in my youth such a film would have made me afraid to leave my apartment for fear of serial killers that might lurk on other floors. Thankfully those days have passed, though I was somewhat hesitant to let my wife travel alone in the days that followed.

My visceral reaction to the film's content does not mean that I can't recognize that it was well-shot and well-acted. It does a particularly good job of exposing the corruption and inefficacy of the Korean police. One day, keeping these salient points in mind, I may be able to watch it again.

But not anytime soon.

North Korea Watch: China Bound

2010-03-02T20:30:00.000-08:00

Kim Jong-il will be taking his first trip off of North Korean soil in four years to visit China, according to BusinessWeek.

China, North Korea’s biggest political and economic ally, is the only country for Kim’s communist regime to reach out to for support as the U.S., Japan and South Korea increase pressure on the North to return to nuclear disarmament talks, said Park Joon Young, professor of international relations at Ewha Womans University. North Korea may also need more help from China to prop up an economy hurt by United Nations sanctions on cross- border financial transactions.

“Kim Jong Il would have to show commitment to returning to international dialogue if he wants to get China’s support,” Park said in Seoul. “Kim’s China visit, which is highly likely, heightens the prospects of the disarmament talks resuming.”

Maybe while he's there he can get China to loan N.K. some more soldiers.

North Korea Watch: Just Say No

2010-03-02T00:57:00.000-08:00

The good news is that North Korea is no longer trafficking drugs.

The bad news is that they are still counterfeiting brand cigarettes and laundering money. Well, actually the report says "counterfeiting," but if I say "laundering" then I have an excuse to play this clip, and shee-it, I've been waiting for one.

K-Pop Gets What it Deserves

2010-02-28T00:18:00.000-08:00

I'm of the opinion that the best types of humor, whether it's Dilbert's office satire or The Onion's needling of the U.S. government is rooted in some sort of problem. These things wouldn't be so funny if they didn't talk about things that bothered us greatly.

And now comes Jeaok, a YouTube user who has found a niche mishearing songs from around the world and giving them hilariously rendered English translations. I, of course, take a special liking to his renditions of K-Pop songs. Most of these translations wouldn't be to my liking if I hadn't been subjected to listening to these songs at the gym - often played so loudly that I can't hear my own iPod clearly.

So, if you've ever been exposed to the wonder that K-Pop, you're in for a treat. Be warned, though, that Jeaok seems to think that a lot of Korean words sound like English obscenities or, worse, racial slurs. Prepare yourself for that fact and you'll probably find this highly amusing.

My favorite of all of his translations would have to be "Sorry Sorry" by Super Junior, probably because it's the most annoying song.

Walking Practice

2010-01-12T20:05:00.000-08:00

North Korea Watch: He Needs to Get Out More

2010-01-05T04:08:00.000-08:00

Signs indicate that Kim Jong-il will be visiting China soon, this report from The Herald says.

"If Kim did visit Beijing, it would most likely be to discuss plans for the next round of the stalled six-nation talks aimed at ending the North's nuclear weapons programs, those close to the matter said."

Also, in the aftermath of North Korea's experiment with currency reevaluation and its subsequent skydive, it would appear that Korea is more in need of aid than usual.

"There seem to be no other pressing issues, although visiting China could help emphasize North Korea's wishes to make better friends with the rest of the world for the sake of its economy," said another ministry official requesting anonymity.

As stated before, Kim's big promises about the future of the nation appear to have backed him into a corner that he will have to negotiate his way out of. It doesn't mean they won't try reckless, dangerous stunts now and then, but they are almost certain to make more overtures in the near future.

The question will be how other members of the six-part talks respond.

North Korea Watch: The Promise of New Year

2010-01-04T01:08:00.000-08:00

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has proposed regular dialogue with North Korea, even going so far as to propose that the two nations establish liaison offices in one another's capitals.

North Korea has not gone for that yet, but has sent other signals of a shift in their approach, though questions remain as to whether or not they're prepared to negotiate out of their nuclear arsenal.

The Herald also reports that, for the first time, the North has included English letters in its New Year's message, perhaps to due to the fact that heir apparent Kim Jong-eun has received a foreign education, which they will surely emphasize as he comes to power, if not sooner.

Furthermore, the North's messages regarding the New Year emphasized not military strength, but an improvement in industry, agriculture, and standard of living. To do accomplish these things, the North is almost certainly going to have to open its diplomatic channels.

Snowed Under

2010-01-04T01:03:00.000-08:00

Today brought record snow in most of East Asia, including a little more than 7 inches in just a little more than four hours in Seoul. Our newspaper had to publish two hours early and 90 flights were canceled at Incheon Airport.

This photo belongs to AFP.

Resolving to be Resolute

2010-01-02T21:28:00.000-08:00

I have a wife that I adore. I am one of the few people to graduate from Southern Adventist University's School of Journalism & Communication to actually have a journalism job. This year my wife and I added a new addition in Daniel, a little man whose resemblance to me left even me surprised.

And yet at the moment so much feels wrong: When I married my wife I married into her family, and that meant marrying into the debts her late father incurred through a combination of bad luck, poor choices in business partners and a continent-wide financial crisis about 12 years ago. It also meant the problems that my brother-in-law has (he has lost three jobs in the last 18 months) would become my problems.

As a result, all five of us live together in an apartment with four rooms, one of which is a bathroom and another of which is a closet. My job has its enjoyable factors, but they are often the backhanded sort of pleasure and workplaces in Korea are based less on what you can accomplish and more on who you schmooze (yes, American workplaces are also like this, but at least they pretend otherwise).

Things were pretty tolerable until December, when I got sick. It happens every winter, and probably will continue to happen until I have enough money to move to Fiji. My mother-in-law means well, but was already paranoid about germs even before I started coughing convulsively. She now closely monitors my diet and wardrobe, which has angered me, which has in turn angered my wife, which has then angered her mother, all of which has made my home one that I often don't want to go to at night.

My wife works a three-shift job, which keeps her schedule erratic. Last night and tonight, for example, she is on the 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. shift, which means she'll be asleep all day today until she has to work tonight. The time she's awake will mostly be spent feeding the baby. If she and I are lucky, we get one day together each week.

I have long turned to role models and hoped to derive inspiration from them. What can they teach me about my current situation? For example, Pete Sampras: When Sampras fell behind Richard Krajicek in the 2000 US Open, it appeared that the Dutchman's head-to-head advantage over Pistol Pete was about to get even better. Sampras, however, had other ideas.

But unlike Sampras here, my goal, to create a better environment for my family, can't be accomplished in one night. Maybe I need a role model who is closer to me in terms of my skill set.

In the field of modern journalism, I think that one of the few people doing really good work is Matt Taibbi. Along with Glenn Greenwald and Jon Stewart, Taibbi is the boldest journalist who actually has a wide audience, and such is his boldness that he has no fear of taking on those whom he believes control our government and our economy.

That mentality would serve me well. What's more, within a couple of years I have a reasonable chance of accomplishing my goals; when two years have passed, no matter how popular Taibbi gets, our government and both its parties will still be corporate owned.

And so my resolution is that, by this time next year, my family will be in a better place, hopefully physically but I'd settle for emotionally. If that means finding a new job, I'm willing to try that, though I'd rather make this one work. I plan to study Korean this spring at Yonsei University, which should be good for my career, particularly if I have to stay here.

But mostly I will believe that God has something planned for me, and for us. I have believed that in times past, and it has carried me through hard times before.

Go with me, God.

Daniel's Ball

2009-12-06T02:13:00.000-08:00

Three Stages of the Flu

2009-11-16T00:25:00.000-08:00

So, long story short, my wife had swine flu this past week. Daniel and I were also sick, though we didn't test positive for it.

Click here to read about it. I tried to have a fun time with the experience, but it was a hard tone to maintain throughout.

North Korea Watch: Here Comes the Sand

2009-11-15T21:33:00.000-08:00

Last week's naval skirmish apparently hasn't disrupted North Korea's efforts to do business with the South, as this Yonhap News story indicates:

North Korean cargo ship discharged a load of sand in a South Korean port on Monday in the North's first commercial trip across the volatile inter-Korean maritime border since last week's naval skirmish.

The voyage of the 1,296-ton vessel Kumpit suggests Pyongyang's intent to carry on profitable inter-Korean business projects, treating them as a separate issue from military warnings toward the South.

North Korea has long been in the practice of playing two cards at once: One that makes them appear threatening and another that appears inviting. It appears that will not change.

North Korea Watch: If It's Broke ...

2009-11-02T18:10:00.000-08:00

According to Reuters, Kim Jong-il's vow turn North Korea into a "strong and prosperous nation" by 2012, the 100th anniversary of his father's birth, is going seriously crimp his brinkmanship.

"This puts pressure on the regime to get as much aid as it can, as fast as it can," said B.R. Myers, an expert on the North's state ideology at Dongseo University in South Korea.
"To say that it will be a strong and prosperous country and to say that will be achieved by 2012, and to raise expectations, is actually a very risky thing."

For some time now North Korea has played the same game, which is to make a concession and then rattle a saber, thus maintaining the status quo. This piece suggests that Kim's hopes for 2012, which also when he may announce that his youngest son will succeed him, may make this game untenable. Perhaps more concessions from NK are coming.

Currently, North Korea has an economy worth $17 billion, 2 percent of South Korea's.

Adventist Today column

2009-11-01T18:29:00.000-08:00

I'm on the Adventist Today website again.

Andre's Book

2009-10-28T21:57:00.000-07:00

A day after the story broke of his meth use, Andre Agassi explains why he wrote his autobiography.

Thanks!

2009-10-28T03:28:00.000-07:00

Just so you know, I'm thankful for all eight of you who follow here.

Why? Well, according to this, I break pretty much every rule of popular blogging.

I suspected as much. Maybe in my next incarnation I'll narrow the focus a bit. Maybe the politically satirical musings of Korea's tennis pros.

The Irish Example

2009-10-25T22:19:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday I covered a speech by the Irish ambassador on how his country has overcome economic difficulties in the past. You can read it here.

5 Myths About Iran

2009-10-20T21:14:00.000-07:00

In The Washington Post, Joseph Cirincione enlightens readers regarding five myths about Iran's nuclear "threat."

1. Iran is on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon.

Iran could kick out U.N. inspectors, abandon the Non-Proliferation Treaty and reprocess the gas into highly enriched uranium in about six months; it would take at least six more months to convert that uranium into the metal form required for one bomb. Technical problems with both processes could stretch this period to three years. Finally, Iran would need perhaps five additional years -- and several explosive tests -- to develop a Hiroshima-yield bomb that could be fitted onto a ballistic missile.

2. A military strike would knock out Iran's program.

" ... after such a bombing, the Iranian population -- now skeptical of its leadership -- would probably rally around the regime, ending any internal debates on whether to build a bomb. Iran would put its nuclear program on fast-forward to create weapons to defend itself. It could also counterattack against Israel or other U.S. allies. This month, a top official of Iran's Revolutionary Guard threatened to "blow up the heart of Israel" if the United States or Israel attacks first."

3. We can cripple Iran with sanctions.

"Some mix of sanctions -- whether restricting travel, making it harder for Iranian banks to do business, further limiting foreign investment or even denying Iranian citizens basic needs, such as gas -- may be necessary if Tehran does not restrain its nuclear program or live up to its pledges. But the key is to couple such pressure with a face-saving way out for the Iranian leadership. As the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate on Iran put it, a sanctions strategy must feature "opportunities for Iran to achieve its security, prestige, and goals for regional influence in other ways." These could include Iran's inclusion in regional security talks, the suspension of sanctions and a secure supply of reactor fuel, leading up to normalized relations with the West."

4. A new government in Iran would abandon the nuclear program.

Some believe that an irrational, apocalyptic government now rules Iran and that regime change is the only solution. But there is broad support across Iran's political spectrum for the right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

5. Iran is the main nuclear threat in the Middle East.

The real danger is not a nuclear-armed Iran but a Middle East with more nuclear-armed nations and unresolved territorial, economic and political disputes. That is a recipe for disaster, and that is why there is no country-specific solution; we cannot play nuclear whack-a-mole.

Investing in Korea

2009-10-17T20:35:00.001-07:00

To read my story on how to make investments in Korea, click here.

To read my interview with international investment guru Jim Rogers on why he won't make investments in Korea, click here.

North Korea Watch: Naval Clash Impending?

2009-10-15T01:58:00.000-07:00

This made the front page at Yahoo! News, so I guess this is as good a time as any to revive North Korea watch.

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea warned South Korea on Thursday that a rash of "reckless" incursions at their disputed maritime border could spark a naval clash.

North Korea's navy accused South Korean warships of routinely broaching its territory — 10 times on Monday alone — in the waters off the peninsula's west coast.

"The reckless military provocations by warships of the South Korean navy have created such a serious situation that a naval clash may break out between the two sides in these waters," the military said in a statement carried Thursday by the North's official Korean Central News Agency.

This, despite the fact that North Korea issued a statement of "regret" for releasing flood waters that killed six Koreans and that talks are to start tomorrow on whether the South will provide aid and the North agree to more family reunions.

And the cycle continues. The North has threatened conflicts of this sort before (and even carried them out) but it is no prelude to war. North Korea opens one hand even has makes a fist with the other, and this will not change as long as it continues to extract aid from the United States and its Southern neighbor.

Obama No Socialist

2009-10-08T05:06:00.001-07:00

Obama's policies are not free market, but not socialist either, as no less than Reason magazine says here.

The keeper, really, is this sentence: "There is plenty to oppose in what Obama wants to do. But can we not be stupid about it?"

Unwed Mothers in Korea

2009-10-07T23:23:00.000-07:00

The New York Times has this piece about the Korean Unwed Mothers Support Network. Only about 1.6 percent of births reported in 2007 came to unwed mothers here (compared to about 40 in the United States), but those mothers who do have a baby out of wedlock face a lifelong stigma.

Eight Years in Afghanistan

2009-10-07T19:32:00.000-07:00

Glenn Greenwald, Arianna Huffington discuss Iran

2009-10-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

Glenn Greenwald is the man.

Eyes Wide Shut on Iran

2009-10-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

This piece in the Columbia Journalism Review takes the major networks to task for failing to diversify their sources, falling back on those all to willing to promote bombing, including (sigh) Tom Friedman.

"the only thing the Arabs are afraid of more than an Israeli strike is the absence of an Israeli strike. I guarantee you one thing, George, if the Israelis do decide to strike against Iran, there’s going to be a lot of Arab radar off that day. “Oh Ahmed, you forgot to turn the radar on? Shame on you!” That’s really what they’re rooting for."

After calling the Iraq war an "audacious roll of the dice," why would anyone listen to this guy's opinion's on foreign policy again? Marc Lynch and Glenn Greenwald are the pundits we need to hear more from.

Adventist Today

2009-09-30T20:57:00.001-07:00

As of today, I am a featured columnist in Adventist Today.com. This is my first piece.

What the Numbers Say About Iran

2009-09-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

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North Korea Watch: Left Behind

2009-09-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

According to this, Iran has left North Korea "far behind" in terms of its ability to launch missiles at a further distance.

Of course, since I remain dubious about Iran's intentions and capabilities, that should actually say something about North Korea's lack thereof.

Paul on Iran

2009-09-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

I never thought I'd say this, but if Bush had revealed that he'd known about a nuclear facility for years before it was publicized, he'd be excoriated, not praised by Andrew Sullivan for his "mojo" or at the Huffington Post for "outmaneuvering" Iran.

Iran Facility No Surprise

2009-09-28T18:34:00.000-07:00

Our government has known about the "secret" facility in Iran for years, as this points out.

"The United States was aware of Iran’s unfinished uranium enrichment site for several years, senior U.S. officials told CNN on Friday. U.S. officials have known about the facility since President George W. Bush’s administration, according to the officials who declined to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations."

And despite what you'll hear in the news, "(a) the Qom facility is not operational and (b) there is no evidence it is being used to create a nuclear weapon."

Gaymer Appointed ATEK Communications Director

2009-09-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

Dann Gaymer, 22, of the United Kingdom has been named the communications director for the Association of English Teachers in Korea (ATEK).

His appointment follows the election of previous communications director Greg Dolezal as ATEK president earlier in September.

Dann and I have never met, but he was contributed a number of articles to The Herald.

ATEK sent out the following press release this morning announcing his appointment:

(Daegu, South Korea)— The Association for Teachers of English in Korea (ATEK) has nominated Dann Gaymer as its new communications director.
The nomination follows former communications director Greg Dolezal election as President of ATEK earlier this month.

Dann Gaymer, 22, is a British citizen who has been living and working in Deagu, South Korea since August 2008. He has a bachelors degree in Social Anthropology from the University of Kent, where he also worked as a part time as a research assistant. After graduating he came to Korea to be an English teacher yet at the same time began writing for publications across the nation, including the Korea Herald, the Youngnam Ilbo and Eloquence Magazine.

"We are excited about Dann taking on this role as we anticipate he will help strengthen ATEK's image and give a strong voice for our members" said Dolezal with regards to the nomination.
Dolezal was elected on a platform of building a grass roots foundation for the organization by increasing membership and electing regional leaders as opposed to primarily focusing on advocacy and human rights work.
In August, Tom Rainey-Smith, a founder of ATEK, stepped down as acting president so that a democratic election could take place, overseen by an election committee appointed by the ATEK national council, which was seated on July 1.
Speaking of his appointment as communications director, Gaymer said, "I'm honored to be able to play such important role in ATEK. We have a lot of work ahead of us but I feel its work worth doing because it will hopefully illicit positive changes for both present and future members of ATEK and English teachers throughout South Korea."

Since launching in March, The Association for Teachers of English in Korea (ATEK), a professional organization that provides support services for foreign teachers, has attracted nearly 1,000 members across South Korea and has prompted the formation of numerous local teachers' associations.

ATEK's past achievements include the “Equal Checks for All Campaign” which was launched to as a way for workers on E2 visas to communicate their grievances against the imposition of discriminatory visa regulations, the filing of a complaint to the Korean Press Ethics Commission (KPEC) about the negative bias against ex-pat teachers in the media and, with help from the Seoul Global Center (SGC), the publishing of 'The English Teacher’s Guide to Korea', a teacher's guidebook/manual.

In his new role Gaymer's responsibilities will include monitoring and commenting on articles relating to foreign teachers in the Korean media, improving the image of foreigners in Korea and establishing a dialogue with organizations representing Korean teachers and employers, such as the Korean hagwon association (KAFLA). He will also actively pursue expanding the Daegu chapter of ATEK.

Hysteria over Iran

2009-09-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

This is a couple of years old, but as we hear the drumbeat over Iran's new facility, it's worth remembering:

Here is the reality. Iran has an economy the size of Finland's and an annual defense budget of around $4.8 billion. It has not invaded a country since the late 18th century. The United States has a GDP that is 68 times larger and defense expenditures that are 110 times greater. Israel and every Arab country (except Syria and Iraq) are quietly or actively allied against Iran. And yet we are to believe that Tehran is about to overturn the international system and replace it with an Islamo-fascist order? What planet are we on?

Daniel's 100th Day Party

2009-09-22T03:33:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday night was our party for Daniel's 100th day. Not so long ago Korea was a very impoverished country, and for a child to survive until his/her 100th day was a pretty big deal. Now that South Korea has the world's 15th-ranked GDP that situation has changed, thankfully, but the tradition is maintained.

So, Catherine, her mother, brother, myself and Daniel played host to several of their closest relatives in Seoul at an Indian restaurant. We received several gifts, though most of them were clothing for Daniel. Should be useful for a time.

To see more photos from the evening, click here.

ATEK's President

2009-09-15T07:06:00.000-07:00

I haven't been active much -- make that at all -- at this site for the past two weeks, as I've been providing exhaustive (and exhausing) coverage of the US Open for Bleacher Report.com, where I'm the tennis community leader. Since the open is now over, I should be back for good now.

What better way to come back with a bit of shameless self-promo about ATEK's new president? Click here.

North Korea Watch: How to Deal

2009-08-31T07:25:00.000-07:00

This piece in today's Korea Times sounds like good advice, especially the part about "bored contempt."

"Treat North Korean provocations with bored contempt. The U.S. needs to reward the North when it acts responsibly and punish or ignore it when it acts badly. Reprogramming the DPRK won't be easy, but the regime has been on markedly better behavior over the last month than previously. For that Washington and other nations should respond favorably."

North Korea's threats, when matched with its actions in recent years, are deserving of nothing more.

North Korea Watch: Talks Underway

2009-08-26T05:36:00.000-07:00

North-South Korean talks on reuniting families are underway, the AP reports.

The story doesn't have much else to offer, aside from background, but it says the talks are taking place at the North's Diamond Mountain resort. We'll stay up to date on this development.

Federer's Reading List

2009-08-25T03:08:00.000-07:00

The Roger Federer fans at Bleacher Report were ecstatic to report that my wrap-up (or at least part of it) had appeared on Federer's own site today.

Me? I'm cool with it.

North Korea Watch: Reunions and Rockets

2009-08-25T02:58:00.000-07:00

South and North Korea are going to meet to discuss reunions among families separated between the two countries, according to the New York Times. It's a highly positive sign, given that it would be their first joint meeting in 55 years, the NYT says:

The meeting comes as North Korea appears to be shifting from provocations against Washington and Seoul — including a nuclear test and missile tests — toward more conciliatory gestures, among them the release of two American journalists earlier this month after a trip to Pyongyang by former President Bill Clinton.

If the two Koreas agree on a new round of family reunions, a selected group of Koreans from each side would be allowed to meet their children, brothers and sisters whom they have never met or communicated with since fighting ended in 1953.

Hopefully, the South's rocket launch today won't lead to any more childish paronoia from the North.

North Korea Watch: U.S. Envoy Invited to Talks

2009-08-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

Reuters reports that Stephen Bosworth, the U.S. chief nuclear negotiator for North Korea has been invited to nuclear talks.

If Bosworth does go, it would mark the first official bilateral talks between North Korea and the administration of President Barack Obama on the nuclear issue.

ATEK Update

2009-08-24T04:49:00.000-07:00

The ATEK presidential nomination process I wrote about in Friday's Herald has been delayed by a week due to there being only one application received.

Read the update in Tuesday's Herald here.

I was informed after press time that should no more applications be received by Saturday, the one candidate who did apply will take office as ATEK president come Sept. 1. If more nominations are received, there will be an election period after which the new president takes office Sept. 10.

North Korea Watch: How Many Enemies?

2009-08-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

Doug Bandow of the Cato Institute asks why the US Military pursues such a massive military budget when it's greatest "threats" are Iran and North Korea:

Whatever could justify such outlays?

It certainly isn't the power of America's enemies. The American people rightly rank North Korea and Iran as adversaries of the U.S. But neither state poses even a minor threat to America.

The so-called Democratic People's Republic of Korea is an economic wreck; a half million or more people starved to death a decade ago. The regime is largely friendless and faces a destabilizing leadership transition. Pyongyang's large military is antiquated; though the North is developing both missile and nuclear technologies, it has no present ability to attack the U.S. and, in any case, would be wiped out by any retaliatory strike.

Moreover, the DPRK is constrained by its neighbors. South Korea enjoys 40 times the economic strength, twice the population, and a vast technological advantage. By some measures, the South's military budget is as large as North Korea's entire GDP. With its more modern, efficient military, Seoul alone could defeat the North.

Drug Decriminalization in Portugal

2009-08-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

Portugal may offer a way out of the drug war, a Cato Institute study shows.

ATEK Elections

2009-08-20T07:48:00.000-07:00

Click here for my story on the ATEK presidential election in Friday's Herald.

North Korea Watch: Meeting the Other Bill

2009-08-19T05:15:00.000-07:00

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson will be meeting with diplomats from North Korea, which some are interpreting as a further thaw in relations between the North and the United States.

Kim Jong-il also reportedly sent condolences to the family of former President Kim Dae-jung, who died yesterday.

As a congressman, Richardson embarked on several diplomatic missions during the 1990s, and was instrumental in getting American Evan Hunziker released from North Korea in 1996.

A Libertarian View of Kim Dae-jung

2009-08-18T06:31:00.000-07:00

Kim did, as Doug Bandow says here, have "manifest" flaws, but his committment to freedom and democracy were undeniable.

Kim Dae-jung Dead at 83

2009-08-17T22:18:00.000-07:00

Former President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kim Dae-jung has died, a hospital spokesperson said.

Kim, South Korea's president from 1998-2003, had been in and out of hospitals for months do to pneumonia, The New York Times reports.

A long-time opposition leader during Korea's authoritarian past, Kim was imprisoned and nearly killed for his opposition to the military dictatorships of Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan. This, along with his eventual presidency, earned him comparisons to Nelson Mandela.

For more information check my earlier post.

North Korea Watch: Joint Projects Resume

2009-08-16T20:05:00.000-07:00

North Korea has agreed to "lift border restrictions with South Korea to allow reunions of separated families and restart stalled tourism ventures," the AP reports.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency said in a dispatch early Monday that it agreed to restart tours to the scenic Diamond Mountain resort and ancient sights in Kaesong in the North. The tours had been suspended in tensions after the inauguration of a conservative government in Seoul early last year.

The report did not say when the tours would resume.

The state news agency said the North also agreed to resume reunions of families separated by one of the world's most heavily fortified borders at Diamond Mountain before this year's annual "Chuseok" autumn harvest holiday in early October. Chuseok is one of the two biggest Korean traditional holidays celebrated in both Koreas and is equivalent to Thanksgiving in the United States.

High School Insecurities are Fatiguing

2009-08-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

If I’d been a bit chunky in high school, I probably would have an aversion to Twinkies today that bordered on religious zeal. If I’d had a speech impediment then, perhaps I’d now be giving an earful to anyone I could trap long enough to tell how I overcame it.

Those weren’t problems of mine, though. My concern was that I was 6’3” and weighed 160 pounds when fully clothed. This is probably why, in my adulthood, I have demanded of myself that I be able to bench press more than any of my coworkers.

Fortunately, in the newspaper industry this is an easy target to reach: most reporters rarely lift anything heavier than a full coffee cup, and the best ones are too consumed with finding the scoop to concern themselves with exercise or a nutrient-rich diet (personal hygiene is also known to suffer).

When outlifting my fellow journalists got to be too easy, I began targeting the top 5 percentile of the gyms I used, and the top 2-3 percentile after I moved to Korea. I adopted the technique which states that each set should consist of no more than four repetitions, and on the fourth the vein in the lifter’s forehand should be visible from the moon.

After following this method for four or five sets, if the lifter is still able to open doors for himself, then he probably could have tried harder.

By my mid-20s it had paid off; I weighed in the neighborhood of 210 pounds, more and more people were asking me for help in ensuring that heavy things around the office were in the right place, and in the spring I could be seen tugging at shirts whose short sleeves weren’t quite wide enough.

Eventually, though, I paid the price for this obsession.

One day last year I pushed a weight as heavy as myself above me for four sets, four times each. The next day there was a sensation in my upper left pectoral that I at first mistook for the bounty of exercise, which is soreness. When it had spread to my left shoulder and grown more intense the day after that, I knew something was wrong, and that I needed to stop for awhile.

I didn’t pick up a weight for another two-three months, and when I did it was significantly lighter. Still, the following day the sensation, which I imagine is similar to having liquid magma poured in between your shoulder and arm bone, had come back.

I visited a doctor, who was immediately able to locate a creaking in my shoulder indicating that there was a fluid buildup between in the joint. He casually recommended that I avoid putting my left arm behind my back or over my head, and said in about four weeks I’d be fine.

This advice seemed at once both unrealistically hard and simplistic. For one, you do realize how hard it is to avoid such motions until you’ve put on a belt or taken off a shirt. For another, the sudden recurrence of pain months apart indicated something much more serious than what he had diagnosed me with.

So I went to an Oriental medicine doctor, who very quickly found that something more was wrong: My whole skeletal system was out of alignment. My pelvis was crooked and my left shoulder higher than my right. The first step toward correcting it would be acupuncture.

Many Westerners fear this, but I actually was not worried about the idea of having needles in my shoulder. Too bad none of them went there: Apparently treating bone alignment problems requires lots of needles in fun places like right beside the thumbnail, the tip of the pinky toe, and the underside of the knee.

You may be wondering if this was painful: Let’s just say that after the last needle had been inserted and I’d released my last gasp, I understood enough Korean to know that my doctor was laughing, not just at me, but at Westerners in general who have a low tolerance for needles in their digits.

The second part of my treatment has been rest, and after a few weeks the pain has decreased. What’s more, the number of needles required has also gone down, and they’ve been moved to places that result in less gasping.

Still, the doctor insists that I get rest, and he knows just enough English to tell me to avoid the gym because, as he puts it, “You might fatigued.”

"You should only walking,” he continues. “Otherwise, I think you will fatigued.”

I take him at his words, no matter how poorly utilized they may seem. My attempts at surmounting my high school insecurities by bench pressing a compact car will have to wait.

And so will this column. Until I’m sure I can left both arms over my head without paying for it the next day, I have to assume I haven’t rested enough. Hopefully it won’t take more than a couple of months before you see me again.

Whatever happens, though, I wish you all well, and that you won’t too much fatigued.

North Korea Watch: Empty Threats

2009-08-15T21:54:00.000-07:00

When stories like this are even acknowledged, it's usually by right-wing American think tanks agitating for "confrontation" with the North, or paranoid expats who think they need to move as far south as possible and stock up and instant noodles.

But just read this:

"Should the U.S. imperialists and the Lee Myung-bak group threaten the DPRK with nukes, it will retaliate against them with nukes," the spokesman warned.
"If they tighten 'sanctions' and push 'confrontation' to an extreme phase, the DPRK will react with a merciless retaliation of its own style and an all-out war of justice," he said.

North Korea has, at best, 0.2 percent the capability that the United States has. How can anyone take this saber-rattling seriously?

Roger Ebert on 'Thirst'

2009-08-13T17:52:00.000-07:00

Roger Ebert has given a mostly positive review to Thirst by Korea's leading auteur Park Chan-wook. Ebert writes:

"Park Chan-wook of South Korea is today’s most successful director of horror films, perhaps because there’s always more than horror to them. He seems to be probing alarming depths of human nature.

"His best-known film is the masterful “Old Boy,” about a man who is taken captive and locked up for years for no reason he can guess and none he is supplied with. Now comes “Thirst,” a blood-drenched vampire film about, unexpectedly, a Roman Catholic priest. The priest is a deeply good man, which is crucial to the story: He dies in the first place because he volunteered as a subject for a deadly medical experiment."

I own most of Park's previous films, and his Oldboy ranks among my favorite films by anyone.

His films certainly aren't for the squeamish, but they tend address the difficulties of acting in a moral manner when facing other overwhelming urges, as well as the consequences of failing to be moral.

Daniel's First Swimming Lesson

2009-08-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

A Little Known Fact About Gangwon Province

2009-08-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

It's the Korean capital of cows that are actually excited about being eaten.

Photos From the Baby Store

2009-08-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

Makds pekfext sezce to me.

And good company it is.

This Is Not. A Complete Sentence.

I know what you're thinking and yes, there is audio.

North Korea Watch: South Korean Worker Released

2009-08-13T07:48:00.000-07:00

On the heels of Bill Clinton's successful diplomacy, the head of Hyundai Asan has managed to negotiate the release of a South Korean worker detained since March.

The sad part is, all I can think is What is John Bolton going to complain about this time?

The One One Four

2009-08-13T07:39:00.000-07:00

Click here for my story in The Herald on The One One Four, a new site offering news to expats in Korea. I will add a link to them on the side panel of this blog.

North Korea Watch: The Financial Noose

2009-08-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

The U.S. government is imposing financial sanctions on a North Korean company believed to be aiding in its missile development program, the AP reports.

The Treasury Department's action covers Korea Hyoksin Trading Corp. It means any bank accounts of other financial assets found in the United States that belong to the company must be frozen. Americans also are forbidden from doing business with the firm.

Read the rest here.

North Korea Watch: Kudos to Bill

2009-08-10T22:33:00.000-07:00

Here's something you won't here very often, especially from Lew Rockwell's site: A commendation for former President Clinton for his diplomacy. My favorite part was this:

The neocons are now spreading the bizarre scare story that North Korea is selling decrepit Burma (Myanmar) a reactor to supposedly make nuclear weapons. What Burma would do with nuclear weapons goes unexplained. Bomb Laos?

India Detains North Korea Ship

2009-08-10T19:10:00.001-07:00

Amazing when you can do to a nation whose weapons aren't pointed at you.

In Peril in Pyongyang?

2009-08-09T22:21:00.000-07:00

Were the captured journalist in North Korea ever really in danger? The author of this certain doesn't think so.

Four Days in North Korea

2009-08-09T22:19:00.000-07:00

This piece on Slate is interesting, especially the part about never having seen a banana before.

Kim Dae-jung Hospitalized

2009-08-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

South Korean TV news has reported that former president Kim Dae-jung (1998-2003) is seriously ill and has been rushed to the hospital. Kim, better known among his supporters as "DJ" is 84 and has been in poor health recently.

If he were to die it would be South Korea's second president, and second left-leaning leader, to die this year following the suicide of Roh Moo-hyun in May.

Kim was imprisoned under the authoritarian rule of former President Park Chung-hee in the 1970s, having run against Park in the 1971 election. He was granted clemency after Park's assassination in 1979, only to be arrested again and sentenced to execution for sedition. With the intervention of the U.S. government and a letter from Pope John Paul II, Kim was granted clemency but exiled until 1995.

After Kim's election in 1998, he instituted the Sunshine Policy, which sought reconciliation and engagement with the North, for fear that a sudden collapse of the North would be disastrous for both.

Kim took part in the first ever summit between North and South Korean leaders in 2000, meeting Kim Jong-il and winning the Nobel Peace Prize. His presidency was, however, marred by economic concerns, particularly involving the Korea Exchange Bank.

For more information on Kim Dae-jung click here.

(Update: Word is now that Kim's condition has stabilized, though he remains under watch at Severance Hospital.)

North Korea Watch: Kristof Speaks

2009-08-05T22:18:00.000-07:00

Nicholas Kristof of the NYT is someone whose foreign policy views I've normally found quite sensible.

His double-take on North Korea, though, is somewhat confusing, especially the day after we've been handed some actual good news pertaining to the North. Now he's suggesting "toughened sanctions backed by military force if necessary." Furthermore, he says it would be a "nightmare" if "Iran simply decided to save time and buy a nuclear weapon or two from North Korea."

Question, Nick: How many of those nuclear weapons has North Korea used against us? How many has it used against South Korea? How many has it used for any purpose except testing?

If your answer is, as mine is, zero, then I have to ask what the "nightmare" is. Krisof supposes two things: A) If Iran and Myanmar possess nuclear technology, they will use it, even though using would certainly spell an end to their regimes, and B) "doing something" is our best choice in this matter.

Each of these countries knows that it cannot win a conflict with the United States, and none of them are connected to a surrogate terrorist group that has proven an ability to strike the U.S.

The comments under Kristof's link on his Facebook page were quite appropriate, especially this one: "If I were a small country labeled "evil" by the USA I'd want nukes, too."

And this one: "Given that we have no good options now, perhaps we should follow the Hippocratic oath - first of all do no harm. We should let nature take its course w/ Kim Jong-Il and see how this all plays out when he's gone."

North Korea Watch: Keeping Up Appearances

2009-08-05T19:24:00.000-07:00

Sending former President Clinton to North Korea to arrange the release of the Current TV journalists may have been designed to allow the North to save face, according to The Associated Press.

"It could provide an opportunity to move forward on the nuclear issue, and that's not necessarily a bad thing," said Victor Cha, former Asia chief at the National Security Council. "The history with the North Koreans, as they have just done the past few months, is to put themselves out on a ledge. And they always need help getting off that ledge."

By giving them nothing except an audience with a former president, the Obama administration may have provided an opportunity for North Korea to return to negotiations, possibly even in the six-party talks.

(Secretary of State Hillary Clinton) said the U.S. was not counting on a breakthrough but also said it could lubricate the way for the North to return to six-party talks about its nuclear program with the U.S., Russia, China, Japan and South Korea.

Just don't expect it to happen right away, as the North still demands one-on-one negotiations with the U.S., which the American government refuses to accept as long as the North defies sanctions. However, this move may have left the door open for future talks, as the former president is well-regarded in the North:

Pardoning Ling and Lee satisfied North Korea's need to continue maintaining that the two women had committed a crime while dispatching the former president as emissary served the Obama administration's desire not to expend diplomatic capital winning their freedom, Sneider said.

Breaking News: John Bolton is an Idiot

2009-08-05T17:57:00.000-07:00

Somewhere, I like to think the following conversation is taking place. (Apologies to Mike Judge.)

First Guy: Well, at least your name isn't John Bolton.
Second Guy: You know, there's nothing wrong with that name.
FG: There was nothing wrong with it until that no-talent neocon got nominated to diplomatic posts and started writing Op-Eds.
SG: You know, you could go by Jonathan.
FG: No way. Why should I change? He's the one who sucks at diplomacy.

North Korea Watch: How Did Bill Do It?

2009-08-05T07:18:00.000-07:00

According to this, former President Clinton succeeded where his wife, and the rest of the Obama administration failed, in that he could afford to beg.

In large part because Bill Clinton did what no Obama administration official could: go to North Korea with hat in hand to retrieve the journalists. Such a visit by a senior administration official would perhaps give up too much leverage when issues like Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program remain on the table.

Of course, the fact that North Korea actually got nothing out of the deal besides Clinton's visit is still too much for hawkish critics.

Critics say Bill Clinton's visit only rewarded North Korea for its recent provocative actions.

"I think it is quite a concession to North Koreans. North Korea craves affirmation, especially a high profile former president of the united states," said Peter Brookes of The Heritage Foundation. "Some people would say this is actually rewarding bad behavior."

However, North Korea received nothing out of the deal aside from the intangible quality The Heritage (Heritage of what? Chestbeating?) Foundation calls "affirmation."

North Korea Watch: Slip-Slided Away

2009-08-05T00:09:00.000-07:00

Maybe the well-oiled machine is showing some wear, Yonhap reports:

SEOUL, Aug. 5 (Yonhap) -- North Korean media outlets, whose outputs and their timing are strictly dictated by the state, made repeated blunders while reporting on former U.S. President Bill Clinton's two-day visit to the country.

North Korea first reported Clinton's arrival around noon on Tuesday through Radio Pyongyang and the Korean Central Broadcasting Station, its state-run radio channels.

Both made on-air blunders, apparently due to miscommunication between the anchors and producers.

"Former U.S. Pres...." the male anchor of Radio Pyongyang started out in Korean. The broadcast was abruptly suspended mid-sentence, followed by nearly 10 seconds of silence and then five minutes of music before the anchor returned to say Clinton arrived in the North Korean capital.

North Korea Watch: Off They Go

2009-08-04T17:38:00.000-07:00

According to this, former President Clinton and the two Current TV reporters have now departed North Korea.

We'll be waiting patiently for an explanation from the White House as to how they got the North to agree so suddenly (assuming that ever comes) but this should at least buy us some respite from the hawkish talk of need for "action" against the North.

North Korea Watch: Slick Willie to the Rescue (!?)

2009-08-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

Something tells me there's a lot more going on here than we're allowed to know. Either way, journalists everywhere should be happy to see them going free.

North Korea Watch: Slick Willie to the Rescue

2009-08-03T18:43:00.000-07:00

Reuters reports that former president Clinton is off to North Korea in an effort to negotiate the release of Euna Lee and Laura Ling of Current TV.

Click here for the rest of the story.

North Korea Watch: Gone Fishing

2009-07-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

Well, this certainly doesn't help.

SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea asked North Korea to quickly release a fishing boat and its four crew members, hours after the vessel was seized after accidentally crossing the countries' eastern sea border, an official said Thursday.

Now North Korea has more bait to go along with the Current TV ladies. Perhaps those fishing in disputed waters have no choice but to continue doing so for the sake of their livelihoods.

That is one place where South Koreans could benefit from a military buildup, particularly naval, to protect its citizens.

The Third-String Parent Takes the Field

2009-07-29T05:33:00.000-07:00

If asked to list the best things about being the father of a newborn son, I would probably list the occasional flashes of a smile, the times he has stopped crying after I’ve picked him up, and the fact that I can see a lot of both myself and his mother in him.

If asked what I’d want to list if I were sure that no mothers were listening, I’d probably say that the best thing is that I’m backup.

In the sport of parenting, I’m the quarterback who had a fine collegiate career but can’t expect much success in the pros because I’m only 5’10. Even so, I still get the Super Bowl ring because my wife is the Tom Brady of child care.

Actually, since I live in Korea, I’m actually the third-stringer, because Korean grandmothers often come to live with the family after the new baby is born, and my mother-in-law’s stature in this game could be compared to that of Peyton Manning’s in his arena.

Sometimes it’s unfulfilling not to get onto the playing field more frequently, but all too often the cries and occasional shrieks coming from his crib bring to mind a 300-pound linebacker with barbed wire tattooed around his bulging bicep. Therefore, I’m usually content to sit on the bench and cheer.

But what happens when the first and second strings are on the disabled list? That’s a question I had to answer on a recent Friday night after my mother came to visit. My mother-in-law took this as an opportunity to get out of the house and visit other family for a time, leaving her grandson’s care in more Caucasian, but still capable hands.

For much of that week very little changed; my son’s mother and American grandmother took care of him as I stood on the sidelines drinking Gatorade and studying the playbook. Then, we decided to take my mom out of the house for just a day to see the Korean countryside, just so she could say she’d seen something in this country besides the inside of our apartment and the interior of the baby’s diapers.

We got back around 9:30 p.m., and the still-jetlagged Caucasian Grandmother was on the DL shortly after that. My wife, having not slept much the previous night (I hear that’s common) and been out much of that day, began responding to his cries with decreasing urgency.

Sensing my opportunity to get some playing time, I picked up the ball and ran with it. Well, not run so much as walk back and forth while holding him and whispering “Shhh” and “It’s okay!” while he grabbed and pulled at the hair on my arms and chest. After a few minutes even this was no longer placating him, so I decided to sing him some of the lullabies I knew.

When I realized I didn’t know any, I considered singing all the ballads I knew.

When my ballad knowledge also proved deficient, I chose to sing any song on my iPod shuffle that was not built around power chords.

The serenity that he could attain from this was also short-lived, forcing me to try for the pacifier and the baby chair that rocks back and forth electronically. I honestly don’t know how I was able to make a whole hour pass this way, but somehow I did, constantly readjusting the angle of his electronically rocking seat and helping him to reinsert his pacifier five seconds before he would spit it out again.

One might call this the parenting equivalent of running out the clock.

Finally, after an hour had gone by, it was something of a relief to note that his diaper needed changing. After 60 minutes of fruitless guessing as to what might be contributing to his state of discontent, it was a blessing to see a tangible problem that could be seen, and certainly detected using other senses.

Unfortunately, his crib and extra diapers are located in the bedroom, making it impossible to address my wailing son’s needs without taking him within earshot of his mother. To my surprise, just one hour after her eyelids appeared leaden, she seemed rather refreshed and ready to give him the change of diaper and feeding he needed before falling asleep again.

“Thank you,” she said. “Because of you, I got to sleep for another hour.

“You are a good father.”

So, again, you may ask what the best part of being the father of a newborn son is. To the list of things I’ve already mentioned, I have a couple to add:

First of all, people don’t expect a lot from the third-stringer.

Second of all, the starter on this team is unbelievably resilient.

Here I am with my son and the electronic rocking chair, whatever it's called in actuality.

A Day on Korea's Capitol Hill

2009-07-23T00:25:00.000-07:00

This is the country I live in. My heart swells with pride.

In case you're wondering, the ruling party is attempting to unilaterally pass a bill on media reform, and the opposition party refuses to join the assembly. So, since the ruling party has enough seats to meet quorum on its own, the opposition is attempting to steal the gavel so they can't officially meet.

They failed, and the media bill passed.

The 100 Best English-Language Novels of the 20th Century

2009-07-22T23:07:00.000-07:00

Because, every now and then, I like to shame myself for how little of the "great" works I haven't actually read, I read lists like this one.

I've read literally 10 percent of these. But, at least, thanks to Fitzgerald, Huxley, Vonnegut, Heller and Orwell, my list is clustered near the top.

Ron Paul: The Federal Reserve is a Government Unto Itself

2009-07-22T21:23:00.001-07:00

North Korea Watch: A Wide Range of Options

2009-07-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

The AFP reported today that: "The United States and its allies in the Asia-Pacific region are planning a 'wide range of options' for a possible leadership change in North Korea, a top US military commander said Wednesday."

The story quotes Admiral Timothy Keating, the top US commander in the Asia-Pacific region, as saying, "I don't think it is axiomatic that the departure of Kim Jong-Il means a national security crisis. We would hope it wouldn't. But we are going to be prepared if it does mean that."

North Korea Watch: Stark Choices

2009-07-21T22:14:00.000-07:00

It doesn't seem consistent with her "unruly teenagers that should be ignored" rhetoric from the day before, but Hillary Clinton now intends to give North Korea a "stark choice."

The United States will consult regional players on Wednesday about giving North Korea a choice between tighter sanctions if it pursues its nuclear program and wider incentives if it abandons them, U.S. officials said.

You hate to say something isn't going to work before you've given it a chance but ... this isn't going to work. If North Korea's leaders cared about our sanctions, we wouldn't be having these meetings now.

Clinton will have separate meetings with the foreign ministers of China, Japan, Russia and South Korea during the meeting. As these five nations represent the other members of the six-party denuclearization talks, South Korea had wanted them to meet to discuss the issue, but China nixed the idea.

North Korea Watch: Congratulations, Jonah

2009-07-21T00:03:00.000-07:00

After a backhanded admission of error for calling for regime change in Iraq and writing a book about the secret, totalitarian urge of Democrats, one might wonder if Jonah Golberg were still capable of clearly, capably identifying an actual dictatorship.

Well, fear not, he can spot the one in North Korea.

"But what of things figuratively happening under our noses and literally transpiring a click away on our computer screens? You can see the slave camps in North Korea -- not quite live via satellite, but close enough -- where the machinery of suffering chugs along 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

He goes on to say that the reason this has never been stopped is because of the nuclear weapons North Korea possesses, but this "is looking less compelling every day." Actually, Jonah, we aren't doing anything about because war, even of the non-nuclear variety, with North Korea would kill many, many more men that we lost in Iraq, as well as inflict immeasurable suffering on South Korea.

Even if that weren't the case, nuclear weapons are still pretty compelling, at least from where I'm sitting.

One would like to believe that we don't do anything about it because we respect the sovereignty of other nations, but that's clearly not the case.

He goes on to condemn Hillary Clinton's statement that the NK regime is acting like "unruly teenagers" and needs to be ignored.

"Seen through the window of nuclear diplomacy, Clinton's neo-Bushian stance is entirely defensible. Seen through a moral prism, it's at worse a horror and at best a profound failure to bear witness."

Clinton's statement does trivialize the seriousness of the situation, and the atrocities underway in the North. Coming from the right commentator, a rebuke of this nature would be well-taken.

Goldberg isn't the right pundit, though. This guy thinks that the Iraq conflict that killed thousands of Americans (and numbers of Iraqis that are hard to contemplate) while destabilizing the Middle East and soaking up billions of dollars we really could've used right now was "worthy."

So, when a guy like this makes such a comment, one really has to wonder what he means by "bear witness." Should we practice bad diplomacy, antagonizing the North about it's human rights abuses even though we have no plans to follow through as our military is overstretched? Such an approach would do nothing to bring North Korea back to the table.

Or should we abandon reason altogether and attack North Korea to punish them for their abuses?

That's not even worth contemplating.

Audit the Fed Update

2009-07-20T21:43:00.001-07:00

A Korean Civil War

2009-07-20T21:29:00.000-07:00

Today's recommended reading: How to avoid a civil war between racist Koreans and boorish foreigners.

North Korea Watch: Threat to U.S. "Infinitesimal"

2009-07-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

The U.S. State Department's spokesman P.J. Crowley said Monday that North Korea's threat to the United States was "infinitesimal."

The followed Secretary of State Clinton's statement that North Korea was acting like "a spoiled child" and that they would be ignored. Furthermore:

A senior U.S. official, who did not want to be identified, said there is a "theoretical" question of whether a North Korean missile could hit the United States. "There's nothing in their recent development," he said, "which would suggest that their technology is becoming more accurate."

This shouldn't even need to be said, but apparently it does. (Not that the folks at The American "Thinker" would ever listen to something that contradicts their chest-beating.)

Now, hopefully Clinton's statement will be followed through with action, or in this case, a lack of it.