They can have this place. The South doesn't want us here. We don't want us here. The assaults on US soldiers are increasing exponentially. Time to go.
This too shall pass.
I am of the opinion that the ruling party in ROK encouraged a cynical and cheap anti-Americanism to benefit its left-wing candidate in the presidential election, because its candidate was way, way behind the conservative candidate initially (reminds you of the recent German election?). The now (extremely narrowly) defeated candidate for the Right, Lee Hoi-Chang, is considerably more pro-American. Now that the election is over, however, I expect the tune to change. Oh, guess what? As I type this, I see on the news that the incoming president, Roh, denounced the North today for its behavior.
Certainly a case can be made that ROK doesn't really need our help to defend itself from the North. But then again, ever since the Nixon-Ford-Carter days, our presence in ROK has been mostly symbolic (2nd ID and a handful of planes being "trip wire").
Just do a massive pull out, all monies and infrastructure...bring it home.
There is nothing "massive" to pull out of ROK. Though ROK should be thankful to us for defending it while its people built up its prosperity, ROK pays us for much of the maintenance for our troops there.
Put the soldiers and airmen on our southern border.
Ever hear of P-C Act?
Many South Koreans see their estranged brethren to the north more as objects of pity than of fear...
Well, that much is true. The people of North Korea are in a pretty pitiful shape, thanks to the wonderfully economic policies of their Dear Leader (aka "invincible commander").
BUT, what something that many outsiders don't realize about South Korea is that the talk of "unification" is exactly that - talk only. The majority of South Koreans actually don't want unification. They've seen what happened to Germany after theirs, and the West Germans were a lot more prepared for the re-unification while East Germany was supposed to be the most advanced in the communist world. South Koreans know that North Korea, one of the most impoverished countries in the world, is going to be a terrible fit for one of the more vibrant economies in the world. There have been many reports in ROK press about how poorly recent escapees from the North have fared in the South (because of their inability to adjust to capitalism). They can just imagine about 10 million of these people flooding Seoul, begging for help.
Then why the talk of re-unification? Simple. Politics. The South Koreans who do want unification sincerely are either aging ex-northerners (refugees from 1940's and 50's) and their descendants. These folks form about 25% of the Southern population. Anyway you cut it, that's a big chunk of the voting public - no politician in Korea is going to alienate that vote by crying "the Emperor has no clothes!" - that the 75% of the population has absolutely no interest in re-unification, but pays lipservice to the "eventual" unity.
The attitudes of these people since the "sunshine policy" came into vogue is unbelievable.
Poll after poll in Korea show that the so-called "Sunshine Policy" has been extremely unpopular in Korea (hence the government's cynical use of the recent unfortunate accident to encourage anti-Americanism to benefit its candidate).
quote:
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Y'know, I really wonder why we were even shipping food and oil to that rat-hole of nation.
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So they will keep making Nikes'
Uh, hello!!! The original message (food and oil) was about NORTH Korea. North Korea does not make Nikes. SOUTH Korea USED to make Nikes, but Nike shifted production to cheaper countries (Malaysia, China, etc.) when South Korean became too expensive.
South Korean industry today relies on exports of electronics (liquid crystal displays, anyone?), semiconductors, cars, ships and steel. They are less dependent on textile export as that's shifted to less developed economies.
Who thinks the NK nuclear palnts will 'explode' before they go into production?
I think the Japanese should fly over there and make like the Israelis did in Iraq 20 years ago.
Except the JSDF is not the IDF, nor does it have the same caliber of people or capabilities.
I am off the opinion that the US should pull out of NK and let them make it on thier own - if they like freedom (like SK has now ) they'll get themselves some otherwise they can be peasents for as long as they like.
Huh? "the US should pull out of NK"? When were we in the North since 1953?
As for the belligerent rhetoric from North Korea, it is all a high stakes game of chicken. North Korea says "Americans must negotiate with us OR we continue developing the WMD." We say "We ain't gonna negotiate UNLESS North Koreans stop developing the WMD first." What the North Korean regime does not realize is that 2003 is not 1994 (we've had 9//11 for one thing) and Bush is not Clinton.
I agree with the White House insider who said that the North Koreans will blink first.
