Does anybody want to write a review of the topic of "Uncle Sam bullying Korea economically decade after decade" for the www.usinkorea.org site?

I have left economic issues as a big, gaping hole in the site, not because economic issues are not prime material for the anti-US groups ----- in fact

the militant labor unions are one of the two most vital groups in the anti-US movement.

---I have left economics out --- because I don't think I can explain to an audience unfamiliar with Korea -----

----- how Korean society's use of economic issues is fundamentally different than ----

the same sounding talk about the evils of globalization in - say - Europe or even the US.

It is different in Korea. Economic issues are not seperate much at all from all other issues in the "hate the US in Korea" grab bag ---

----but once you start trying to show that -----

I get lost.

I really need to get something up about the late 1990s "I aM F" issue that is still felt in the society and provided AN EXCELLENT window of opportunity to show how exaggerated Korean average society can be with the economic issues too ----

and ----- now that the FTA talks are underway and will continue until the middle of next year ----

and will thus be PRIME anti-US generating material for months and months ---

------we saw this past week --- some non-American, but white expats getting accosted in the street as part of the protests --------

I really need to do something on it....

But I don't feel up to it.......

We'll see...

If anybody wants to and can do a review similar to the kind of thing I've done with most of the other common anti-US issues at www.usinkorea.org

let me know

usinkorea@hotmail.com

So, you want to concentrate on the U.S to ROK economic relationship through the decades or the IMF period in the late ninties. personally, I wouldn't say the U.S has necessarily bullied the ROK economically other than to perhaps try and make it reform for its own good. AND it has been for their own good. However, regardless of the public face, the Cheabol (sp) still have large control over the country. The ROK faces a common dilemma of many countries with economies who have grown so successfully in recent years and that is the heart versus the head. In the heart of the economy is nationalism which views it as a responsibility of business to provide for the good of society. This view is narrowed even more-so in the ROK with the powerful family countrol of large parts of the economy. Much like a national godfather mentality. In the head controlled economy, the bottom line is everything regardless of the condition of the home land society. The head ruled economy contends that all good profits will lead to a better society through investing back into more business. The heart ruled economy contends that business must contribute outright to society regardless of the inefficiency it may create in the company, as in providing jobs for people that the company really doesn't need to provide for their business to succeed. Kind of like socialism or even communism but to a lesser degree.

__________________
Turk Quid Pro Quo

Not really. I mean for what I'm looking for.

I'm looking for the kind of review I do at the www.usinkorea.org site.

One that looks at how economic issues are translated in the culture of anti-US thought.

What kinds of thought are there ---- like "Uncle Bully"

who puts them out ---- basically the nexus between several instituations - namely - the anti-US groups, education, media, and then also politicians. With this issue - the labor unions are also key.

and how much the society as a whole enjoys entertaining the issue.

The specific reaction in Korea in the 1990s to the IMF bailout was classic. It is harder to cover, though, because the English archives of the Korean press don't go back that far in many cases.

But, there should be plenty of source material available in the Korean mainstream press between 1998 and today ---- especially with the FTA talks going on right now ----- to show how Trade is used as an anti-US in Korea issue.

The problem for me has always been that I can easily imagine the majority of readers unfamiliar with Korea -------- would conclude naturally that the Korean use of economic issues is just exactly the same as it is for people in France or Germany or elsewhere when it comes to globalization -----

It is too hard, at least for me, to try to demonstrate how anti-globalization thought in Korea might overlap with real economic consideration elsewhere, but is also very much about using another issue (any issue) to keep a much more general and deeper sense of anti-US culture functioning than you really find in Europe.

Just out of curiosity...I checked out your website, and believe it or not, I can't tell if YOU are anti-American or just interested in hearing anti-American points of view. Please let us all know.

Thanks!
Joe

__________________
Joeninpo

The tyrant custom, most grave Senators,
Hath made the flinty and steel couch of war
My thrice-driven bed of down

Well, I'm not sure anyone could provide a detailed analysis of this kind unless they had time to dedicate a couple years of full time research to it. How about summing it all up like this: "The USA is a whipping post for every entity in the world who needs to rally people against some point in order to distract from their own inadequacies." I know this is a Korean interest forum, primarily, but my current geo-political attention has been turned to the largely ignored but, intensely on-going effort to finalize the framework for a North American Union. When it comes to Korea, I think I'll try and keep my interests short and to the point from now on, but good luck in accomplishing your study.

__________________
Turk Quid Pro Quo

Joeninpo,

It shouldn't take anybody more than 5 to 10 minutes READING of the site to figure out where I am coming from.

In fact, I often repeat myself - virtually cutting and pastiing the same lines from one issue to the next - because I never know which page a web surfer is going to come to first.

It should be beyond obvious that I am attacking Korea's Anti-US Process.....

Hmmmm...just curious...but thanks for the verbal attack.

__________________
Joeninpo

The tyrant custom, most grave Senators,
Hath made the flinty and steel couch of war
My thrice-driven bed of down

Verbal attack?