“If the farming is allowed to delay the project, more than US$100 million of the taxpayer's precious money will be wasted, not to mention the damage that would be done to Korea-U.S. relations,” the general said. “Therefore we can’t afford to wait any longer."

The Chosun gave us more of what the military leader said, and it was more in line with a kind of message that CAN help dampen the amount of resistance/fury both the Pyongtaek base expansion and LPP will generate among more average Koreans.

Like in the last response I made to the origninal thread - in the response where I pointed out SK could defend itself on its own but does not want to pay the massive amounts it will take to do so ------- telling Korean society how making the LPP painful will cost them much tax payer money and weaken their defense posture ------

-----how letting the anti-US groups have some fun for a time ---- via more average Koreans deciding to join in ---- will come back to bite those average Koreans on the ass-----

will be heard and understood by those average Koreans and will make the job of The Priest and other anti-US leaders much more difficult. They will have to rely much more on just the labor and student groups --- which will be enough to delay construction significantly --- but they will also have to face more rebuke from average citizens.

If the government and/or media puts out the message - however - like the version the Korea Times chose to run ---- the message of "What can we do in the face of Almighty Uncle Sam???? We have to grab the peasants by the neck and drag them (against our will and theirs) from the land their ancestors cultivated, because the US military wants it. What can we do?"

will have the opposite effect.

It will be a signal not only to the anti-US leaders to push harder --- it signals average citizens that the time is right to exercise long pent up frustration at the US in Korea.

I wish I had the Korean language skill to look over the Korean papers these past few days to see how they are quoting the military spokesmen.

In general, in the past, and probably still today, the professional military people in Korea have been the best supporters of the alliance --- true supporters and not just lipservice people or users.

For example, I don't believe they have been thrilled about President Roh's push to gain war-time control of the Korean forces - thus splitting command at its most crucial time.

The veterans are also one of the few demographics I believe can rightly be called "pro-American".

I would not expect them to feed material to the press that would help the anti-US groups recruit.

But, the idea of "being forced" to do something "against the people/society" because if they don't "the Americans will be unhappy and punish us" is so widespread in Korean society for years ---- it becomes natural to have it influence thought without knowing it.

But, even more than that, it depends on how the media wants to spin or present the message.

Also, I don't think the Korean military was thrilled or is thrilled about having the US pull troops off the DMZ. They - like others - worry it is just the first step into USFK leaving altogether ----

and their careers are about defending Korea --- and they know Korean society will not put the massive tax dollars into beefing up their own forces enough ----- so they would rather USFK keep the trip wire right at the DMZ.

Basically ---- the Korean military is caught between a rock and a hard place ---

between the Korean people and the current administration and between the US military and its changes......

I'd probably think about retiring if I were in such leadership positions....

The Korean TV News,according to my wife, yesterday broadcast that The Korean public should not blame the Americans for the farmers problems at Camp Humphreys. They said that the Americans didn't ask to move there, but the government wanted to get Yongsan back, so the problem is between the farmers and the government. They said the Americans have been our friends for over 50 years, and saved us from invasion.

This is something newsworthy, as the news is usually negative when it comes to the US troops stationed here!

I think the tide is turning.