How South Korean society as a whole used the government's decision on its next generation fighter plane is a good example of how the anti-US PROCESS works month to month, year to year.

It was not as juicy to look at as the 2002 Tank Accident or the 2000 Water Dump case. It did not have tens of thousands of ordinary Koreans railing in the street against Uncle Bastard. It wasn't the kind of spike in anti-US activity any US media outlet would care much about covering ------ but - if you want to understand anti-Americanism in South Korean society - you have to look at the periods or quiet and how ANYTHING can cause a spike in activity.

This week - one of the new versions of the F-15 (designated K) Korea recently bought crashed.

Already we have had two of the major newspapers writing lead editorials. It isn't a surprise to find the Korea Times using the crash as a chance to rehash the F-15 Hunk of Junk issue. The editor has written some whoppers in the past -- both for the amount of misinformation they contained as well as how much they echoed the ideas of the constant anti-US groups. For example - like the time in 2003 where he said the possible trial in a Korean court of a GI involved in a DUI accident would be "the first time" such a trial would take place -- although I could remember at least a half dozen to a dozen since 1995 when I first got to know Korea and despite the fact the first such trial happened in 1967!!

But, it is more noteworthy the conservative Chosun Daily wrote an even stronger article about the crash the other day. It called for a complete halt of the purchase of F-15s until the ever-called for "thorough" investigation had discovered the whole truth about the crash.

I used to have a review of the FX Fighter Selection Debacle, but I lost it. I also had a Raw Data page of article links (50 to a 100 of them) that got erased with my old blog.

A good number of you guys at this site will know more about the merits of the F-15 vs the Desault fighter and others that were tested.

But, those people who start the discussion by looking into the merits of the American and French planes have already gotten off on the wrong foot.

The amount of press devoted to the fighter selection process --- over a period of 6 months or so --- and the idea constantly put out that the F-15 was a worthless hunk of junk the US was trying to pawn off on South Korea --- and how the media basically echoed and gave voice to the anti-US groups who are always out using everything under the sun for their cause -- shows the US and F-15 never had a chance.

More than that -- it shows how much Korean society as a whole likes to find occasions to vent against Bully America.

It is also important to note this all took place before the 2002 tank accident -- which so many people today say created the current level of anti-US thought in Korea.

It picked up speed in the 2nd half of 2001 - especially after President Bush's Axis of Evil Speech.

It kept rolling into the summer of 2002 with the hotest period being in the winter and fall of 2002 around the time Bush came to Seoul.

It has been brought up off and on by the anti-US groups without much attention in the press or by average Koreans --- but in that 6 month period or so ---- it was all over Korean society.

From the start, the definition of the F-15 as a scrap-iron plane was virtually universal. It was the accepted truth --- promoted by the anti-US groups, the mainstream media, and the internet.

It was one of the two primary -- repeated ad nauseum -- themes of attack the society as a whole accepted.

The other was that Uncle Sam-Bully was "forcing" Korea to buy the hunk of junk, just as it had twisted South Korea's arm without mercy for decades to buy only American military hardware.

Some might cut South Korean society too much slack by saying there is at least some truth to both points ------ but that is being too generous.

I don't have the time to write another detailed review --- like I said - the amount of English language articles on the subject from 2001 to 2002 alone is exhaustive - truly.

But I'll pull out just two of the items to show how it isn't just the radicals who enjoy the anti-American process in Korea society --

A former French amb came to Korea to promote the French plane. He brought with him a letter written by Chirac that urged Korea to be fair in the selection process ---- and in the context of that time --- basically saying it had to stand up to Uncle Bully to be fair.

To its credit, the Kim Dae Jung administration tried to treat all sides the same in many respects -- it refused to accept the letter saying it was a type of pressure in favor of the French plane and it was avoiding all such pressure.

How did the Korean media react to the letter?

It criticized the Kim admin for offending the French and possibly hurting France-SK ties!!!

Meanwhile, Donald Rumsfeld was cancelling long planned trips to Korea for defense talks --- you know --- over such little things as the Land Partnership Plan and the completely overhaul of USFK ----- and US senators who were such bastards as to mention the F-15 were castigated as showing how much the US pushed Korea around.

The 2nd example also touches on this idea of arm-twisting.

A Korean col. that was on the selection team evaluating the planes was convicted of accepting bribes from the local Korean firm that was representing the French plane maker. He had been passing the firm information from the selection process illegally as well. He was also quoted frequently as an "unnamed source" high up in the process who told again and again how the F-15 sucked compared to the French plane and the US team was pushing them around.

There was no backlash against the French.

The revelations about the col and the French using him as a backdoor tool didn't put a dent into how much the press kept telling the people the F-15 sucked and the only reason South Korea could even be considering buying it was because America was twisting its arm.

Flashfoward to this crash --- and it all comes up again.

And these events like this ---- played out mostly in the press --- are absorbed wholesale by the people.

You do not need a 2002 tank accident and a huge spike in activity ----

---for fertile ground for such spikes to be prepared for future usage.

Things like the FX Fighter Selection help create a 2002 Tank Accident.

It is a shame that America gets bashed on a regular basis over every little thing. Korea has always been fertile ground for those who are uncomfortable with our presence to try and create a concensus against us. I'm afraid that the further away Korea gets from its grueling century of occupation and war and rebuilding, the younger generations who have enjoyed the fruits of their parents suffering will become more nationalistic in an anti-American sense. They have gullable inexperienced minds, fertile ground for the seeds of consensus against their American shadow to grow in. It only takes a few commited instigators to start a movement. Perhaps it is time for America to seriously consider moving all troops and aircraft out of Korea. The South Korean military is a capable force, or so we are told. Its not like we can't get our aircraft there rapidly from Guam, Japan, Okinawa and other places to bomb the crap out of the country side when the little man comes down. Think of the rebuilding opportunities it would create.

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It is rather ironic that the generations that had vital experience with the division of Korea in 1945 (and thus occupation by the Japanese before it) and who lived through the Korean War ---

---- are the only ones who have a Pro-American streak in them.

If you listened to some of the main justifications for anti-US feeling ---

it is the current 65 or 70 year old and up generations who "suffered" those things at the hands of the US in Korea --- the dividsion, the war, the authoritarian dictators (who ruled because of American support)---

but if you read the polls and look at the few pro-US protests that happen every couple of years ------

they are filled with those generations.

I noticed this bias when I initially read the story on the Chosun Ilbo. The author called for a complete halt of all F-15s being shipped even though the investigation just started. His assumption? These were the best pilots South Korea had to offer and there was no way they would just crash into the water. It had to be a mechanical problem.

This is a wild guess and a guess based on pride and prejudice. Pride in South Korea and prejudice against America.

First, what the author failed to point out is that the F-15 has been around for decades and is a proven aircraft. It has proven itself in several wars (Desert storm, Kosovo, Iraqi Freedom and so on). While this F-15 may have had mechanical problems, this does not mean the F-15 is a flawed aircraft.

Second, he wrote this article the day after the crash. The investigation just started. How does he know that the Korean pilots didn't over G the aircraft? Or they were flying too low? Or how about the Korean mechanics on the ground. How do we know they were not at fault and failed to find a problem before take off?

Finally, every single F-15 shipped to Korea is tested. Additionally, they are flown from the US to Korea. This is not a short flight. The way the author writes, you would have thought the Koreans were the first to fly them. I would bet this crew had already flew dozens of hours in this F-15.

No matter what the investigation turns up, these writers have shown their true bigoted colors.

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The fact this strong editorial came out in knee-jerk fashion from the conservative paper shows what the US in Korea is up against.

The Chosun is usually the paper that steps out to consistently defend the US when the attacks by the rest of the society are getting too hot, but Korean nationalism is Korean nationalism --- and the conservatives indulge in it too.

Like Mike said ---- that fact the F-15 is a proven plane for decades and these are new airframes should have kept anyone from running out screaming the sky is falling.

But, despite some of this that seems obvious ---

you have the conservative voice being the first to lead a strong charge that you would expect from the anti-US civic groups.....