It took a while, but the National Assembly finally passed a bill to somewhat liberalize its domestic rice market.
Note to Rep. Kang Ki-kap: Hanboks don’t make for the best protest attire, even if you think you’re Herschel Walker.
UPDATE: This is almost too funny. “Forcefully” passing a law is apparently wrong, but blocking committee votes through force because you just don’t have the votes to block the bill is OK.
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S. Korea Loosens Rice Imports
As in Japan, rice imports are severely restricted in South Korea. Traditionally, rice autarky (and thus farmers) was politically important.
What this meant, however, was that rice pricing was distorted from the market supply-demand equilibrium (eith…
They can get away with blocking democratic processes like blocking the votes from taking place in the government house - all in the name of justice and democracy. It’s so fucked up that it’s not even funny. If you don’t like the proposed bill and you think you’re going to lose on the vote, just use your bodies, intimidation, and violence to prevent the vote itself. They are allowed to get away with this every time. They also had over 10 years to prepare the country for the rice liberalization. What have they done to prepare for the opening? Nothing.
I don’t feel strongly opposed to protectionism (although in general i am, including rice trade), but I am very wary at how the rice farmers play jingoist politics to promote their agenda.
There was a large fad in Korea (i’m not sure if it still has any steam) where sorta like the South Beach diet, people thought things made of wheat flour was bad. I.E. bread, noodles, etc. That rice was somehow more nutritious (and i’m not even talking about hyunmi but baekban) than wheat.
I know at least one highly educated Korean nutritions scientist who believe this stuff. I assume this sort of craziness works like thus:
-I don’t want to work for an evil corporate Molech, i’ll just continue to “study” and get my doctorate
-I have my doctorate, but my fellow Hanchongryun countryside friends are still suffering because their farmer parents are losing money.
-They are sprouting forth crazy unscientific theories to sell their produce, but I’ll keep mum, because it will help them from going bankrupt. It’s also good for the country in the long-run.
Result: Fan-death, anti-americanism, croynism, etc etc. What “seems” harmless to a lot of Koreans are in fact very very damaging. Korean left has to recognize the fact that they are to a large degree, following their parent’s generation’s ethical standard.
wuah, sorry moderators, i didn’t want to make you sort through annoying posts that get jammed by spam filters, but I haven’t said anything about v1agr@ or pr0n or m0rtg@g1ng. I wonder what the n@ugh7y word was. Hmm.
But in anycase, kudos for the filter policy.
we’re getting ahead of ourselves here because the agreement signed last year has only been ratified at the committee level. it still has to be dealt with at a plenary session. the press is saying that will happen quickly but who knows. what i do know is that you can expect more ugliness at the NA.
incidentally… Virtual Wonderer: what the hell were you talking about in posts two and three?
seeingsometin’
post 3, is because my post 2 had went into spam filter where teh moderators of the Marmot’s website has to actually read to make sure a ad-bot is auto-posting crap on the comment section.
My post 2 was just saying that these Korean rice farmers are spreading this belief that Koreans should eat Korean rice becuase “western” wheat is bad for the Korean “Ki” energy flow. Or something along that line.