As you’ve probably already read, the President of the Republic of Korea would like us all to know that he’s NOT anti-American:
President Roh Moo-hyun said Tuesday that he would continue to pursue friendly relations with the country’s ally, the United States, particularly for the sake of its economy and security.
While recalling his early days in office, Roh said his administration had been wrongly characterized as advocating “anti-U.S.” and “pro-North Korean” policies.
He probably should have stopped there:
“Were I not a president, I would have opposed the country’s troop deployment in Iraq,” he said in a special speech to the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in Seoul. “As president, however, I agreed to the dispatch, though we cut the number of troops from 10,000, which the United States originally asked for, to 3,000.”
Granted, there’s something very refreshing (and very Roh-esque) about a person admitting he’d have opposed a sitting president for pursuing policies he himself would pursue if he were in office.
Kushibo offered some commentary on Roh’s statement:
Actually, I believe him about the anti-Americanism. There is a difference between wanting the US out and wanting the USFK to behave (and for the most part, they certainly do) and have a small footprint (which they’re working on, at no small cost to the ROK government). This is simply reflecting the will of the general public, who are often (and sometimes wrongly and unfairly) led to believe negative things about US policy and USFK behavior that they would like to see changed. That doesn’t make them anti-American necessarily, depending on motive. When I start seeing “Fuck Bush” graffiti on just about every other block, then I’ll start to worry.
The Burger King Warrior* made a funny as well.
* See here.
14 Comments
I think Kushibo is overreaching here, sorry. Roh has a completely utilitarian view of the alliance with the U.S., that it is a neccessary evil. He even said as much by acknowledging that good relations with the U.S. are essential to the country’s economy and security, and that he sent the bare minimum of troops to Iraq. His antipathy toward the U.S. runs much deeper than “wanting the USFK to behave.”
wonder what kind of “equality” the good president is talking about.
it seems that, at least through the media paraphrasing, he is not very decisive on where he stands. it’s my feeling that everything that starts with “I’m not saying…” ends up being what he really is saying and the qualifiers that follow that first sentence are merely there for wiggle room.
He isn’t anti-US, he just wishes Korea could do with out it, because they have been nothing more than a cancer on Korean society, but a necessary evil….
So, I guess the fact he decided it wasn’t cost effect or socially supported enough to keep voicing his usual thoughts from the pre-election era wipes out that activity post-election?
Or do you have to burn crosses to be considered “anti”?
I guess I’m not really “anti-alliance” either. I just want the US to leave to avoid the risks of being involved in a 2nd Korean War if/when the North begins to collapse, and I dislike how Korean society (the president included) wants to whore the US military out (and treat it accordingly).
The line about Roh’s desire is really to see USFK acting better is a big tip off.
“There is a difference between wanting the US out and wanting the USFK to behave”
How many times have I read Roh quoted as saying everything would be alright if the GIs would just stop making crimes (or such)?
“I look like a lame duck, walk like a lame duck, and quack like a lame duck, but I’m not a lame duck. Really. It’s true, dammit, because I say so.”
Roh is now a lame duck? As far as I can tell, he’s been a lame duck from day 1. What has he or his government actually accomplished in 4 years?
His remark reminds me of Nixon’s “I am not a crook” speech. He left the office a little later when more evidences surfaced.
A husband can say ” I am not a cheater” but his credit card statement shows motel charges. One can say anything he wants but his actions say otherwise.
kushibo,
Put that in your pipe and smoke it!
Even if there were no troops in Korea, if a 2nd war broke out there, I would think the US would assist the South, militarily (intelligence, naval air strikes, logistics, boots on ground, etc) - even if it was unpopular with the US citizens. It’s what allies do. If the US president has some strength in leadership and thinks South Korea is an ally, they would assist them. From reading this, not sure if I could hope for the same thing from Korea if hostility broke out between China and US or Russia and US or some other situation.
Did someone say “lame duck”?
Bush’s Gift To Posterity
At least Bush did alot of things and tried to do alot more, though how successful he was is questionable. Roh tried to do a few things and failed at all of them? I really can’t think of anything that he actually accomplished.
As a conservative, I’m quite disappointed with some of Bush’s moves (such as a skyrocketing budget). But Bluejives, I agree that his present attitude seems to suck (I just skimmed the article), if he’s just going to let things slide for the next two years. Ouch. Why doesn’t he try to do something radical, like decreasing the power of the IRS or at the very least, jump back into the Iraq situation, and go on the offensive against his enemies? Why not go out on top, kicking ass until the last day, instead of petering out two years before the expiry date? Pathetic, if that’s all he’s aiming for now.
Iceberg quoted Baduk:
And then said to me,
kushibo,
Put that in your pipe and smoke it!
I really don’t think I want any of what Baduk has been smoking.
Guessing at a potential future where USFK was gone and war broke out is a fool’s game - but one we have to play. We can never tell what the future environment will be like…
Having said that….
Without bodies of US soldiers being flown home after the initial shots, the chances the US would send in ground troops again becomes, I believe, very remote. The US side has taken offense at the term “tripwire” these last few years, but that is exactly what the primary function of the US military in Korea has been (besides a deterant).
Given South Korea’s overwhelming resources — as far as national wealth, social well being, population, and so on….it would be hard for an administration to explain why we had to go back into Korea for a 2nd war once troops were pulled out.
Air and sea support — I can picture.
Boots back on the ground — I can’t.
I really don’t think I want any of what Baduk has been smoking.
Ha ha! Touche!
1) I don’t smoke.
2) Rho will be remembered for his “eyelid” surgery.
3) Go Bush! Attack Iran. I mean it. Even in 1980s, military types including moi have been saying, “Go to middle East and make it into a big parking lot”. Now it is happening. We get the oil too.
2 Trackbacks
[...] Yes the I’m not really anti-American president himself Roh Moo-hyun made sure he got his photo op with Hines Ward first. How about he instead go with Hines Ward to a mixed race orphanage and get a photo op there to draw attention to this problem in Korea? [...]
[...] the I’m not really anti-American president himself Roh Moo-hyun made sure he got his photo op with Hines Ward first. How about he instead go with Hines Ward to a [...]