Well, you have to give this to U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld—he doesn’t mince words. The JoongAng Ilbo, citing a Pentagon source, reports that when Rummy met with Korean Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung for the start of the Security Consultative Meeting in Washington on Oct. 20, he told the Korean that he’d heard presidential security adviser Song Min-soon’s comments about the United States and its warlike history, and that he felt someone should “remind” Song that one of those wars was the Korean War in which about 30,000 Americans were killed and about 100,000 were wounded.
The atmosphere afterward was described as “uncomfortable.”
As bad as he may have screwed the proverbial pooch in Iraq, there are still times when I’d vote for Rummy for king.
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Good to see Rummy thinks like most of us here. But does he take it to the next logical step in inferring the guy is a commie symp?
I suspect that we are not finished with having more stinky-fish-on-toast treats from Song Min-soon.
The real question is just how hungry are we for more of the same.
Can’t say I agree with too much Don has to say, but I’m with him on this one. If Rummy’s press conference performances are any indication as to the tone – and accompanying body language – of these particular comments, this would have been priceless to have witnessed in person. (Not to mention the reaction on Yoon Kwang-ung’s face!)
Song deserved that avuncular bitch slap, but I’d like top see more inventive, forward-looking U.S. replies to dumbass remarks and crude insults than reflexively playing the 1950-53 gratitude card.
How about:
“Was Mr Song raised in NORTH Korea? That would explain a lot.”
“I thought it was only Roh Moo-hyun among senior South Korean officials whose education stopped at high school.”
“Is Bluejives teaching English at the ministry?”
Rumsfeld should see Song in private.
And, beat the crap out him while crying out “this is for my uncle who died in Korea”.
A Commie beaten up.
Rumsfeld can claim temporary loss of judgment. Bush will love it and while issuing apologies applaud Rummy in private. They got a lot more work to do in Iran and this “Commie slap” will not come between them.
Next time, Korean Commies will be scared to see American politicians. Since Koreans are not doing their job of getting rid of these Commies, Americans have to do it for them.
Sheesh, the US is starting to sound like a guilt-tripping Jewish mother in her dealings with ingrate S Korea.
“After all I have done to raise you, the sacrifices I have made, this is how you repay me?!? Oy vey!”
It’s interesting reading ex-pats’ opinion of the Bush Administration, their policies, and their officials. The attitude of Americans living outside the US is very different than the attitude of Americans living here, dealing with the direct results of these people. It almost makes me wish I lived outside the country so that I could have some respect for our president and his administration.
EXPATS SPEAK FROM BOTH SIDES OF THEIR MOUTHS:
‘you need to stop remembering what the japanese did to you! that’s in the past! you need to forget the past! DO YOU HEAR ME, YOU NASTY KOREAN?’ the enitre angry expat brigade
‘you need to remember what we americans did for you in the past! we died for you 50 years ago! DO YOU HEAR ME, YOU NASTY KOREAN?!’ the entire angry expat brigade
well, expat, what’s it going to be? first, you tell the koreans to shut up and forget about what the japanese did to them because it’s in the past. then, you turn around and tell them they gotta remember the past but only when it pertains to you. you expats seem well versed in the art of hypocrisy.
i’m not surprised; little minds often contadict.
little minds often contradict…
just so the expat doen’t get too confused while in his natural state brought on by night train, mad dog, boon’s farm, and ripple.
“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
At any rate, standing alone, your argument bears some weight… The assertion that Koreans should be greatful for the sacirifices of 50 years ago seem inherently contradictory to the assertion that they should forget the oppression of 60 years ago. But on the other hand, it completely ignores the fact that the oppression of 60 years ago essentially ended 60 years ago (during which the oppressing country has done much to mend fences, despite an ongoing hostility from some quarters), and the fact that the sacrifice of 50 years ago was the precursor of a much longer commitment to the security and stability of that same country.
So really, where is the hypocracy here? Is it in America’s assertion that South Korea should recognize its sacrifices in the Korean War, or is it in South Korea’s insistence that it should be able to vilify Japan for actions that happened 70 years in the past (for which Japan has more than redeemed itself) while simultaneously forgetting the contributions (which are ongoing) from the United States to its basic freedom and security?
In any event, what real hypocracy is there in the insistence that anyone should remember the sacrifices of their friends while forgiving the actions of their enemies? I suppose if your world-view is of the self-centered “I’m always right” mien, then everything’s wrong with that. After all, gratitude is expensive, while petty grudges are cheap.
Remedial reading lessons are in order for poor pawi.
I agree that the Korean DM Yoon made an error. Korean officials, especially diplomatic mouthpieces, should be more like the Japanese, with their honne and tatamae, employing more nuance and subtlety. It wont hurt at all to stroke the ego of the US every once in a while by making a show of token gratitude regarding the 6-25 war or at least not so blatently upsetting the kibun of the US. It’s kinda like dealing with a chick: every once in a while you gotta notice her hair, her new shoes, tell her she’s still beautiful, etc and tell her stuff that she wants to hear. That doesnt mean, however, that you’re gonna stick with this chick forever though.
I’d say hissy-fit prone Korea is the chick here and the supplicant. And it’s more than fair to ask: What 386 Korean in politics does “nuance and subtlety”?
BJ #12:
“…It’s kinda like dealing with a chick [meaning the ROK dealing with US]: every once in a while you gotta notice her hair, her new shoes, tell her she’s still beautiful, etc and tell her stuff that she wants to hear. That doesnt mean, however, that you’re gonna stick with this chick forever though.”
The relationship with “this chick” is 61 years old; she’s aging fast! If she now reminds you of a hectoring Korean mother-in-law (instead of a cooing, lissome young babe, “oohh, just tell me what you want SK so I can open my arms”) — maybe it’s time to take her by the shoulders, spin her around, and give her the boot!
I hear that sweet young thing in Pyongyang is calling, and that she’s completely irresistable (like the mythical Sirens, http://www.mythweb.com/odyssey/book12.html#notes).
Better make sure you’ve had yourself lashed to some other mast first, ROK. I fully agree that “Mom” may not be around much longer.
#8 Pawi: Oh my goodness, I didn’t know you could get those cheap fortified wines in Korea!
Horrified, I turned to the internet for refutation, but then found only this link, which seemed to confirm my worst fears. Are the pictures at this link those of the typical Korea expat — first diligent and hard-working, but then (after losing his visa and work permit) descending into the gutter?
I would have thought an expat would be required to become a bum on soju. ROK needs to ban the import of these corrupting American alcolholic beverages before it’s too late!
http://www.bumwine.com/links.html
Pawi and Bluejives:
You seem to forget that it was SONG who brought up the history in the first place, with that Korean obsession with history that never quite extends to reading about it.
So don’t act like we’re constantly reminding Korea of American sacrifices. It’s more like Koreans constantly reminding America of its crimes against Korea, and Americans constantly having to set the record straight.
And Rummy should have mentioned that war before the Korean War, the bigger one where we got the Japanese out of Korea (and the Koreans off their knees).
#9 pawi: “…just so the expat doen’t get too confused while in his natural state brought on by night train, mad dog, boon’s farm, and ripple…”
The “decline and fall” of the typical Korea expat according to pawi: http://www.bumwine.com/links.html
Distressing to think of the Marmot this way, I suppose the wife is keeping him together so far; still, it doesn’t seem to have affected his writing skills yet.
Or did you mean this instead pawi:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Train_(song)
Electronic version here, scroll down to the 5th from the bottom of the listing:
http://midistudio.com/midi/GW_HO.htm
I like the Count Basie version, the midi link only gives you the simplified melody with rythym but you can still imagine how the Count made it swing. I think his orchestra is still operational, maybe the ROK could invite them to play at the celebration when they finally get that railroad to the North running.
Expats — all aboard! for a drunken but musical trip to the north.
‘while forgiving the actions off their enemies.’
i’m all for forgiveness but not as long as the leader of japan pays homage to class a war criminals.
it’s not yet in the past.
Koreans are ingrates. This is becoming common knowledge. Rumsfeld should have been briefed better before going to his meeting. Then he would have saved his breath….
Pawikrogi…”you need to remember what we americans………….’ the entire angry expat brigade.
I realise you have a somewhat limited grasp of reality, but even you must know that there are expats who are not American, that it was Song who raised American history, that the Americans are here NOW defending South Korea, so hardly ancient history.
Pawikirogi wrote “Just so the expat doen’t get too confused while in his natural state brought on by night train, mad dog, boon’s farm, and ripple.”
Does anyone have a clue what this means, is some kind of korean american code/slang I’m missing on….
Pawi is engaging in free-associational scatting, a form of jazz lyric. He’s harmless, believe me.
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