so i quote pawikirogi, “the strategy seoul is pursuing is about the same strategy i would pursue: create a financial dependancy, and at the same time, start laying down the infrastructure for reunification.”

While the strategy is probably conceptually sound, you cannot say that Seoul is doing that strategy. Have they created a financial dependency? Probably. But have they sought to use it as leverage? Noooo. NK has managed to make it look like SK’s giving NK aid is a privilege–a combination of NK shrewdness and staggering incompetence by the last two presidents of SK. This is only reinforced by NK’s endless rattling of its saber, which is now a nuclear saber thanks in no small part to the fecklessness of KDJ and Roh..

Moreover, even if Seoul DID try to capitalize on this, NK could just turn to the PRC, or maybe even Russia/Venezuela/Iran.

SK probably has less control over the fate of North Korea than at any time in its history. Yay “independence” policy!

Also, South Korea is doing nothing to “start laying down the infrastructre for reuinification.” And no, the “symbolic” rail link that a) don’t actually run b) serves to line the North’s pockets as they score c) a valuable NK propaganda victory.

South Korea should be stockpiling massive amounts of relief aid–blankets, water bottles, non-perishable food if it wants to be readying itself for unification.

sewing, our goals are the same. it’s just our methods are different. that my way is different from yours does not mean i don’t care about the plight of korean people in the northern part of korea.

and yes, from your writings, i know you’re no korea basher. i apologize if i have offended you.

Jeebus, Shod, and the Holy Fashizit. I think I read about them in the best seller, “The Gospel According to Snoop Dog”.

Those arrogant Christians in China, shouldn’t they get out of there and leave the Chinese alone?

Perhaps they should. After all, they’re committing at least a couple crimes in doing what they do (assisting North Korean refugees and (probably) holding unsanctioned religious services) for which they could be imprisoned or forcibly deported if the Chinese government found out (or if they missed their monthly payment to the local official’s ‘retirement fund’, as it were…) And of course, if the South Korean government would just step up and do something about the problem of North Korean refugees, (like even asking the Chinese government to give them safe passage to the nearest South Korean embassy) maybe the missionaries wouldn’t be there to break the law in the first place.

Of course, the situation in China isn’t quite the equivalent of the one in Afghanistan. For one thing, Northeast China isn’t exactly an active war zone with a local militant group that’s in the habit of taking and executing hostages… Whatever the missionaries in China do, they’re not very likely to be sparking any major international incidents anytime soon.

Not to mention that the groups in Northeast China are actually doing useful humanitarian work rather than just going to a desert war zone to play doctor and try to win a few souls for Jeebus. That counts for at least a couple of points any day.

Everyone, not just South Koreans, need to be sensitized to the suffering of those under a tyrannical despot.

But I ain’t gonna be all puffed up and high handed about it. Fuck, why should I be? Take the commie, and/or rag head out. Explain it to the pansy liberals after the deed is done.

Wait a minute, but I thought Koreans don’t care about North Koreans. They only go to missionary expeditions to Afghanistan to convert good Muslim people. Those arrogant Christians in China, shouldn’t they get out of there and leave the Chinese alone?