Comments on: Progressives should look to the past? http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/08/progressives-should-look-to-the-past/ Korea... in Blog Format Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:42:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: nicecuppatea http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/08/progressives-should-look-to-the-past/#comment-128936 nicecuppatea Wed, 09 Jan 2008 05:30:21 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/08/progressives-should-look-to-the-past/#comment-128936 Interesting post Andy, thanks. The UNDP was a fairly unholy alliance to begin with I believe, and many a pundit and left-leaning voter I have spoken with think that the Uri party should have stayed intact and set about reinventing itself... all this bolting and fragmenting doesn't seem to lead anywhere special, voters recognise old wine in new bottles strangely enough... A major problem does seem to be simply what the centre/left here stands for? As you and some other commentators have pointed out, railing against the 'party of the dictators' and fretting about a 'return to the past' is somewhat counterproductive when your behaviour is epitomising precisely that return. The progressives could focus on tax cuts to small and medium sized businesses (which are often genuinely innovative) whilst defending the rules preventing industrial capital from gobbling up banks. [Ok, after Enron no one wants to say the words "crony capitalism" in Asia, but account fiddling and subsidising loss making subsidiaries happens when such cross-fertilisation is allowed to take place without any restrictions] Emphasise the need for transparency in business practises; put forward a plan to bring Korea to the cutting edge of environmental technologies and reducing C02 emissions...protecting greenbelt sites, pushing for cutting edge energy-efficient architecture (tightening regulations for construction companies), green and at 100$ oil a great way to reduce import costs later in the day... and finally, (I'm babbling a touch, i know) acknowledge that the government was looking a touch bloated (416 government committees; 56 ministries?! You don't need to be "right-wing" to realise that may be a few more than necessary) hello, UNDP? Your very own David Eldon...live from the Marmot's hole... Interesting post Andy, thanks.
The UNDP was a fairly unholy alliance to begin with I believe, and many a pundit and left-leaning voter I have spoken with think that the Uri party should have stayed intact and set about reinventing itself… all this bolting and fragmenting doesn’t seem to lead anywhere special, voters recognise old wine in new bottles strangely enough…
A major problem does seem to be simply what the centre/left here stands for? As you and some other commentators have pointed out, railing against the ‘party of the dictators’ and fretting about a ‘return to the past’ is somewhat counterproductive when your behaviour is epitomising precisely that return.
The progressives could focus on tax cuts to small and medium sized businesses (which are often genuinely innovative) whilst defending the rules preventing industrial capital from gobbling up banks. [Ok, after Enron no one wants to say the words "crony capitalism" in Asia, but account fiddling and subsidising loss making subsidiaries happens when such cross-fertilisation is allowed to take place without any restrictions] Emphasise the need for transparency in business practises; put forward a plan to bring Korea to the cutting edge of environmental technologies and reducing C02 emissions…protecting greenbelt sites, pushing for cutting edge energy-efficient architecture (tightening regulations for construction companies), green and at 100$ oil a great way to reduce import costs later in the day…
and finally, (I’m babbling a touch, i know) acknowledge that the government was looking a touch bloated (416 government committees; 56 ministries?! You don’t need to be “right-wing” to realise that may be a few more than necessary)
hello, UNDP? Your very own David Eldon…live from the Marmot’s hole…

]]> By: Linkd http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/08/progressives-should-look-to-the-past/#comment-128775 Linkd Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:17:58 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/08/progressives-should-look-to-the-past/#comment-128775 I should give ups to the RAS for that lecture. It was one of their Somerset Palace series. I should give ups to the RAS for that lecture. It was one of their Somerset Palace series.

]]> By: Linkd http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/08/progressives-should-look-to-the-past/#comment-128774 Linkd Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:13:41 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/08/progressives-should-look-to-the-past/#comment-128774 I am reminded of a great lecture by Lee In-ho that I first heard about here in Hole. An hour long, but a thoroughly interesting review of how Korean politics got where it is now. (In English). http://play.korea.com/Koreaforum/658 I am reminded of a great lecture by Lee In-ho that I first heard about here in Hole. An hour long, but a thoroughly interesting review of how Korean politics got where it is now. (In English).

http://play.korea.com/Koreaforum/658

]]> By: sesame seed http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/08/progressives-should-look-to-the-past/#comment-128773 sesame seed Tue, 08 Jan 2008 22:55:37 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/08/progressives-should-look-to-the-past/#comment-128773 These two parties are similar to Democrats in the states, right? They want to expand government, create a socialist state, and increase taxes to redistribute wealth to those that didn't earn it. The way that these x86 behave (self-entitlement and all) seems awfully similar to H. Clinton. Perhaps I'm speaking to soon, but would that make Chung Dong Yong the Clinton of Korea? Street cred, hunh? Good one...Word. These two parties are similar to Democrats in the states, right? They want to expand government, create a socialist state, and increase taxes to redistribute wealth to those that didn’t earn it. The way that these x86 behave (self-entitlement and all) seems awfully similar to H. Clinton. Perhaps I’m speaking to soon, but would that make Chung Dong Yong the Clinton of Korea?

Street cred, hunh? Good one…Word.

]]> By: mins0306 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/08/progressives-should-look-to-the-past/#comment-128714 mins0306 Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:02:47 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/08/progressives-should-look-to-the-past/#comment-128714 <blockquote>I really think some of the 486ers can’t understand why younger voters turned against them after all they had done in the 1980s. </blockquote> I believe the correct term is the 386 generation or 386ers. The problem with that particular generation is that they feel that their ideals and ways of doing things are always correct, which in turn leads to the inability to accept change, and conflict with other generations who sees things differently. That and the we are entitled, we deserve everything mentality mentioned above. Of course what do you expect out of people who spent their entire college years skipping class and pretty much getting their way. I wonder if the UNDP and DLP 386ers realize the irony that a lot of their fellow 386ers voted for LMB, in the hope that his economic programs will increase the value of their stock and real estate investments.

I really think some of the 486ers can’t understand why younger voters turned against them after all they had done in the 1980s.

I believe the correct term is the 386 generation or 386ers. The problem with that particular generation is that they feel that their ideals and ways of doing things are always correct, which in turn leads to the inability to accept change, and conflict with other generations who sees things differently. That and the we are entitled, we deserve everything mentality mentioned above. Of course what do you expect out of people who spent their entire college years skipping class and pretty much getting their way.

I wonder if the UNDP and DLP 386ers realize the irony that a lot of their fellow 386ers voted for LMB, in the hope that his economic programs will increase the value of their stock and real estate investments.

]]> By: R. Elgin http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/08/progressives-should-look-to-the-past/#comment-128707 R. Elgin Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:35:35 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/08/progressives-should-look-to-the-past/#comment-128707 I suspect their problems are more like the same problems that plague the idealist that thinks they can run a healthy society from ideological theories only. Based upon what I have heard and seen, these people are basically not very rational or balanced in their experiences or views. An analogy would be like the fellow who is really good with a hammer. Using the hammer, he heroically struggled and gained a living, finally getting married. When he had a baby and his wife wanted him to help feed the baby, he reached for his hammer and . . . ouch. Thus our hero needs to learn new skills instead of relying upon the wrong tools which are no longer relevant for the circumstances. I suspect their problems are more like the same problems that plague the idealist that thinks they can run a healthy society from ideological theories only. Based upon what I have heard and seen, these people are basically not very rational or balanced in their experiences or views.

An analogy would be like the fellow who is really good with a hammer. Using the hammer, he heroically struggled and gained a living, finally getting married. When he had a baby and his wife wanted him to help feed the baby, he reached for his hammer and . . . ouch. Thus our hero needs to learn new skills instead of relying upon the wrong tools which are no longer relevant for the circumstances.

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