The open letter has got to be one of the most pretentious exercises in a columnist’s bags of tricks. The whole idea of writing a personal letter to some world leader or another to give him or her advice just drips with self-importance.
So, being the big-head that I am, I naturally had to try one myself.*
My latest KT piece is an open letter to outgoing president Roh Moo-hyun. After reviewing some of the good and bad of his administration (mostly bad), I go on to give him a piece of advice; act like Jimmy Carter.
Don’t laugh. I don’t want to be responsible for any coke on computer screens.
Some of us might not like much of what Carter did after he got out of the White House (except for the house building thing, which most of us would agree is nice). However, I believe his activities after his presidency have helped raise his legacy from one of total failure to one that is more mixed. I also believe that doing something similar is about the best thing Roh can do right now.
BTW, the title of this post is the title I had chosen for the column. Clearly, my editors did not like it.
*Please note that I am not inviting anyone to ‘take me down a peg or two.’ My second child was born recently and I’m very emotional these days.
26 Comments
You’re way too kind on Carter. The guy was going reasonably well until he picked up a severe case of Bush Derangment Syndrome, and since then he hasn’t met a dictator he didn’t like (actually, before then, too, but who’s quibbling?).
Now that this moron is out of presidency, perhaps it’s time to drop a few words out of spite(I opposed Roh’s presidency even before he was a candidate). While the start of his presidency may have been rather too idealistic, he quickly caught on with the practical needs for concessions and realism. In the process of doing so, he lost his own support base, the radical left, while at the same time he couldn’t satisfy the conservatives. The very election of him was a fault in the democratic process itself, but hopefully, the Korean people will learn from such a mistake to perfect the democratic process.
Having that said, I have utmost respect for Carter. While I do not respect him for what he did in the United States and elsewhere, he did, AFTER presidency, avert a war. Or did I read wrong, or do my memories fail me? Nonetheless, to the recollection of my memories to Oberdorfer’s Piece of Work, Carter was truly a hero who saved lives from a devastating war. Will Roh be up to the challenge? I doubt it. But then who knows, I may be wrong.
Then again, I’m drunk right now. So I have all rights to rescind all that I have said here. heh heh
Dear Mr. Roh,
I will miss your frequent public displays of self-doubt over your ability serve as president. (Truly inspirational!) Given the fact that you should have even more time to consider such matters now that you’re retired, I hope that you are able to arrive at some conclusions, and put that nasty chapter of your life behind you as soon as possible.
May your cupboards always be full of ramyeon.
Yours,
GVI
Dear Mr. Roh,
I will miss your frequent public displays of self-doubt over your ability to serve as president. (Truly inspirational!) Given the fact that you should have even more time to consider such matters now that you’re retired, I hope that you are able to arrive at some conclusions, and put that nasty chapter of your life behind you as soon as possible.
May your cupboards always be full of ramyeon.
Yours,
GVI
Good riddance, Mr. Roh. I never have and never will forgive nor forget about how you exploited the deaths of two girls as well as incited hatred against Americans even to the point of violence in some cases, in your bid to be elected. What kind of “human rights champion” ignores the plight of the North Korean people, who are, after all, officially citizens of the Republic of Korea?
Then of course there were those times that you had to cook up quarrels between Korea and Japan, Korea and China, and Korea and the US in order to deflect attention to your own incompetence.
Today is a brighter day without you and your cronies in charge.
Roh was an idiot.
Carter was an idiot.
And as said above, Carter was ok until he went delusional, blaming George Bush for the current mid-east siutation that he helped spawn 30 years ago by being a complete failure.
Obama will be no different.
Firstly, congrats to Andy on the birth of his second child.
tmc’s comment pretty sums up my opinion. Thanks for saving me having to write it.
Yes, let me add the 22 souls of the recently executed DEFECTING NK’s haunt you for the rest of your miserable days at your nice retirement home!
That would have been a nice check in your favor on your way out the door had you not sent them to their inevitable deaths!
However since I have always said you are a NK sympathizer commie ass—e, I could not expect anything less from you.
Human rights lawyer my a$$.
Sure loved that one where you surmised “If we don’t let anyone build or sell apartments in Seoul, then no one will want them, and that will make the price of apartments go down.” Bet you’ll be scratching your head for a long time over how that one failed you.
tmc1233, couldn’t have said it better myself!
I wish I could find the photos taken of Roh with the protesters burning the US flag outside of Camp Casey when he was running for President. After he got elected, those pics totally disappeared from every news outlet and web site on the planet.
He truly is a POS. #5 hit the nail on the head.
I actually think Roh was the best thing to have happened to Korea. It took a Roh to disenchant Koreans from the leftist idealisms that worked so well in achieving democracy that we thought they would work as well in running one. Korea is now in the extremely enviable position of having experienced the pitfalls of both an authoritarian and a leftist government without having the economy collapse. So much cannot be said for most developing countries. Korea can now stay somewhere in between, and that’s the most important prerequisite for achieving the “developed nation” status that we’ve been taught to yearn all our lives. I am more than willing to pay any taxes required to build his presidential home/compound. Heck, I’d through in more to build him a statue.
I actually think Roh was the best thing to have happened to Korea. It took a Roh to disenchant Koreans from the leftist idealisms that worked so well in achieving democracy that we thought they would work as well in running one. Korea is now in the extremely enviable position of having experienced the pitfalls of both an authoritarian and a leftist government without having the economy collapse. So much cannot be said for most developing countries. Korea can now stay somewhere in between, and that’s the most important prerequisite for achieving the “developed nation” status that we’ve been taught to yearn all our lives. I am more than willing to pay any taxes required to build his presidential home/compound. Heck, I’d throw in more to build him a statue.
Timmy does have a fair point, however Korea still has an ongoing shortage of good people to run (with the exception of Moon Kook-hyun). Considering the probably fatal attraction to corruption that Han-nara has, Mr. Moon needs to grow himself and get ready for next time.
Good Christ McNut, you certainly live up to your name. I know you “nuts” love to bad mouth Carter, but trying to blame the current mess in Iraq on him? At least have something worthwhile to criticize him about if you’re going to bother typing.
And as Andy said in his article, Korea’s economic growth was adequate during his tenure. Sure he made some mistakes, but what leader doesn’t?
He also seems to be one of Korea’s few leaders that isn’t going to get arrested for lining the pockets of his friends and family like all of Korea’s other “distinguished” leaders.
Yes, things will be so much better with a business-friendly leader like Korea has now. No more foolish mistakes.
Let the canal building begin!
Korea is respected as one of the best tunnel drilling nations in the world. I am sure there are many places beneath a mountain that Noh could retire to, so he does not have to show his face in the light of day out of humility. If humility has been added to his vocabulary that is.
I said mid-east, dipstick, not Iraq specifically.
Carter has responsibility to a large part of the problems of the mid-east, and Iran specifically, which has spawned across the region.
Good enough for you?
Like I care.
Yes, if it wasn’t for those horrible Carter years the middle east would be sea of happiness and American-loving democracy. Keep living in your dream world mr. nut.
Dear Leader (Roh):
Koreans put you in office because your ideas, thoughts, feelings etc… represented how Korean people truly feel/felt. If this were not so, you would not have been voted in. Thank you for showing me/foreingers the true Korea. Thank you for this one great thing you did.
Bye-bye Bitch
Dear Mr. (oh!)No…
Please come back. I fear for the blog writers in Korea. You, if nothing else, gave almost daily gems to be ridiculed. I am sure some will miss you (for this reason only).
I will miss Noh, in his absence there is now an emptyness, the same I felt when Berlusconi left office or when Turkmenbashi mysteriously died. When I come to work and read the news I know I cannot look forward to any more entertainment form clowns like him acting as heads of state. Fortunately, Sharcozy is proving to be somewhat of a character http://www.canada.com/theprovi.....ea88434c9c
14) Its a shame candidates like Moon Kook hyun have no chance in politics. Winning the nomination has too little to do with being intelligent and competent.
I can’t wait until all of you turn against LMB.
I can’t believe Koreans voted for someone born in Japan.
*phear*
“I can’t wait until all of you turn against LMB.”
I don’t know of any Marmot regular who was for RMH before he or she was against him.
#23. I can concur with that. Roh’s flag burning stunt and exploitation of the accident that killed the two girls didn’t win him much support in the Waegook community.
Even some of us older irregulars were against him before we were really against him…
Great article. Unfortunately for Korea, the nation may never recover from the setbacks of the Roh administration.