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82 Comments
First!
Actually, I have a genuine request. Does anyone know of any Korean movies that deal at all with the Korean plastic surgery industry, especially negatively? For all its flaws, “200 Pounds Beauty” is the only one that comes to mind.
Thanks for any suggestions.
P.S. Good luck to all those taking the TOPIK test tomorrow.
US political junkies and Springsteen fans will dig this (Boss & Barack):
http://www.slatev.com/
I saw this and thought of you!
“Kim Jong-il (born February 16, 1941, Vyatskoye, Soviet Union, or according to his “official” biography, February 16, 1942, Baekdu Mountain, Japanese Korea) is Chairman of the National Defense Commission, Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army, and General Secretary of the Worker’s Party of the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea, a country known for its love of both absurdly long titles and absurdly short despots. He is both a totalitarian dictator and a total dick.”
The rest is here: http://www.dickipedia.org/dick.....im_Jong-il
Being more of a fan of controversy than those who want to accuse the Bush Administration of being inept, may I recommend “Expelled”?
“Time” by Kim Gi Duk deals with it, I think… but I don’t know the editorial stance on that.
Isn’t “Cinderella” (the horror movie) also about plastic surgery?
Expelled? Isn’t that the movie that evolutionary biology professor Dr. Myers wasn’t allowed to see, an ironic act since the message of the movie is that pro-Creation scientists are being gagged? I can think of a 1,000 better reasons to part with $8.
Government Health Care is Unconstitutional!!
Hillary’s speech on Health Care March 2007
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/.....w/?id=1789
Obama’s Health Care Plan
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/
McCain’s Health Care Reform Plan
http://www.johnmccain.com/Info.....b527cf.htm
I have a problem with all of their plans. They perpetuate the un-American idea that we’ve all been conditioned to accept. They play to the people’s belief that the federal government can and should solve their problems, after all, that’s why I pay my taxes dag gum it! Where did Americans get this grandiose sense of entitlement? We used to hate government because it took our hard earned money away. We used to believe that stealing was a bad thing, no matter if the victim was rich or poor. Through taxation, which is nothing more than legalized stealing, a hard working person will have to subsidize another person’s medical bills. And in order for nationalized health care to work, the medical system needs to be nationalized as well, lest prices get out of control; doctors would have to become government employees.
America has the best doctors because of the free market system. We’ll pay for the best doctor and reward him/her with a high salary. A nationalized health care takes out the best and brightest and levels everyone to mediocrity. Why should any doctor work any harder that they have to if they’re expected to receive the same pay whether they see 1 patient or 20 patients or whether they succeed or fail during an operation?
Speaking of government efficiency, if the government can’t handle social security then what makes you think that they can do any better with health care. Will it not become yet another program to fleece our money so that it can become mis-managed again, another racquet? When private insurance and practitioners perform efficiently, customers are happy and they recommend them to their friends and the business profits (rewards). When they perform poorly, they lose customers and go out of business (punished). It’s simple free market principles. When any government entity performs poorly, the usual answer is to throw more money and more red tape at the problem. So an inefficient system become more inefficient, gets rewarded and costs us more tax dollars.
Perhaps some of you point to other countries that have universal health care as examples. I hope you notice how much they are paying in taxes (30 - 52% and that’s income tax alone. Add sales taxes and they’re getting it in both ends). I also understand some states do pay this much already, but individuals can decide that better at the local and state level. We’ve heard the stories about how long it takes to schedule an appointment or to see a specialist. In Korea, we can see how corrupt the system has become. There is no incentive to keep costs down and everyone gets the 2 weeks of treatment for a hangnail. A friend in Sweden told me he pays for private insurance on top of public insurance so that he can get immediate attention from a doctor. It’s pathetic that he has to pay twice and that’s what’s going to happen to us if we go this route.
Economically, when the government subsidizes anything, it becomes more expensive. Here’s how it works: If aspirin costs $10 and the government subsidizes 25% of all medicine (like GW Bush’s 2003 Medicare Bill*) then the cost of aspirin will go up 25%. Market forces notice that consumers can still afford that $10. They were able before and they still can even after the government subsidies, so the price catches up and aspirin becomes $12.50. So unless the federal government gets into the business of pharmaceuticals and price controls, this subsidy will force prices up.
It’s no surprise that I support Ron Paul or Libertarian ideals, and at least they provide an alternative solution to Americans’ desire for health care. Let private insurance companies take care of this problem. They certainly can handle your insurance money much more efficiently than the government. We’d also like to see a repeal of certain taxes in order to give YOU, the individual, the choice of insurance provider, IF you want it. If you don’t that’s YOUR choice. Let me say it a different way. You’re responsible for your own money and life to do with as you wish. Neocons want to repeal taxes for businesses but not individuals and Democrats want to tax individuals and everything else and redistribute the wealth. Libertarians and Constitutionalists are the only ones that want to repeal these taxes to give your freedom and YOUR money back.
Universal health care, like public education, is not a right protected by the Constitution. It’s a privilege. If the other parties want to make it a right, then make it an Amendment. THEN you’d probably have the duty as an American to give up your hard earned pay for someone else who works less than you, didn’t take care of them self as good as you did, and accept mediocre care when you needed it most. If however, you still want universal health care, let the states decide. The individual can exercise more power over the state government than at the federal level. If the state government wants to contract that out for portability, fine.
I hate to quote Gerald Ford in 1974, but he said it best when, “a government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.”
*BTW that Medicare Bill will cost Americans 400 BILLION dollars for 40 million senior citizens. Where is the money coming from if we’re fighting a multi-trillion dollar war? Our children know the answer and they will pay for it unless the bill gets repealed.
What, were box offices around the country provided with mug shots of “Evis” who were not to be admitted?
There may be—hell, are—valid criticisms of this movie even from the side it purports to defend (see http://www.mercatornet.com/art....._claptrap/ ). No need to resort to fishy-sounding anecdotes.
Dr. Myers was featured in the movie. Not a fishy-sounding anecdote, the incident was widely reported in the US media.
If by fishy-sounding you mean factually accurate, then yes, you’re correct.
All you need to know about Ben Stein and his parade of dipshits can be found here and here. His film is targeting religious nutballs desperate to convince themselves that they and their intelligent design bullshit are being “persecuted.” So if you fall into that category, then by all means, knock yourself out.
You’ll be more entertained watching a pit bull battle a shrew than you will be seeing ID fundies cry about why scientists, scientific institutions, and school boards won’t take their imaginary best friend in the sky seriously.
America has the best specialists but is facing a shortage of general practitioners because a gastroenterologist gets $400 for thirty minutes worth of work versus $150 for a GP.
When private insurance and practitioners perform efficiently, healthy customers are happy. People needing expensive medical treatment see their private policies cancelled after insurance companies go digging through their application to find any error which can be used as justification.
No, they don’t. Administrative costs gobble up 25% of private insurance expenses compared to Medicare’s overhead of just 5%. Every time I see a doctor, I get two mailings, the first from my insurer telling me what they’re covering, and the second, an actual bill from the doctor. Previously I was in a PPP and got three mailings, one from the PPP, one from the insurer, and one from the doctor. How many billing clerks does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
On this point, I agree with you, and some states have already taken the initiative. My biggest concern with privatized health care is that people with pre-existing conditions can be refused coverage or charged very high rates. I am fortunate enough to have group coverage, but I feel very, very sorry for people who have to take out private policies. Even group coverage can be prohibitively expensive. As a single person, my rates are reasonable, but married couples with or without children pay disproportionately more, despite the fact that kids mostly get sniffles and sneezes and are cheaper to treat than older people.
I hope you didn’t use it all up on that one post, sesame seed, cuz I assure you that was just Sogani’s opener, and she’s ready for more.
@4 an extreme, anti-semitic, anti-science propaganda film? Pass.
@7 The U.S. health-care system is considered a dysfunctional mess, and you want to make it worse?
We used to believe that stealing was a bad thing, no matter if the victim was rich or poor. Through taxation, which is nothing more than legalized stealing, a hard working person will have to subsidize another person’s medical bills.
Spoken like a true Libertarian. People are not born equal, sesame. Some people are disabled, slow-learners, have medical problems, or are simply not as capable in many areas as others. In a Libertarian world, these people are fucked; they simply cannot afford to deal with the problems they are faced with, often through no fault of their own.
America has the best doctors because of the free market system. We’ll pay for the best doctor and reward him/her with a high salary. A nationalized health care takes out the best and brightest and levels everyone to mediocrity.
Rubbish. American may have excellent doctors, perhaps the best, but who gets to use their services? Only the rich. Compared to other OECD countries, and despite spending twice as much per capita, the U.S. ranks last or near last on basic performance measures of quality, access, efficiency, equity, and healthy lives. And your healthcare system is the least liberal. Why would you want to exasberate that?
Take the French example:
France relies on a mixture of public and private funding, as does the U.S. But unlike Americans, every French citizen has access to basic health-care coverage through national insurance funds, to which both employers and employees contribute. Some 90% of the population also buys supplementary private insurance. AND France does it for far less, with per capita health-care spending in 2004 at just $3,500, compared with $6,100 in the U.S., according to the World Health Organization. All told, France spends 10.7% of gross domestic product on health care, vs. 16.5% in the U.S.
Once again, in case you missed it: 10.7% of GDP on health care, vs. 16.5% in the U.S. France has higher taxes, but apparently not to pay for their far superior health care.
*BTW that Medicare Bill will cost Americans 400 BILLION dollars for 40 million senior citizens. Where is the money coming from if we’re fighting a multi-trillion dollar war? Our children know the answer and they will pay for it unless the bill gets repealed.
Oh dear! The horror! Helping your country’s old people! But there’s people to bomb! I don’t know why, and maybe I can’t find the country on a map, but I sure as hell would rather pump money into Boeing’s weapons division than help out my great grandfather.
Perhaps you should reconsider fighting multi-trillion dollar wars on flimsy pretenses…? Then you could free up cash to help out your own people?
Just a thought.
“Universal health care, like public education, is not a right protected by the Constitution”
What do you make of the part of the Preamble about “promote the general Welfare”?
I love an intelligent debate!
Her arguments will sharpen my own.
“America has the best specialists but is facing a shortage of general practitioners because a gastroenterologist gets $400 for thirty minutes worth of work versus $150 for a GP.”
Supply and demand. If I were a doctor, I’d specialize for the money as well. I ran into a fellow in Angeles City that recruited Filipino nurses to work in the states. I’m sure there could be a headhunting agency for Doctors from other nations. The agency also helped these immigrants with their visas and citizenship. Win-Win
“When private insurance and practitioners perform efficiently, healthy customers are happy. People needing expensive medical treatment see their private policies cancelled (sic) after insurance companies go digging through their application to find any error which can be used as justification…Every time I see a doctor, I get two mailings, the first from my insurer telling me what they’re covering, and the second, an actual bill from the doctor. Previously I was in a PPP and got three mailings, one from the PPP, one from the insurer, and one from the doctor. How many billing clerks does it take to screw in a lightbulb?”
I agree that’s pretty shady and not all private entities are honest. Free market principles about poor service would eventually see this business go bankrupt after enough customers complained and left. I might be out of my league here as Sonagi’s personal experience with medical insurance seems to have more breadth than my own. I have not run into these problems.
The only thing I could say to the last part is change your insurance company. Let your money be your voice. However, with some presidential candidate’s plans, you don’t have a choice. YOU WILL PAY whether you’re healthy or not, or want it or not.
I too have group coverage and must pay the price required. If I don’t like it I can CHOOSE another insurance company or none at all. Working overseas, I still have to pay for medicare and have no medicare benefits. For that matter why am I paying Federal taxes out here when I receive no benefit from the government? (another topic) I, too, pity those that have a pre-existing condition; I donate to charity (voluntary tax). I feel bad for those people that have conditions that require extensive medical attention, but it’s not my problem. Cold, yes, but am I to pay for sickly Mary out of the mouths of my family?
The greatest issue I have is that the federal government will unconstitutionally subsidize health care, pushing the price up. It’s not their job. It wasn’t until the federal government decided that they knew better than the individual, what was right for them. If they can’t balance the budget or manage social security, then they will fail at health care. Like I said, make it an Amendment and if necessary keep public insurance at the state level. Personal responsibility and not infringing others’ rights = Liberty and freedom. Don’t chain me with your (not you, Sonagi) taxes.
Are any people in the world generally as averse as Koreans are to being alone, even for short periods? Would appreciate even anecdotal information on this matter.
“I feel bad for those people that have conditions that require extensive medical attention, but it’s not my problem.”
Careful there. Karma is listening.
#13) I hope you’re an American in Australia. If not and you are commenting on this American Constitutional issue, then I appreciate your input, but you probably have no business commenting on it, lest I comment on Australian issues.(Nah, I’m not concerned with Aussie issues.) I’ll humor you since this is an open thread. You made an excellent point:
“All told, France spends 10.7% of gross domestic product on health care, vs. 16.5% in the U.S.”
I wonder if some of that percentage has to do with those illegal immigrants. I think we can shave off a few points by escorting them back to their homeland. The point you made about the French is excellent! The French way is excellent for the French as I’m sure the Australian way is excellent for the Aussies.
“Compared to other OECD countries, and despite spending twice as much per capita, the U.S. ranks last or near last on basic performance measures of quality, access, efficiency, equity, and healthy lives. And your healthcare system is the least liberal.”
The solution is to get rid of federal government involvement. “The bureaucracy is expanding to meet the needs of the expanding bureaucracy.” The more they subsidize, push prices up and increase the red tape and inefficiency, the less liberal it becomes. Privatization is the answer and if, at a state level, the people want some form of government subsidy, then that’s fine, the STATE level.
Most of you are concerned about the poor, disabled, and otherwise frail. They will still be helped by private organizations. Charities do better jobs than the government. I have compassion, like other people and give to charity regularly, however, like I said, it’s not my problem. I nor anyone else caused someone to be disabled or born poor. It is up to that individual or their family to make the best of that situation. American dream anyone? Remember? Immigrant becomes self-made tycoon? No help wanted nor given?
Also, just to clarify, I, as a Libertarian, do not support the invasion and occupation. I would see all of our troops brought home, including from Korea, to protect America and secure our borders from illegal immigrants. The money saved from all of these base closures and could, if it must be used for a Welfare state, if that is what we want America to become.
#14) “James Madison stated that the ‘general welfare’ clause was not intended to give Congress an open hand ‘to exercise every power which may be alleged to be necessary for the common defense or general welfare.’ If by the ‘general welfare,’ the Founding Fathers had meant any and all social, economic, or educational programs Congress wanted to create, there would have been no reason to list specific powers of Congress such as establishing courts and maintaining the armed forces. Those powers would simply have been included in one all-encompassing phrase, to ‘promote the general welfare.’” (http://www.lawandliberty.org/genwel.htm)
We must have forgotten that the Constitution explicitly tells us what the Congress can do. The rest is up to the states. It is not their job to provide bailouts for the economy or public education or health care.
Also, health care is not like televisions or microwaves. Health care is almost perfectly inelastic. Lots of evidence that Economics 101 works very differently with highly inelastic situations.
After all, how well does supply and demand work for fire fighting? The US had an extensive private firefighting system in the past. But the general consensus is that it did not work well, and that state-sponsored firefighting is much better.
How about the police. Should we have exclusively private policing, too?
A $3 trillion gift certificate
http://3trillion.org/?play=1?utm_source=rgemail
Maybe I’m reading this wrong…
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/ww.....22753.html
Is Ex-President Roh suing his family members for a hidden company that he started with slush-fund money?
And if he’s successful in getting the company back, he will use it to pay part of the 52 MILLION DOLLAR fine he owes?
#7,
400billion for 40 million senior citizens…That’s just 10 000 dollars per person. That doesn’t seem much to me given the current cost of medical care and drugs in the US…explain to us why medicine in any given country is cheaper than in the US, while we’re at it.
#21,
Ironically, he’s been claiming he was too broke to pay his fines for years.
mr grand narrative:
why are you so fixated on korean sexuality?
i wonder about people who write about the sexuality of people outside their race. could i ask you what you would think of some white guy in america writing about black sexuality? i think this guy would be called a racist. how about you?
i’ll understand your lack of response. believe me.
(((((((
it seems in keanu reeves new moview, we see hollywood once again portraying koreans in a negative light. no outcry from the dongmakgol expat as of yet, however, some koreans seem pretty miffed. i’m one of them . but not for what you might think. i’m wondering how a half asian guy could mutter lines like ‘dog eaters’. has keanu convinced himself he’s a white guy when he isn’t?
((((((((
‘house nigger’
this is proof the expat uses the word ‘nigger’ in his private life. is it ok for me to say house jew?
I hope you’re an American in Australia. If not and you are commenting on this American Constitutional issue, then I appreciate your input, but you probably have no business commenting on it.
Sue me.
All told, France spends 10.7% of gross domestic product on health care, vs. 16.5% in the U.S.”
I wonder if some of that percentage has to do with those illegal immigrants. I think we can shave off a few points by escorting them back to their homeland.
The French have illegal immigrants too, you know.
The French way is excellent for the French as I’m sure the Australian way is excellent for the Aussies.
and:
I would see all of our troops brought home, including from Korea, to protect America and secure our borders from illegal immigrants.
I’m sensing a pattern here. Furners are bad. Bit xenophic are we sesame? Bit insulated? Bit frightened of the big bad world?
Most of you are concerned about the poor, disabled, and otherwise frail. They will still be helped by private organizations. Charities do better jobs than the government.
Charities can’t get as much money as the government can, and relying solely on charities places the burden of looking after the disabled and infirm and elderly on a few good people and lets the rest off the hook. You’d like that wouldn’t you?
I have compassion, like other people and give to charity regularly, however…
I call bullshit. Since when do Libertarians care about anyone else?
it’s not my problem. I nor anyone else caused someone to be disabled or born poor. It is up to that individual or their family to make the best of that situation. American dream anyone? Remember? Immigrant becomes self-made tycoon? No help wanted nor given?
Typically Libertarian: cynical, cunning, anti-social and selfish.
In a recent World Health Organization health-care ranking, France came in first, while the U.S. scored 37th, slightly better than Cuba and one notch above Slovenia. France’s infant death rate is 3.9 per 1,000 live births, compared with 7 in the U.S., and average life expectancy is 79.4 years, two years more than in the U.S. The country has far more hospital beds and doctors per capita than America, and far lower rates of death from diabetes and heart disease. The difference in deaths from respiratory disease, an often preventable form of mortality, is particularly striking: 31.2 per 100,000 people in France, vs. 61.5 per 100,000 in the U.S.
http://www.businessweek.com/ma.....042070.htm
The solution is to get rid of federal government involvement. “The bureaucracy is expanding to meet the needs of the expanding bureaucracy.” The more they subsidize, push prices up and increase the red tape and inefficiency, the less liberal it becomes. Privatization is the answer…
Let me see if I can make this easy for you. The American system is far more privatised than the French system. It is also far more dysfunctional. Making it more privatised would most likely also make it more dysfunctional.
And when I say system, I mean education as well. No matter how much you hate being a part of society, you can’t just abandon public health care. Infants get cancer. Disabled people are born. You can’t just toss them aside and let charities deal with them. Unfortunately because your education system has no government subsidies, the costs of training your doctors is incredible, and this cost is passed on once they begin practicing. French doctors don’t have to pay back their crushing student loans because medical school is partly paid for by the state, and malpractice insurance premiums are a tiny fraction of the $55,000 a year and up that many U.S. doctors pay. That $55,000 equals the average yearly net income for French doctors, a third of what their American counterparts earn.
The answer is a mix of public and private financing, and reducing medical training costs. Luckily, as per the business week article, and notwithstanding your aversion of foreigners and foreign countries,
…the French system is similar enough to the U.S. model that reforms based on France’s experience might work in America…”The French approach suggests it is possible to solve the problem of financing universal coverage…[without] reorganizing the entire system,” says Victor G. Rodwin, professor of health policy and management at New York University.
Yeah, but who’s going to pay for that border-securing? Let’s let the market decide — those who want to exclude immigrants can pay for it themselves.
There’s nothing particularly selfless or altruistic about state-enforced generosity. It’s easy to be caring and generous when you’re being caring and generous with other people’s money.
Ok, I was a bit harsh, but mt take is that we live in a society, and societies are based on co-operation and obligation. Paying tax is part of that. The “state” is part of that. Without it you end up in feudal britain a thousand years ago.
It’s all in the way you look at it. Selflessness and altruism need have nothing to do with it; they imply willingly doing something for no personal reward. The rewards of paying tax are myriad: you get parks, roads, hospitals, schools. Pay more tax and you get education based on merit rather than money, less people driven to desperation by accidents, illness, crime. You get a cleaner environment, less people on the streets. All of this translates into less crime, happier and healthier people, nicer neighbourhoods. There’s a better sense of community and solidarity, regional and national. (I find it odd that a person can love his or her country, but pay so little regard to his fellow countrymen. What’s left to love? An idea? A flag?) The standard of living of the average person improves. It goes on. The end result is that you lead a better life.
here is an article about the bathrooms of seoul from the atlantic journal:
http://www.ajc.com/travel/cont....._0420.html
People who support universal health care and other social programs pay taxes, too.
@#15:
I presume you inserted “sic” after “cancelled” because you thought it was misspelled. American English prefers one “l” but either spelling is acceptable.
Thanks for the link in #30 pawi. I was hoping for an update on this post to see if the pay for play worked. I’m guessing Betty Gordon of the AJC was one of those “journalists” on the Seoul City Government’s bribe-o-palooza all-expenses paid tourism promotion campaign.
Despite all the journalism school lectures on integrity, conflicts of interest, and independence, most journalists are just like the average joe…they fucking love free shit. So kudos to the Seoul City Government for recognizing this fact and throwing the white envelopes around where they’re likely to be pocketed.
I mean seriously, if you polled readers of the AJC about the top 4 million topics they’d most like to read about, I’m quite sure the amazing toilets of Seoul wouldn’t make the list.
Betty probably figured that she maintained her journalistic integrity by not writing about one of the “sample story ideas”
in the application, so her conscience is clear.
I have a question: In the 20th Century, we became aware of certain countries where the citizens chronically endured famine, privation, and wrecked healthcare systems where even the privileged citizens went abroad for treatment. I’ll give you some examples: the Soviet Union, People’s Republic of China, Vietnam, Cambodia, North Korea, Cuba, Zimbabwe. Would those countries best be described as libertarian, or communitarian?
In other words, why do so many leftists insist that “in a libertarian world, these people [the disadvantaged] are fucked”, when our most abundant examples of disastrous economic and social outcomes come from the communitarian side?
I don’t think that you will find many leftists who point to the developing countries of the former Eastern bloc as a model of economic policy for the US to emulate. Take a look at the scandinavian model.
“has keanu convinced himself he’s a white guy when he isn’t? ”
Ironic coming from someone who thinks anyone who disagrees with him or her is white or an ‘expat’.
#33: iheartblueballs
this is a classic list of topics the seoul metropolitician is paying foreign journalists to produce. i especially like the emphasis on taking the world by storm.
thanks for you comments, blue. since you have no proof, i’ll just see your huffy puffy self as being huffy puffy.
and might i say how proud i am that seoul has clean public bathrooms? i am so proud of this accomplishment and to me, seoul deserves the attention.
have a good day, blue.
your friend
pawi
ps grand narrative, won’t you answer my question? why are you fixated with korean sexuality? may i ask what you would say about some white guy here in the states who was fixated on say, mexican sex? may i aslo ask if you ever write about white people sex too or is it just korean sex for you?
i know these question must be embarrassing though i do know why. you provided a link to your site on this thread so it’s fair game.
lastly, whose breasts are metaphors for white americans like yourself? what does pam sue anderson say about your people?
please answer my questions. stand up for the garbage you write.
Take a closer look at #1:
1. Korea’s IT: How IT Affects Life in Seoul?
I think it’d be more ‘inspiring’ as a statement, but hey, what I know?
well, lookie here, blue:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04.....ref=slogin
see? i only make statements when i have proof.
Because the communitarian model had vastly more chances to fuck up than the libertarian one? I’m trying hard here, but I can’t really think of a single country that runs/ran on libertarian principles.
#28 There’s nothing particularly selfless or altruistic about state-enforced generosity. It’s easy to be caring and generous when you’re being caring and generous with other people’s money.
Marmot, you will never convince these simpletons. This is the same crowd that thinks Princess Dianna was a G-d. The answer here is tort reform. You stop the thieves who steal from the system driving insurance cost up for “the wealthy”. Funny, I don’t see myself as rich, but I am paying for the fattest poor people in the world, American hammock swingers.
Pawi, I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that the Seoul City Government journalists vacations were supposed to start in mid-April and we’re seeing this series on Seoul in the AJC in…mid-April!
You also missed the part where I commended the City of Seoul for their strategery. Most journalists are whores, so they need to be treated like whores. The amusing part to me is how open and blatant the City Govt was about it, advertising that they’ll pay for anything under the sun and then giving sample story ideas to boot.
Generally, when you buy coverage, you do it a little more discreetly and at least let the journalist think they’re not being bought, so they don’t get shit from other journo-whores that pretend they have integrity. I’ve been on the pimping and the whoring end of this game, so I know how it works and what kind of massaging is necessary to keep all parties deluded and happy.
FYI I’ve applied for the expenses paid trip. Below are my story suggestions:
1. Korea’s IT: How Bad Porn and Starcraft are Shaping the Country
2. Gaming, Cyworld and Seoul’s PC Café Culture: A Paradise for Socially Retarded Shut-Ins
4. Christianity and Seoul’s Church Culture of Blind Conformity and Taliban Hostages
5. Seoul’s Growing Multiculturalism: Once Proud Homogeneous
Society Imports Vietnamese Brides Who Won’t Run Away!
6. B‐Boy, Jump to Nanta: Korea’s Non‐Verbal Performance Are Only 20 Years Late to the Breakdancing Party
8. Seoul’s Changing Cityscape: World Best Stream Over Concrete
9. Seoul Food’s Foreign Invasion: from Street Meat to Mystery Meat to Dog Meat
10. Fusion Gugak: Seoul Musicians Renew Sounds of Other Musicians and Claim as Their Own
11. Seoul’s Cutting Edge Medicine: Useless Herbs, Worthless Moxibustion, and Ineffective Acupuncture
12. Seoul’s Healthy and Social Spas Draw Pervs to Stare at Foreigner’s Cocks
If I saw a foreigner with more than one cock, I’d stare, too. Actually, I’d do a lot more than stare.
@40 - Assuming that what you say is true, I’d say that that’s a pretty damn good reason to give libertarianism a try.
That said, I only consider myself a libertarian in the loosest sense of the word.
#43 - I’m not so sure about that. I mean, I’ve never seen a government based on Satan-worship mess up a country, but I don’t think the lack of a messed-up Satan-worshiping country really makes that strong an argument for us to give it a chance to do so… The lack of failure in a sample that’s too small to be statistically relevant is not really an indicator of probable success.
blue, boring. very little of what you write upsets me.
for baseball fans.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/ne.....;type=lgns
Don’t hold back, girl. Enquiring minds want to know.
‘Actually, I’d do a lot more than stare.’ rain shower
‘Don’t hold back, girl. Enquiring minds want to know.’
yes, do tell.
Considering you get weepy with pride over clean toilets, I’ll take that with a grain of salt.
imo the American list is much longer.
@46 - Let’s see. We’ve tried A 15 times and it was always a disaster. We’ve never tried B.
Time to pick a system for your country. Which one will you pick?
Brenden, you’re confused. I’m not advocating communism. I’m advocating socially responsible capitalism. Dokdoforever @35 makes the point clearly enough. Denmark, Japan, Finland and Sweden are good examples. They have decent health care systems, clean environments and are, importantly, far less authoritarian than most countries, including the U.S.
The Soviet Union, People’s Republic of China, Vietnam, Cambodia, North Korea, Cuba, Zimbabwe are examples of misgovernment by the lunatic left and/or opportunistic, ideologically insincere dictators.
But don’t worry, actually, most Libertarians are somewhat befuddled. At the heart of Libertarianism is the idea of maximum Liberty. Thats fine with me. But in actuality, most “Libertarians” are simply hard-core “Republicans” who are confused or trying to be cool. Take Sesame for example. He’s terrified of foreigners and hates paying tax for welfare. But paying tax for welfare is a fairly minor infringement on liberty in the greater scheme of things. Don’t believe me? Look at this chart:
http://www.anarchy.no/ranking.html
This purports to rank countries that have the most “liberty”, or personal freedom. You’ll notice that the ones at the top have robust, mostly universal health care systems. Their Human Development Index, Life Expectancy, Adult Literacy etc is also extremely high.
Interestingly, some “Libertarians” also have no problem with the government cracking down on protesters (I think you yourself mentioned you were happy to see them jailed…?), on using martial law, etc. Again, these people are probably just confused “Republicans”, since the above actions are not very liberal at all.
Let me address the most stupid statement first: There are very few libertarians who favor martial law, and I would bet no soldiers favor martial law. The bogeyman of crazed generals is a favorite only of those on the left, who actually have a history of implementing martial law.
Also, you’re kidding yourself if you think Japan is not authoritarian.
Seeing the government lock up hippies and ecology-worshippers pleases me only in the sense that one is amused when the caged gorilla yanks a teasing tourist in over the fence and then pummels the tourist senseless. Objectively it’s frightening — but at the same time it’s satisfying to see natural justice at work.
So, as a libertarian I concede that there should be relatively few rules, designed to maximize everyone’s enjoyment of liberty and ensure fair opportunities to all. When someone steps out of line, those rules should be remorselessly enforced.
Don’t tease the monkey!
I agree that martial law is in complete opposition to the ideals of Libertarians - but you’d be surprised how many “Libertarians” I’ve spoken to support Guantanamo, for example. Thus my point on some of them being confused and actually being Republican.
Seeing the government lock up hippies and ecology-worshippers pleases me only in the sense that one is amused when the caged gorilla yanks a teasing tourist in over the fence and then pummels the tourist senseless. Objectively it’s frightening — but at the same time it’s satisfying to see natural justice at work.
Natural justice? When the state deprives people of their liberty? I know, its very funny, the gorilla thing and all, but all jokes aside, it strikes me as extremely, well, authoritarian. Not wrestling with an inner Pinochet are we?
Also, the ranks of crazed generals who have a penchant for martial law is hardly a leftist phenomenon. The right wing laundry list is just as long. See here:
http://home.iprimus.com.au/kor.....lphaC.html
(and they’re just the ones that the US has supported.)
As for Japan being authoritarian, that’s an interesting one. The anarchists/libertarians rank it 7th on personal freedoms (from the horse’s mouth, not mine!) I’m no expert on Japan, but I can’t find many people bashing it for being authoritarian. Here’s what someone says on a forum which i can’t be bothered linking.
when you think about it, the Japanese have a pretty good libertarian government, if ‘libertarian’ means small government.
1. The Japanese small government ethos clearly promulgates that it is not the role of government to apologise for past wartime atrocities, eg sexual slavery.
2. Instead of bringing citizens into line by legislature, Jap government uses nongovernmental disciplinary methods of ingrained social conformity : the nail which sticks out gets hammered down, but as its social expectation which does the hammering, it’s nongovernmental.
3. Instead of ‘vouchers’ for transferrable educational funds, the Japanese make all primary and elementary schools of equal toughness and high expectations, so vouchers are essentially unnecessary.
4. It is well known that the arm of government which has grown the largest in the US is the military over the Bush43 idiocracy. Gasp, what would Hayek and Milton think? The Japanese have managed to outsource most of their armed forces. Even though Japan receives a far greater proportion of its oil from the middle east than the USA, through cunning diplomacy it has persuaded the American armed forces to fight on its own behalf, to secure its own oil supply.
“I’m sure there could be a headhunting agency for Doctors from other nations. The agency also helped these immigrants with their visas and citizenship. Win-Win”
Not exactly a win-win for the countries that paid for their training, and who no longer have sufficient doctors and nurses because of milking off of same by richer capitalist countries. But I suppose that continues your theme of “not my problem”.
#53 - Government is hardly a binary choice. It really isn’t as if we have a choice between one sort of government that never works and one that’s never been tried… We’ve got lots of choices, plenty of which have worked just fine in the past, and continue to work just fine in the present. So sure, we don’t know for sure that a libertarian government would be an utter failure (like communism was, by and large), but that’s a far cry from assuming it would be a ‘good’ system by any stretch of the imagination.
Pawi,
Grandnarrative says his replies to your comments aren’t appearing when he posts them. Glitch, perhaps? But he adds that your comments don’t really warrant a reply, as you’re a notorious troll. (Though he does admire your extreme dedication to your chosen mode of grief-making.)
Of course, it’s only “generosity” when your life doesn’t depend on it. When you do find yourself suddenly needing it, and likely to die without it, you see it for what it really is. The best arguments for Universal Health Care have nothing to do with “generosity” or “caring,” and much more to do with ethics, egalitarianism, and basic human decency.
There are market-based strategies for ensuring greater access to health care. Incessant calls for government programs reflect a failure of imagination. Here’s a good start:
http://www.latimes.com/news/op.....2495.story
As opposed to right-wing dictators like General Chun Doo-hwan, General Park Chung-hee, Ferdinand Marcos, General Chiang Kai-shek, and General Augusto Pinochet and the military junta that ousted the Perons in Argentina.
@#60:
There is a doctor in my community who does not deal with insurance. Patients pay directly and receive from him forms to fill out and send to their insurers for compensation. This works fine for getting physicals or examinations for minor illnesses but not for cancer treatments, open heart surgery, and the like.
That anarchy.no link is useless as an information source.
Interesting with all this talk of libertarianism that the last “feudal” system of governance in Europe has just been ended. Ironically, due to “human rights issues” being forced upon a people who were quite happy with the system they had.
#62 - I think insurance is necessary and desirable for catastrophic coverage of the sort of situations you mention. But having a huge corporation (or government) with all their bureaucracies, actuarial tables, etc. every time someone goes to the doctor is a big part of the problem in the U.S.
“There are market-based strategies for ensuring greater access to health care. Incessant calls for government programs reflect a failure of imagination. Here’s a good start:”
A Beverly Hills doctor serves patients who can afford his care without insurance and twice a month he serves patients who can’t afford his care at all. This does nothing for those caught in the middle class squeeze and (as Songagi said) it would not help those who end up with catastrophic problems.
Alejandro Marivosa,
Yes, Koreans abhor to be alone even for a few hours. Men are social animals.
If you are brought up to think “being alone is bad”, then you really think like that.
Koreans are not good for long voyages, being left behind enemy lines or as an astronaut for Mars trip.
They make good mates,though. Sorry, no personal space. You do everything together. Everything.
#66 - Don’t read so narrowly. It’s a model. Getting the insurance companies and the government out of the relationship between patient and primary care physician would make those services cheaper and more available. It would in fact go a long way toward relieving the “middle class squeeze.”
here is another article on the beauty of seoul from the atlantic journal. seoul is becoming world class, folks.
http://www.ajc.com/travel/cont....._0420.html
‘Considering you get weepy with pride over clean toilets, I’ll take that with a grain of salt.’ blue
you shouldn’t. i actually like you so i just roll my eyes when you go on your anti korean tirade.
if anyone wants to see someone projecting their personal issues on a website read iheartblueball’s rants.
That’s part of your problem pawi. You can’t differentiate satire and sarcasm from “anti-Korean.” My list was mocking the blatant propoganda apparent in the “sample story ideas” on the journalist application by showing the flip side to the attempted story plants.
I said previously I don’t blame Seoul tourism officials for trying to promote the city. But they can be blamed for going about it in such a ham-handed manner. They’re not only offering up blank checks, but the sample story ideas make it pretty clear that they’re not looking for journalists to cover the city, warts and all. They’re offering free trips in a quid pro quo for tourism advertisements that shine a bright light on the sparkle.
The other reason I thought it was funny was because the paper in question is the Atlanta Journal Constitution (not the Atlantic Journal as you keep referring to it). Atlanta is made up of about 60% black, 35% redneck, and 5% other, of which maybe 2-3% is Asian. So at minimum 95% of the people that open up that paper have absolutely zero interest in how clean the toilets of Seoul are. It’s just a ludicrous article considering all factors involved.
Given that, and the timing of the series of articles on Seoul in that paper just happen to fall in line with the stated first round of journalist tours, it seems pretty likely that Betty Gordon is serving up grade A advertisements for the City of Seoul in exchange for an all-expenses paid vacation. With the current budget tightening occuring at most major papers, I’m guessing her editor saw it as a cheap and easy way to get some international coverage without the AJC spending a dime. Either that, or they just don’t give a shit at the AJC about pay for play stories. And knowing what I know about Atlanta, it’s probably the latter. Regardless, it just looks bad for everyone involved.
Of course there’s a very small chance that she’s on assignment from the paper and is not being wined and dined by Seoul, but given the timing, and that she’s filing numerous stories and they’re all sparkly in nature, it seems unlikely. I can’t imagine a budget meeting at the AJC convening by someone saying “Okay, so $6000 goes to Betty for her expose on Korean toilets…cut the check, and cancel the investigation on abuse at that orphanage in Decatur.”
Surely pawi, you can recognize a fix when you see one.
If you’re going to bite at my ankles stacked, at least make it interesting and/or vicious.
There are about 10-15 commenters on this blog worth reading, and since this is the first time I recall ever seeing your handle, you’re obviously not one of them. I’ve got cum-stains on my keyboard more insightful.
yeah, world-class also ran backwater
For those of you who still think that immigration is bad for the U.S:
http://www.latimes.com/news/lo.....storylevel
Someone’s gotta take up the slack when the baby boomers retire.
So I guess the question is how do we attract more skilled immigrants and how do we keep out the unskilled ones?
Betty’s puff pieces are all in the travel section, a department that (at lesser papers at least) is lss fussy on “pay for play” policies. Seoul perhaps got their money’s worth here.
The failed immigration reform planned to introduce a point system and put restrictions on family visas. This went over like a lead balloon among constituencies with large immigrant populations. We need a point system like the ones used in Australia and Canada, which weigh education, language proficiency, age, and family ties. Politically, it probably won’t happen. The Hispanic Caucus is refusing to support badly needed emergency guest worker visas because it wants to use them as a bargaining tool to get a liberal immigration bill passed.
Apologies to Ms. Gordon. She has confirmed via email that she is not part of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s program. That small chance I mentioned above came through. She says that “The AJC policy is not to accept money/services of any kind for travel stories.”
Good for her, good for the AJC, bad on me for jumping the gun.
blue:
had she written lines like the following, i would have been suspicious:
1. seoul- paris of asia
2. korean palaces on par with forbidden city
3. your next trip should be seoul
but she didn’t wrtie things like that. indeed, she wrote about something people actually think about. i’m sure more than a few people wondered about bathrooms in seoul when going there for whatever reason. i think it’s good to know there’s good shit holes in korea!
and don’t think for a moment i believe you hate korea or koreans. you make me laugh, blue.
Unintentional comedy is always the most delicious.
#70. Yeah all world class cities allow motorcycles to drive on their sidewalks. Pawi, you are a wanker extraordinaire.
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