english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200805/200805190017.html

Koolaid buzz-induced posting? One wonders? Yes, probably only one… you.

Tough crowd, huh?

1 As you cannot get inside the head of the folks who made the purchase, you can’t be 100% sure about why they did it. On the other hand, I will say that purchases of military fighter jets are not 100% about politics. Otherwise, we would be able to dig up some F-4s and unload them on that Koreans.

#2 Nobody is going to go directly against their national interest so that caveat is necessary. Korea will not give up Dokdo for the USA, but it will send troops to Iraq and vote with the US on most issues in the UN and other international forums. As I said, that is not inconsequential. Combined with similar relationships with nations around the world, it helps the US maintain its influence.

“So let me get this straight, they can count on each other as friends unless there are situations in which they can’t count on each other. Fascinating.”

How about this then: “Sammy Schilt can beat up your girlfriend unless he is in a situation in which he can’t beat up your girlfriend.” OR “The Brazilian national soccer team can beat the Orange County Middle School All Stars unless there are situations in which they can’t beat the Orange County Middle School All Stars.”

I am not saying that the piece is Shakespearian in its brilliance, but you will have to do better than that.

Two examples:

1. The recent purchase of the aging but still highly effective F-15 Eagle over more modern European designs may have also been influenced by America’s unique after-purchase plan; a promise to aid Korea in fighting against any enemy that tries to shoot those plans down.

Key Word: “may”. At the risk of committing the same sin, let me keep it simple and say that purchases of military figher jets are 100% about politics, always.

2. Not inconsequentially, the United States can also continue to count on Korean support on international issues and in international forums as long as there are no direct conflicts with Korean national interests.

Key Phrase: “as long as”… Nice caveat. So let me get this straight, they can count on each other as friends unless there are situations in which they can’t count on each other. Fascinating.

If that happens, I’m almost certain the US echelon will use it as a reason of attacking China.

You’ve been reading too many C-borg comments.

The USA continues to import Korean nationals with their high educational levels and personal wealth to make up for shortcoming in the USA society and bankrupt economy. One wonders how well US educational institutions would fair without the huge amount of Korean capital funding them.

Last time I checked, Korea ranked eighth in terms of number of immigrants, but that figure is misleading because number one Mexico sends more immigrants than the remaining top ten put together. Ethnic Koreans comprise less than 1% of the US population; it’s easy to overestimate the number if one lives in a metropolitan area with a large Korean community.

74,000 Korean students arriving in the US every year rank the country second behind Japan, but it’s still a small fraction of the total tertiary student population. Without them, some university budgets would be a little tighter, but I don’t think too many schools would go out of business.

No doubt they would continue to be the world class institutions that they are, attracting the best and the brightest from around the world. Do you have statistics or facts to back up the assertion that it is Korean money that keeps the Ivy League going? If so, somebody inform the Jews and that guy who draws the comics about them!

Part of the attraction of the F-15 was compatibility with U.S. systems, which would not have occurred with a European option. The F-15K will beat the sox of anything North Korea has, and would even compare to the Chinese Su-30 variants.

It is a fine plane - and one with a proven track record - but you have to admit the alliance provides a great insurance policy for the ROK.

#5 - “It is about nationalism and the Dear Leader trying, successfully, to separate South Korea from the USA.”

I agree that it has a lot to do with nationalism, but I’m not yet going to give the Fat Man credit for ending a relationship that is still alive, albeit changing.