Comments on: Beef and the FTA. The Korean Viewpoint

By: SeoulPodcast » Blog Archive » Episode 11: Starting a Family in Korea (Cathy and David Harris from SeoulLife.net)

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 05:12:22 +0000

[...] Beef and the FTA. The Korean Viewpoint [...]

By: Eletalk

Eletalk — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:46:03 +0000

Robert - I’m saying that we shouldn’t be surprised by the reaction. Korea’s not the only nation in the world that sees things through its own perspective. The US does the same thing, which is why you hear politicians talking so much about “US interests” and why you see such little interest on the part of Americans toward viewpoints different from those that are distinctly American.

If it were the other way around, and Korea had its military perched on the Mexican border and the US president was taking actions that seemed more beneficial to Korea than to the US, I think you’d see a firestorm of protest from Americans. You can call that “victimization” if you want, but I call it good old protest and taking a stand. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about beef or cars or shoes… the principle is what’s got some people hot under the collar. That’s an angle I can empathize with.

LMB seemed to get real cozy with Bush before this whole beef thing escalated and I think people are looking at this and wondering what his intentions are and where his loyalties lie.

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 06:14:34 +0000

@41 I can’t believe I’m typing this, but really?
umm… the closest thing is maybe mac and cheese? That stuff is sorta omni-present. Fried chicken is more like samgyeopsal.

By: snow

snow — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 05:01:45 +0000

“2. Granted the American beef inspection system is not perfect. But why are there no similar minutely critical look at Korean beef inspection and tracking system? The OEI puts Korea as a dangerous country for BSE because of its failure to monitor their beef industry - in other words Korea is given failing grades. United States, on the other hand, is given a passing grade. Now you tell me which country’s beef should be considered to be safer if you were perfectly non biased. Does Koreans even have the right to complain about US beef?”

Reminds me of India where some KFC outlets were shut down for not being up to standard. In India!?! Rat-infested roach heaven!?! Of course, it was all political. Koreans conveniently never mention anything about how their own standards are lower than those of the US.

By: WangKon936

WangKon936 — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 04:40:57 +0000

# 40,

(satire on) So would it be fried chicken then? (satire off)

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 04:34:19 +0000

@31 I’m gonna say chitlins aren’t the #1 food among African-Americans. I mean, we DO eat them on occasion, but #1 is seriously pushing it. It’s not our kimchi or anything.

By: The Goat

The Goat — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 03:31:41 +0000

@ 37

Thank you for that. I have not had a good laugh since I saw footage of the water cannon.

Your so-called “smart” friend is just singing the same old tune of woe is Korea and we have no power and everybody is out to get us wah fucking wah.

By: Robert Koehler

Robert Koehler — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 03:02:34 +0000

Eletalk — The problem with that, I’m afraid, is that the solution is rather simple. If our “arrogant code of logic and common sense” is inappropriate, than you fall back on our own sense of victimization — as you well remember from 1980s Japan-bashing, we can play the victim/xenophobia card with the best of them. Frankly, this is what is likely to happen anyway should Sen. Obama take the presidency. Sure, you might argue, the US has benefited immensely from freer trade and, in fact, has been one of the principle architects of free trade, but as you point out, this “arrogant logic and common sense” needn’t apply to, say, US autoworkers, US ranchers, or whole swaths of Americana that feel the US has given away too much of its sovereignty to NAFTA, WTO, UN, etc. If our “arrogant code of logic and common sense” isn’t an appropriate basis for the dealings between nations, the alternative is pretty ugly. Unless, of course, you’re suggesting the US government tell its exporters (and workers) that they should bite the bullet to assuage Koreans feelings of victimization/xenophobic angst.

By: Eletalk

Eletalk — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 02:31:37 +0000

I was pretty much on the side of those spewing out anti-Korean vitriol here (although without the anti-Korean vitriol). But I talked to a Korean who put it to me a different way that made sense to me. It’s not about beef, it’s another example of feeling culturally and politically out of control because of US influence and because the Korean politicians who go along with it.

Here’s a post I wrote about it:
http://elephanttalk.wordpress......t-bulgogi/

By: Acropolis7

Acropolis7 — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:00:39 +0000

Of course I should add that the south is the butt of America’s jokes though.