Just some commentary on recent news:
- The Korea Communication Commission has ruled that online boycott campaigns of companies running advertisements in the Chosun Ilbo, JoongAng Ilbo and Dong-A Ilbo are illegal. Needless to say, the Chosun Ilbo is pleased. The Hankyoreh, on the other hand, took a different view. “Netizens are saying media that no longer functions in public service should be gone from our society. Pooling their small strength together to pressure advertisers is not crushing the press, it is a ‘press revival campaign’ of sorts, one that seeks to remind people of the public functions of the media.” Neither should be to happy. Preventing Internet users from banding together to launch boycott campaigns is a violation of the freedom of speech the Chosun Ilbo and friends spent the entire Roh administration telling us they defended. The Hani, on the other hand, should know better — this isn’t about a “press revival campaign,” it’s about Red Guard-style Internet campaigns trying to silence dissenting voices. Sure, the Cho-Joong-Dong might be full of shit half the time, but so is the Hani, OhMyNews, etc., and I’m pretty certain if right-wing groups were going after their advertisers to shut them down, they’d be crying McCarthyism and begging the state for protection.
- The Hani has been on a roll. Check out the different tack the paper takes in reporting an attack by a bunch of right-wing nutjobs on the office of the minor New Progressive Party, and an attack by candle-burning nujobs on the headquarters of the Chosun and Dong-A dailies. Seriously, read that last editorial — it’s a classic, and not simply because it’s one newspaper justifying attacks on another paper, while at the same time time running editorials-masquerading-as-articles decrying the investigation of MBC as a violation of press freedom. Right wing, left wing — everybody’s just so full of shit, and there’s little to do about it other than smile and go on with your day. Unless your office gets attacked by right-wing fascists/left-wing communists.
- If you’re a religious group, Seoul Metropolitan Government would prefer you pitched your tent elsewhere. Meanwhile, Catholic, Protestant and Buddhist groups continue to protest in Seoul Plaza, while LMB’s Minister of Culture has called for direct talks with the People’s Countermeasure Council Against Mad Cow Disease, a major organizer of the demonstrations. What there is to talk about, really, I don’t know — the protesters will demand renegotiations with the Americans, LMB will tell them he can’t, they will demand he do so anyway, he’ll ask the Americans to renegotiate, the Americans will tell him to fuck off, and we’re back to where we began. I guess I can hope something more creative comes of the talks — if they happen — but I won’t hold my breath.
- Oh, and speaking of pitching tents, nice photo of Song Hye-kyo.
- LMB’s “747″ plan is officially dead, at least for this year. The plan was probably over-optimistic to start with, and high oil prices and economic troubles in the United States haven’t helped.
UPDATE
- Oh, and how could I forget — Amnesty International is sending an investigator to Seoul to look into police violence. Just as a side note to Amnesty, as of July 1, 444 riot cops have been injured — 38 of them seriously — and one can only imagine what might have happened to the offices of the Chosun and Dong-A dailies without the heavy police presence in Gwanghwamun. As cynical as I may seem, I do have some faith in humanity, and I’m not going to positively predict that the July 5 counter-demonstration is going to end in disaster and non-police violence, but it might prove interesting for Amnesty to hang around and watch what happens.
- Again, I ask you — compare this Hani editorial with this one. Granted, bitching about Hani editorials is about as productive as bitching about Korea Times/Herald editorials, but it’s still amusing.
14 Comments
Regarding Ms. Song, a trouser tent? I’m really not sure on that one.
“A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.”
-thomas jefferson
# 2,
That’s why the founders (such as Jefferson) put their trust in a representative federalistic republic, not 51% mob rule.
A note from your friend the Language Scold™:
“The Hani has been on a role” –> The Hani has been on a roll. As in, they’re rolling forward with unstoppable momentum.
“Taking a different tact” –> Taking a different tack. It’s a nautical term — you adjust your sails (calling “tacking”) to try to catch some wind, and gain momentum where your vessel’s momentum has stalled.
Language Scold, Part Deux: “Hye-ko” should be “Hye-kyo.”
She likes to part her lips when having her picture taken. It looks too self-conscious — but still sexy, so I won’t complain.
“Right wing, left wing — everybody’s just so full of shit, and there’s little to do about it other than smile and go on with your day.”
Good analysis and advice, especially for those thinking about heading downtown on Saturday night to join the fray.
FYI, in the second section, the second link (’on the headquarters of the Chosun and Dong-A dailies’) goes to the same article as the first.
“Taking a different tact” –> Taking a different tack. It’s a nautical term — you adjust your sails (calling “tacking”) to try to catch some wind, and gain momentum where your vessel’s momentum has stalled.
‘Tacking’ is a nautical term, but it refers to the changing of course, not the adjustment of sails, which is termed ‘trimming’.
You are in fact correct — it’s been nearly 20 years since I tried to be a boatie.
I think that if we all just looked at Song Hye-Kyo, we’d all get along.
http://linh.thehong.com/song.jpg
The term “right wing fascism” always was incorrect and at last the facts are now back in public debate.
http://www.amazon.com/Liberal-.....amp;sr=1-1
Fascism was always a left-wing phenomenon that shares nothing in common with the belief in free markets, small government, and the emphasis on individual rights rather than collective rights.
Old habits die hard, I know…
#9,
As you know, boating in all its forms is a popular activity in Seattle. As such, Seattlites are much more likely to have trouble with ‘taciturn’ than that tacking term.
#10 - That’s a much nicer shot than the one from the Korea Times.
seoulmilk: “A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.” -thomas jefferson”
WangKon936: “That’s why the founders (such as Jefferson) put their trust in a representative federalistic republic, not 51% mob rule.”
This is what I call a fruitful exchange of ideas.