Sunday, September 10, 2006

Terminating the Military Alliance between the USA and Korea

In an article titled "South Korea and America -- Awkward bedfellows" (2006 September 7), "The Economist" asserts the following.
In Washington, some of the more rabid voices argue that America should abandon its ally in the face of anti-American hostility and what they see as the South's appeasement of North Korea. That is still an extreme view.
What is the nature of anti-Americanism in South Korea? With the full support of most Koreans, the history instructors at middle schools and high schools inculcate their students with anti-American hostility. The textbooks, the standardized tests, and the lessons are rife with anti-Americanism. [1] A 2002 survey demonstrated that, after undergoing several years of anti-American indoctrination in high school, the percentage of students who liked the United States decreased from 51% to 30%. The percentage of students who disliked the United States increased from 32% to 65%. [2] According to a survey conducted by Gallup Korea in 2005, if Pyongyang fought Washington in a war, 65.9% of South Korean youths (with ages between 16 and 25, inclusively) would support the North Koreans while only 21.8% would support the Americans. [3]


Why should American soldiers risk their lives to defend a nation that hates Americans?

In addition to teaching Korean children to hate Americans, the Korean people also embrace values that are radically different from the Western values cherished by Americans and other Westerners. For example, a typical Korean considers anyone outside of his blood relatives to have little value as a human being: the consequence is that the overwhelming majority of Korean orphans who are adopted enter the embracing arms of Westerners. About 50% of adopted orphans find homes in the United States, and about 25% of find homes in other Western nations (including Japan). [4][5][6][7][8]

In Korean society, if you are naked, cold, tired, and hungry and if you do not have the "right" blood, then you will die of exposure -- right in front of Korean passersby. By contrast, Westerners will clothe you and feed you.

In addition to distinguishing between (1) Koreans with family blood and (2) Koreans without family blood, a typical Korean also distinguishes between (1) a person with Korean blood and (2) a person without Korean blood. Unlike Westerners, Koreans believe that there is a clear genetic definition of an ethnic group, and Koreans employ a race calculus to identify a non-Korean and to discriminate against her. The aim is to drive her out of Korea and Korean society.

Indeed, the democratically elected Korean government gives preferential treatment, in granting citizenship, to anyone who can prove that he has Korean blood. A person who has non-Korean blood faces great difficulties in obtaining citizenship. Both legalized discrimination and social discrimination have driven non-Koreans (i.e., someone who lacks so-called Korean blood) out of Korea. During the 30-year period starting from about 1966, the ethnic Chinese population declined from 50,000 persons to 10,000 persons.[9][10][11][12]

Why should American soldiers risk their lives to defend a nation that promotes such callous bigotry?

The Koreans firmly believe that blood (i.e., genetics) determines both (1) the culture which a person should exhibit and (2) the nation to which he should be loyal. This bigoted thinking is quite popular in Korean societies across the globe. In particular, this bigotry is popular in the Korean community of Japan. For decades, most Korean residents in Japan have refused Japanese citizenship (while they demanded the rights and privileges of that citizenship) because they believe that their blood requires them to pledge allegiance to Korea. Until about 1995, only 5000 Koreans annually acquired citizenship. Around 1995, more Koreans rejected traditional Korean bigotry, and afterwards, 10000 Koreans annually have acquired Japanese citizenship. [13][14]

Japanese society welcomes Korean residents' becoming Japanese citizens. Of course, Korean residents who refuse Japanese citizenship experience the same discrimination that any other person (including American citizens of Japanese ancestry) without Japanese citizenship experiences in Japan. However, Japanese citizens of Korean ancestry generally do not experience any ethnic discrimination (i.e., discrimination due to ancestry). Indeed, Shokei Arai was a politician who is a Japanese citizen of Korean ancestry. He served in the Japanese legislature as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. [15]

Unlike Korea, the nation of Japan generally does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic background, and unlike the Koreans, most Japanese do not believe that blood determines either culture or nation of loyalty. Indeed, the Japanese view Americans of Japanese ancestry as foreigners. [16] By contrast, the Koreans view Americans of Korean ancestry as members of Korean society, not as foreigners.

Though Korea is a democracy, it is not a Western nation like Japan or Canada. The most damning evidence that the Koreans reject Western values is the widespread practice of aborting female fetuses. In Korea, the sex ratio (at birth) of boys to girls is approximately 1.10. [17][18][19] By contrast, in Japan and other Western nations, the ratio is 1.05, which is normal.

Why should American soldiers risk their lives to defend a nation that grossly rejects Western values? We Americans should terminate our military alliance with Korea.

note
1. Joshua Stanton, an attorney practicing in Washington, DC., served as a Judge Advocate General (United States Army, United States Forces Korea) from 1998 until 2002, inclusively. He left active duty in 2003. On 2006 September 27, he testified before the House Committee on International Relations. He gave significant evidence that South Koreans intensely hate Americans. [20]
2. In Korea, prostitution is an industry that generates "$21 billion a year -- more than electricity and gas combined. There are an estimated 330,000 sex workers, 80,000 brothels and 69 red-light districts in a country the size of Indiana." Prostitution generates 4% of the gross domestic product (GDP). [21] By contrast, in Japan, prostitution generates 1% of the GDP. [22]

reference
1. Nicholas Kralev, "U.S. sees bias in S. Korea textbooks", "The Washington Times", 2003 September 29.
2. Eric V. Larson, Norman D. Levin, Seonhae Baik, and Bogdan Savych, "Ambivalent Allies? A Study of South Korean Attitudes Toward the U.S.", technical report TR-141-SRF, Rand Corporation, 2004 March.
3. "Poll Finds Pragmatic Patriotism Among the Young", "The Chosun Ilbo", 2005 August 14.
4. Andrei Lankov, "[The Dawn of Modern Korea] Adoption, Abuse of Children?", "The Korea Times", 2003 September 3.
5. "Journey home", "Toronto Star", 2002 November 22.
6. "International adoption of South Korean children", Wikipedia, 2006 August 9.
7. Madelyn Freundlich and Joy Kim Lieberthal, "The Gathering of the First Generation of Adult Korean Adoptees: Adoptees' Perceptions of International Adoption", The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, 2000 June.
8. Vanessa Hua, "Korean-born in U.S. return to a home they never knew", "San Francisco Chronicle", 2005 September 11.
9. "Republic of Korea Report on Human Rights Practices for 1997", U.S. Department of State (Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor), 1998 January 30.
10. "Republic of Korea: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices ", U.S. State Department (Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor), 2006 March 8.
11. "South Korea -- The Vanishing of Chinatown", "The Economist", 1996 August 3.
12. " South Korea -- A standing reproach", "The Economist", 2006 March 2.
13. "Koreans weigh merits of gaining Japan citizenship", "The Japan Times", 2001 April 21.
14. "Koreans in Japan -- What a little sunshine can do", "The Economist", 2006 June 1.
15. "Japanese Capitalism (Part Two)", "The Atlantic Monthly", 1998 June.
16. Norimitsu Onishi, "LETTER FROM ASIA; Japan and China: National Character Writ Large", "The New York Times", 2004 March 17.
17. "Asian daughters -- Missing persons", "The Economist", 2001 February 22.
18. "6.3 brides for seven brothers", "The Economist", 1998 December 17.
19. "South Korea", The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 2006 September 6.
20. Joshua Stanton, "U.S.-Republic of Korea Relations: An Alliance at Risk?", the House Committee on International Relations (United States House of Representatives, 109th Congress), 2006 September 27.
21. Meredith May and Deanne Fitzmaurice, "A YOUTHFUL MISTAKE: You Mi was a typical college student, until her first credit card got her into trouble", "San Francisco Chronicle", 2006 October 8.
22. "Japan -- Trafficking", The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, 1998.

3 comments:

Vivian said...

Terminating Military Alliance between the USA and Korea is will lessen the relationship between the two countries. As of these days the North Korea as posted in the News are trying to test another nuclear weapons. We don't know the flow of the mind. One might think let us all die. NO Man is an island. About disadvantages brought by the Alliance, it is not a major problem that affects the economy. It only affects the mental and emotional aspect of an individual who doesn't accept the truth of having a brother or sister at hand. Why on earth you weren't you able to protect and were separated if you think you are strong? Our country is very small in size that even the population is shrenking. Think about it!

Anonymous said...

YOUR COMMENT IN TODAY'S NYTIMES WAS EXCELLENT, AND CLEARLY STATED; I FOUND IT TO BE WRITTEN ON THE LEVEL WHERE THE PERSON OF AVERAGE INTELLIGENCE COULD COMPREHEND IT. (WE NEED MORE OF THIS.) HOWEVER, I DON'T THINK MANY AMERICANS WILL ABIDE BY IT BECAUSE AS YOU STATED---THEY ARE DUMB WHEN IT COMES TO VOTING.
THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR INPUT.

Anonymous said...

..Unlike Korea, the nation of Japan generally does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic background, and unlike the Koreans, most Japanese do not believe that blood determines either culture or nation of loyalty..

Absolute Bullshit!