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I wished this kind of discussion on this list would stop right here. As I understand, this list is for scholarly descriptions or questions and for academic exchange rather than for active political discussions. The reason, why I am uneasy, is reflected in the following remarks on Kirk's contribution.<BR>
Back to academic work<BR>
Werner Sasse<BR>
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Date: Tue, 9 Jun 2009 19:17:12 -0700<BR>From: kirkdon@yahoo.com<BR>To: koreanstudies@koreaweb.ws<BR>Subject: Re: [KS] Reminder: Statement from Professors in North America Concerned about Korean Democracy<BR><BR>
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Thanks to Scott Burgeon for passing on that commentary in the Korea Herald. <BR>
<EM><STRONG>That was o.k., as it simply showed the other side</STRONG></EM><BR>
That pretentiously overwritten statement that people are asked to sign assumes a self-righteousness that may not be altogether justified. <BR>
<EM>I<STRONG> don't know about "not justified", but I did not like the tone, either</STRONG></EM><STRONG>.</STRONG><BR>
It doesn't begin to recognize the complexity of the discussion, the existence of quite different views <BR>
<STRONG><EM>They are there, but the question is, who voices them and with what press and with what financial and political power.</EM></STRONG><BR>
-- or the often violent challenge posed for months by last year's anti-U.S.-beef demonstrators to the democratic principles they claim to uphold.<BR>
<STRONG><EM>Well, some very serious correction is needed here: the demonstrations started as "anti-US-beef" supported by a small crowd, but because of the sudden omnipresence of an unbelievable mass of police, coupled with derogatery press reports, they soon turned into "anti-President" and "anti-present-politics" demonstrations by a large crowd. "Anti-US-beef" became a minor issue. Scott should have noticed that living in the police corridor like I did</EM></STRONG><BR>
Nor, as the Korea Herald commentary noted, would any such omniscient statement writers, in defense of the democracy they purport to love, consider for a moment decrying North Korea's violations of human rights, much less its nuclear and missile tests and the challenge <SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: italic">they </SPAN>pose to democracy..<BR>
<STRONG><EM>I fail to see what these issues have to do with developments in the political climate in S-Kor. The statement looks to me like trying to shift the focus from looking at the growing antagonism in the political scene and social climate in S-Kor to cheap blaming of what is certainly horrible but not taking place in S-Kor...</EM></STRONG><BR>
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Heaven forbid such criticism would be relevant to any nefarious doings in the people's paradise where democracy reigns above mortal criticism.. <BR>Donald Kirk<BR><BR>--- On <B>Tue, 6/9/09, J.Scott Burgeson <I><jsburgeson@yahoo.com></I></B> wrote:<BR><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px"><BR>From: J.Scott Burgeson <jsburgeson@yahoo.com><BR>Subject: Re: [KS] Reminder: Statement from Professors in North America Concerned about Korean Democracy<BR>To: "Korean Studies Discussion List" <koreanstudies@koreaweb.ws><BR>Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2009, 8:53 PM<BR><BR>
<DIV class=EC_plainMail><BR>In the interest of "democracy" and "freedom of speech," a counterview on the subject of South Korea's allegedly disappearing democracy:<BR><BR><A href="http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/06/10/200906100059.asp">http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/06/10/200906100059.asp</A><BR><BR>--J. Scott Burgeson, Chongno<BR><BR><BR> <BR><BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><br /><hr />check out the rest of the Windows Live™.
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