Time to rethink South Korean support?

[Divinus Arma]

They don't want us there. http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/02/21/D8FTU7HO2.html

They have a vibrant and able economy. It may be time to start making them stand on their own two feet.

[Redleg]

They don't want us there. http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/02/21/D8FTU7HO2.html

They have a vibrant and able economy. It may be time to start making them stand on their own two feet.

ITs been like that is the late 1980's with the youth of South Korea. I remember being held up in Souel because of one particular nasty demonstration that was happening outside of the Yongson gates.

[KukriKhan]

from the article, quoting the poll: "...Seoul should side with North Korea if the United States attacks the communist nation...

What's new here is Koreans imagining a US attack, un-related to an attack on S. Korea. That constitutes a fundamental misunderstanding of why we're there.

If that opinion were shared by a majority of the S. Korean populace, and not just 17-23 year olds, I'd say 'yes', time to quietly slip the land forces out of the place, and just maintain a strategic presence in the area.

But a wholesale, noisy redeployment out of S.Korea, especially right now with nutjob up there in the North, would encourage him to be more adventurous IMO.

[Don Corleone]

I'm with Kurki on this one. If the majority of the population want us out, we should leave. But with all due respect to a certain large contingent of backroom patrons, why should the majority of the under 23 crowd be allowed to decide anything, other than what the under 23 crowd is up to these days? Decisions that impact the entire population have to be made by the entire population.

I find it very interesting that a majority of these kids view PRC as their most important ally in future global events. The official view in China is that South Korea is a threat and needs to be treated with caution. Among very nationalist Chinese, such as found in the military, the view is that the entire Korean peninsula should be reabsorbed as a province.

[Devastatin Dave]

The teens hated us there when I was there in 01. They'll change their tune when they get a little older, get a job, and recieve much won from evil American GI, or if they're a chick, when evil American GI gets stupid and marries her so she can shop at the PX/BX/Commissary till she gets back to the States, sends all of evil American GI's money back to ashima back in Korea till evil American GI is totally broke and she's been married to him for 10 years, then dumps his ass when she's cleared him out and she'll get half his retirement since she stayed married to him for 10 years for the rest of her night, then leave out her days playing Bingo at the NCO club while banging retired NCO' and officer's living out the former Korean protestors dream.

In a nut shell, the youth hate us, the old who remember the Korean War loave us, and the politicians over there know what sort of money we generate for them so we'll never leave till there is no North Korea.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Argh.
Who in their right mind would swap freedom guaranteed by Washington for dictatorship and destitution imposed by Pyong-Yang?

Slice of a part of your military spending on South Korea and use it for free holidays to Chinese and North Korean 'summer camps' for those spoiled brats. Should get some sense into them.

[master of the puppets]

the youths have grown arrogant, they were rocked to sleep not with the tales of how americans won the victories, beat the chinese and north koreans, but with stories of the brave men of south korea who fought the northern invaders. they propably don't want to belive that us arrogant americans are some of the best fighters in the world when need be and that if it werent for us then they would all be considered commies.

[Fragony]

the youths have grown arrogant, they were rocked to sleep not with the tales of how americans won the victories, beat the chinese and north koreans

Sorry for finding this amusing, even if it's true

[master of the puppets]

Sorry for finding this amusing, even if it's true

...oh i get it...HEY SHUT UP, we WON the korean war and there would be no more communist north korea if that idiot truman had let McArthur finish his campaign.

[Ice]

...oh i get it...HEY SHUT UP, we WON the korean war and there would be no more communist north korea if that idiot truman had let McArthur finish his campaign.

We didn't win anything. It was actually a draw.

Edit:
Do you really think it would have been a good idea to follow through with McArthur's plan? Attacking China would have probably dragged The USSR in the war... creating a massive war, possibly WWIII in Asia.

[master of the puppets]

but we would of won.

[Ice]

but we would of won.

We had just fought a huge war about 8 years earlier. I really don't think we wanted another one with possible nuclear weapons.

[master of the puppets]

We had just fought a huge war about 8 years earlier. I really don't think we wanted another one with possible nuclear weapons.

we had more nukes, we would have won

[drone]

we had more nukes, we would have won

When nukes are flying around, nobody "wins".

[Tachikaze]

I believe the US presence in South Korea is for US interests, not South Korea's. Therefore, I don't think our government/corporations care what the Korean populace thinks.

[Proletariat]

Uhm, they're one and the same. You know what would happen to the global economy if Seoul was wiped out from a good dose of artillery?

[Devastatin Dave]

I believe the US presence in South Korea is for US interests, not South Korea's. Therefore, I don't think our government/corporations care what the Korean populace thinks.

BS...
Do you actually believe that if the US were to leave South Korea, North Korea would not take action? Then again, the Kim Jung Ill style of government is more your cup of tea I guess, so in your mind, North Korea taking the South would be a great thing.

[Don Corleone]

Come on now, Prole. Haven't you been paying attention? The global economy is evil. The USA is evil. An artillery barrage on a bastion of capitalism like Seoul could be just the shot in the arm the Worker's Revolution needs to start chapter 2.

I'll give you credit, Tachi, to paraphrase Shakespeare, you are indeed as constant as the Northern Star.

[Redleg]

I believe the US presence in South Korea is for US interests, not South Korea's.

And you would only be partially correct. Its also serves the interests of the South Korea government. The government of South Korea had to be negotated with when the new reductions on the United States Forces in Korea went into effect. In short South Korea did not want the reductions.

Therefore, I don't think our government/corporations care what the Korean populace thinks.

And in this you are wrong in several ways. To many to mention.

[Proletariat]

Maybe if the South Korean government would quit giving cash under the table to Jong. They realised that it's much cheaper to pay off the North Koreans than ever have to face the prices of reunification. Sunshine Policy my foot.

[A.Saturnus]

They realised that it's much cheaper to pay off the North Koreans than ever have to face the prices of reunification.

Why didn't we think of that?

[Louis VI the Fat]

Never grown over that sentiment of 'Wir sind ein Volk!' - 'Wir auch!' ?

[Kaiser of Arabia]

I think we should hand over the south to the north. Kim Jong is such a better leader than whatever idiot the Southerners elected...
[/sarcasm]

But apparently the Southerners think so. Bloody...

[Ice]

I dont understand though, what could possibly be appealing with siding with the North? SK is a free country, people know what the hell goes on there! It really doesn't make sense.

[Byzantine Prince]

I dont understand though, what could possibly be appealing with siding with the North?

Blind nationalism and incredible ignorance.

But yeah, if a land war started just buy the northeners off with some bread.
I mean really, those people are starving all over. Their soldiers are pinte-sized from mal-nutrition.

[Proletariat]

Why didn't we think of that?

You guys were the inspiration, I'm sure.

[Redleg]

Blind nationalism and incredible ignorance.

But yeah, if a land war started just buy the northeners off with some bread.
I mean really, those people are starving all over. Their soldiers are pinte-sized from mal-nutrition.

Hmm I wonder if someone has seen an North Korean soldier up close and personal?

[Byzantine Prince]

Hmm I wonder if someone has seen an North Korean soldier up close and personal?

I don't need to be close to know they are tiny and wimpy. There are plenty of easily googlable images out there. I am sure you will find a way in your infinite ignor....wisdom to say that if I haven't seen one in realy life I must be wrong.

[Redleg]

I don't need to be close to know they are tiny and wimpy. There are plenty of easily googlable images out there. I am sure you will find a way in your infinite ignor....wisdom to say that if I haven't seen one in realy life I must be wrong.

Having looked across the DMZ into North Korea, knowing that the North Korean Government insures that the soldiers are feed over caring for the civilians yep your lack of knowledge of the soldiers and their capablilites is showing. Or should I state your ignorance like you attempted?

Seen them fight to - 3 days of a running gun battle in the hills of South Korea between the special forces units of infilitrators from North Korea, and the South Korea Marines that were tasked to catch or eliminate them.

Small they might be - but wimpy they are not. You don't fight a running battle in the hills of South Korea for three days if your a wimp.

[Samurai Waki]

If South Korea wants it, then we should let them have it...that way when North Korea does blitzkrieg the South, we can return...stick out our tongues and tell them "I told you so".