I listened to the whole thing and imagined the South Koreans imagining what it would be like for Americans to hear our President tell the story of the greatness of the South Koreans. Presumably, he got some things wrong and oversimplified, but he was explaining them to us, and I have to believe they loved thinking about so many of us hearing their story told by our President. Trump seems to love to make statements about how great various other people are, and he leaned into this one — how great the South Koreans are (and how terribly the North Koreans suffer).
Here's the transcript. Excerpt:
Much of this great city of Seoul was reduced to rubble. Large portions of the country were scarred -- severely, severely hurt -- by this horrible war. The economy of this nation was demolished. But as the entire world knows, over the next two generations something miraculous happened on the southern half of this peninsula....
What you have built is truly an inspiration. Your economic transformation was linked to a political one. The proud, sovereign, and independent people of your nation demanded the right to govern themselves.... And when the Republic you won faced financial crisis, you lined up by the millions to give your most prized possessions -- your wedding rings, heirlooms, and gold “luck keys” -- to restore the promise of a better future for your children.
Your wealth is measured in more than money -- it is measured in achievements of the mind and achievements of spirit. Over the last several decades, your scientists of engineers -- have engineered so many magnificent things. You've pushed the boundaries of technology, pioneered miraculous medical treatments, and emerged as leaders in unlocking the mysteries of our universe.
Korean authors penned roughly 40,000 books this year. Korean musicians fill concert halls all around the world. Young Korean students graduate from college at the highest rates of any country. And Korean golfers are some of the best on Earth....
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215 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 215 of 215@tim in Vermont:
. I told you up front, and with supporting facts, that I believe Kim is playing a dangerous game, and whether he is crazed is irrelevant.
Care to point out these "supporting facts." I must have missed them. No, ballistic missiles are not a particularly "dangerous game." There is certainly a danger of escalation, but that requires both sides to participate. Pushing the narrative of a crazed leader ready to blow up the world increases the risk of escalation, which is why I believe it should be pushed back against. The Kim regime, by all available evidence, is rational and can be deterred.
Posting excerpts from experts paid rationalize for their paymasters, when their writing is full of phrases like "I think.." or "in my judgment" doesn't strengthen your argument.
Convenient. Just dismiss people who disagree with you out of hand based on a baseless accusation that their assessments are disingenuous. Something you have zero evidence of. I quoted American intelligence, American think tanks, arms control experts, South Korean think tank members, and a North Korean defector, but they're assessments are all just bunk, because....they disagree with your own? I wonder if you'd have this opinion if they agreed with you. And of course, you're perfectly free to quote similar sources that present the opposing point of view.
You keep saying that I offered no arguments, so forgive me for thinking that you prefer the sound of your own voice to listening.
I have read everything you wrote, quoted it, and responded to it. You're more than welcome to do the same.
Fortunately, being liked by anonymous Internet commenters is not high on my priority list.
Then precisely what are you whining about?
@Bad Lieutenant:
Then precisely what are you whining about?
In general, that people cannot grasp the simple concept that describing my character, faults, and motives, is completely irrelevant (and logically unrelated) to the actual argument. It's the argument I care about. Not fake names and DVD avatars.
But you have a special place in my heart, Lieutenant. If you turn out not to be the total pussy I think you are, I will be pleasantly surprised. Because if I see you in person, I'll expect either an apology for your crass insults, or I'll put my fist through the back of your face. Of course, I fully expect you to continue hiding behind your keyboard and slinging insults like the little punk you are.
You boys cannot be for real!
Anyway, I believe dueling is STILL illegal in Gotham.
@Daniel Jackson:
You boys cannot be for real!
Serious as a heart attack. Not particularly proud of this indulgence, and I do try to rise above the petty schoolyard bickering that permeates so much of this comments section, but if Lieutenant wants to hurl such unprovoked insults, all I ask is that he (a) says them directly to my face and (b) accepts the consequences. But of course, I expect nothing to come of this. Like so many Internet tough guys, Lieutenant has a big mouth when he gets behind a keyboard, but is most probably a giant pussy. Anyhow, he is more than welcome to disabuse me of that notion. Let's see.
N'importe quoi?! Et, pourquoi!
It's very dramatique, nu?
Go back to y'all's relative expertise (a non overlapping space) and carry on with excellent discourse, insight, and stop with the Camembert. Move on.
Please.
I am late to the comments and have not read them all, so apologizes if redundant. I did not deal with them directly but South Korea sent some number of troops to Vietnam. I was there in 1968 and it was common knowledge that you Did. NOT. Fuck. with a South Korean soldier.
On the other hand, my wife, kids and I hosted the South Korean ski team for a few days before the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid and you never met a nicer bunch.
"Care to point out these "supporting facts." I must have missed them."
What a waste this whole discussion was. Lesson learned.
For precisely what would you like an apology or retraction, Farmer? I prefer to understand why I'm hurting people, I've always been funny that way; not to mention going to work Monday morning looking like Fight Club.
For my part, I'm pissed at you because you're a genocidaire manqué, not a flit or a short eyes. I doubt I would have cared very much whom Hitler screwed.
@Bad Lieutenant:
For precisely what would you like an apology or retraction, Farmer?
The fact that three seconds of rereading our already written exchange would answer that questions just further confirms my opinion of you. But for your benefit, this is the answer to your question:
"I don't care how many boys he rents from your outfit, he's no reformer of Islam."
"I'm not sure if you're a boy lover or a boy-lover, but a gentleman cannot be insulted by the truth."
Now, on a certain level, I know that my predominate attitude towards you should be one of pity. You are clearly intellectually inferior to me. Of course, there's no way to say something like that without sounding like an obnoxious, egomaniacal prick. Fine. But it remains a true statement. As the saying goes, it ain’t so much the things we don’t know that get us into trouble; it’s the things we do know that just ain’t so. So for everything you do not know, Lieutenant, I forgive you.
There is nothing particularly bad about being stupider than me. After all, it's likely a result of factors that were completely outside of your control (i.e. genes and very early childhood experiences). In other words, you literally cannot help yourself. That you have to inject personal insults and attacks on one's character in an intellectual debate only demonstrates how insecure you are. And of course, by buying into it, I am only demonstrating how insecure I am. Fine with that. But considering that I have devoted a good portion of my professional life to services for victims of childhood sexual abuse and for anti-human trafficking of the young efforts, I am not going to ignore an accusation that I am a "boy lover" (and everything that phrase insinulates). If you want to accuse me in public of being a sexual deviant and a criminal, then you should at least have the guts to make the accusation to my face. If you won't, then I will know you are a coward, a blowhard, and a fraud. But if you're ever capable in your pathetic life of mustering the courage to actually take me up on my offer, I guarantee the response will be physical, and I won't stop until one of us can't stand anymore. If you think this is a bunch of bluster, I am begging you to call my bluff. Jfarmer@me.com. That is my email address. Email me and give me your phone number. I'll make arrangements privately to meet you. And when you're laying on the pavement unresponsive, I am going to take a photo of it and link it on this blog to my Flickr account. I am waiting...
@tim in vermont:
What a waste this whole discussion was. Lesson learned.
Strange,. When I am called out on a weakness in my case, I try to defend myself. You, once again, rely on the sideshow of incredulity.
p.s. In other words, consider my words you quoted, "Care to point out these "supporting facts." I must have missed them." It would take you less than 30 seconds to copy and paste, say, four or five "supporting facts" in your various replies to me. Do this, and you would have rendered my accusation foolishly wrong. That would have been a mortal blow to a pillar of my argument (i.e. that you are completely unresponsive to my arguments). Instead, you again deploy the strategy of incredulity. That is, you claim my argument is so patently and obviously wrong, it is not worth the (presumably minimal) effort to refute it. I can assume from this that you are either (a) exceptionally lazy or (b) cognizant of the fact that nothing you wrote actually included "supporting facts."
And when you're laying on the pavement unresponsive, I am going to take a photo of it and link it on this blog to my Flickr account. I am waiting...
But how am I to know that when you lose, you won't go to the cops? Dunno about Tamps, but it's tough to get away with beating up a homosexual tourist in this town. I doubt the anonymity of either of our Google accounts, or of your Flickr, would survive subpoena.
As for your work in supporting troubled youth, that sounds very nice, but I wonder if a violent temperament such as yours is the best fit for that career. Do you beat up your charges if they call you a faggot?
@Bad Lieutenant:
As for your work in supporting troubled youth, that sounds very nice, but I wonder if a violent temperament such as yours is the best fit for that career. Do you beat up your charges if they call you a faggot?
Nah. Being called a "faggot" does not bother me one iota. Nine times out of ten being called anything does not bother me. But occasionally you come across someone whose intersection of stupidity, arrogance, and disagreeableness are such that the only response is a good ass beating. But, as I've said, I expect nothing to come of this. You're a punk.
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