Thursday, June 21, 2012

It's a Funny World

It is almost comforting that other countries have insane policy analysis, too. Let's look at a recent South Korean kerfluffle.

One, South Korea is a free and prosperous nation that faces a gulag with a UN seat that threatens to turn Seoul into a sea of fire on a regular basis, kills South Koreans periodically, seeks nuclear weapons, maintains an army poised to invade South Korea, and is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of North Koreans from starvation or execution.

Two, the third largest political party, United Progressive Party, is pro-North Korean.

Three, the UPP was caught in voting fraud.

Four, the main opposition party, Democratic United Party, allied with the UPP in the April elections.

Five, the ruling party, the Grand National Party, wants the two opposition parties to purge pro-North Korea members.

So how does the author of the linked article, a senior fellow at Seoul's Institute for Peace and Cooperation, portray the scandal and GNP move?

South Korea is boiling. An ideological blowout characterized by some as Korean McCarthyism is rocking the country, with increasing calls for a loyalty oath as a prerequisite for political candidacy. ...

The voting irregularities earned ideological scrutiny because of the left’s miscalculation on the one hand and on the other because of the right’s tireless bashing.

The ruling party has seized on the scandal as a method of shaming the opposition parties into rooting out the North Korea sympathizers at the National Assembly. It is almost impossible to remove the two lawmakers from their seats unless they voluntarily step down. The political greed of the far leftists in attempting to rig the ballots has enlivened the hard right-wing groups and helped to improve the right’s prospects in the December presidential election. The governing party is likely to play the so-called comsymp card to influence the voters.

Not voter fraud--just irregularities and political greed.

And the right's attempt to get rid of actual pro-North Korean legislators and--brace yourself--convince voters that having pro-North Korean legislators is bad is mere McCarthyism playing the comsymp (communist sympathizer) card.

Really.

When I start to feel depressed about the ability of our left and their media friends to sympathize with our enemies, I can think about South Korea where the right's reaction to left-wing crimes and active sympathy for an actual enemy is the problem and not the left's crimes and active sympathy for a cruel and bloody enemy that would destroy South Korea if they had the chance.

It'a a funny world. But not in a good way.