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© Copyright 2008/9 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.Bush greeted by demonstrations in South Korea
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TonyUS
I do not see us putting down Koreans.. I do think it is many Koreans that have some sort of problem with Americans. It is too bad. I find many Koreans have an issue with pride or something, or maybe they think they feel themselves below Americans??? Wish something would change what is going on. I do not see protests here in the US about Korea.
undecidedbout08
Been on a US college campus lately? Have any idea how many Koreans want to study in the US? Have any idea how many we accept?
TonyUS
hahah SezWho although we do not agree on all issues, but who does, I can relate with your response to javnation.
I do know when I traveled through Seoul a few years back I never felt so unwanted there or unwelcome in a place.
yabits
Koreans, or any national group for that matter, can support some aspects of a country while opposing others. What I criticize is the leap of faith made by some people that a temporary feeling of support (or criticism) given by others is an indication of one's righteousness (or otherwise). In other words, that because some Koreans show a pro-US feeling, it means that the US is a good nation.
Like every other thing in this world, the US is a mixed bag of good and evil -- and, more recently, with its penchant for starting wars of choice and conducting torture, there is an increase of evil over good.
SezWho2
javnation,
And I wish that people would read what is written and not read into it what they want. Who said anything about what the majority of Koreans want in regard to beef or in regard to anything else?
Do you know what the majority of Koreans want? How shall we decide that? by the reported numbers of Korean Christians that show up in support of Bush as opposed to the reported number of non-denominational Koreans that show up to protest Lee's policies? How would that be a fair or meaningful test? I suggest that is a statistic that means absolutely nothing.
What is absolutely balmy of you is to suggest that I suggested that the 20,000 protestors represented all Koreans. You are reading far too much into my post. Of course the 20,000 do not represent the views of the other 99.96%. Neither do the views of the 30,000 represent the views of the other 99.94%.
You are right that it is the citizens and voters who ultimately keep a democracy free. But you are wrong that it is not also the President's job. It is his job as a citizen, as a voter, as as chief executor of laws of the free democracy.
And, yes, US beef is tasty and it is reasonable to find a more balanced trade solution. However, it does not follow that the way in which the South Korean market was reopened was democratic.
kinniku
yabits,
From what I heard, there are many more in Korea who support the US. There were even pro-US demonstrations in Korea. I assume you support those as well.
I think the problem in Korea is the local media stirring up the pot for the lack of any other good news stories.
FOXNews2008
Bush is man enough to shrug off these demonstrators.
The majority of Koreans love the guy, these are just a few liber nutjobs that don`t know any better.
yabits
So long as many Americans want to treat Koreans as beneath them, Koreans are right to protest. The fortunate thing is that a majority of ordinary Americans can find much to admire about the Korean people.
I am glad that Koreans have the freedom to protest, and that they use their voices to improve the relationship between their country and the US. It is certainly no surprise that many would protest George W. Bush.
Dennis Bauer
USApatriot Bush is not there to spread "peace & love" but American Beef
Statistician
Nice to see the American President getting a warm welcome in foreign lands.
zurcronium
President Lee's approval ratings are at 20%, Bush is at 30%. They share thier total lack of support by their people. Both are losers.
Only christian wingers and the ancient McCain crowd support Lee or Bush in Korea. Same for bush in the USA.
ChimpsAhead
TonyUS; So you admit you are not a god guy because you do not support our great leader?
Koreans love the guy, a minority of activists protested , big deal!!!
TonyUS
Witha 32% approval rating at home he is lucky there are not protests 24 hours a day here at home. But it does show there is a small group here in the US that are the bad guys which is the 32%. hahaha
TheGoodGuyUSA
The majority of South Koreans adore and love Bush as if he were one of their own. The folks demonstarting aginst him are a small minority of bad guys.
Spread your word of peace and freedom Bush.
TPOJ
Concerning democracy, it is not the President's job to keep the US a free democracy, but the citizens/voters.
So that whole "presidential oath" thing is just for s**ts and giggles, huh?
TPOJ
I watched reports on Fox NEws of Bush in Korea, they said most Koreans support him.
In other news, North Korean news broadcasts state that Kim Jong-il is a nice guy, loves everyone, and poops rainbows. Why would they lie?
Really? FOX NEWS said people liked Bush?
Holy crap, I think Hell just froze over.
/sarcasm
Raymasaki
Glad to know that there was supporters & most realize were alies & Have good relations. I think the ones who protested are not worried about the Beef there Just anti US. I look forward to the Day Korea Reunfies also & we can leave there.
Betzee
That's not the way they see it. South Korea was not the only country which followed an export-led model of development that took it from an agrarian society, where the majority of citizens were engaged in subsistence rice farming (it was the breadbasket and the North the industrial hub), to an industrialized society where people could afford to dine on imported beef. Yet, in contrast to Washingtin, many governments remain leery of promoting consumption (literally in this case), which they see as a waste of capital that should be invested.
Raja Kumar
Good, democracy very alive in south korea.
javnation
I rather wish people would stop accepting the views of minorities as the views of the majority. If you bothered to read the article you would find that there were more people supporting Bush than there were protesters. Not that that matters, since there are 49million Koreans. To suggest that the views of 20,000 protestors are the views of the other 99.96% is just balmy.
Concerning democracy, it is not the President's job to keep the US a free democracy, but the citizens/voters. Concerning trade, the Koreans enjoy little in the way of export restrictions, but themselves employ many import restrictions. Is it not reasonable for countries to try to achieve a more balanced international trade solution? US beef is tasty!!
Jav
Betzee
In fact I would be very surprised if such commemorative stamps were issued in democratic South Korea; it's a dictator's way of promoting the legitimacy of his government. And if they did there's a danger they would promote idolatry among GWB's die-hard base.
Betzee
When I visited South Korea in 1984 I discovered the then unelected head of state, Chun Do-Hwan, had the SK postal administration issue stamps of him and his official visitor in front of their respective flags. I bought a bunch of them with Ronald Reagan, who had visited in 1983, since in the USA a stamp of a former president will not be issued until a year after his death. I wonder if they still do this? Of course I have no interest in purchasing a stamp with GWB's mug on it; it's too expensive anyway since the value of the dollar has plummeted on his watch.
USAPatriot
RepunlicofTexas; I do not support DPRK. Bush has overwhelming support in S Korea. Wish you were really a conservative!!!
RepublicofTexas
Now you're starting to sound like a Kim Jong supporter
USAPatriot
REpublicofTexas; They are anti law and order anti BUsh evil doers. They need to be re-educated in what i right and wrong. Most Koreans love our wonderfull leader.
Beelzebub
The remarks so far would seem to verify the growing body of evidence that global warming is making blog posters delusional. Thanks for the laughs, guys.
RepublicofTexas
Democracy means having respect for different view points, imprisoning people who disagree with you is very UNdemocratic.
USAPatriot
Sarge- Great post!!
The KOreans against us are a small minority of thugs, who should be impisoned for spreading anti democratic ways throughout their country.
Sarge
"thousands of South Korean protesters"
They're the ones who hate U.S. beef.
"thousands of others prayed to welcome the American leader"
They're the ones who have common sense.
USAPatriot
thepro; I watched reports on Fox NEws of Bush in Korea, they said most Koreans support him. I went to UK recently, my consevative friends , had nothing but good to say about Bush.
thepro
USAPatriot: I can understand that you love your country, but your loyalty is misplaced. You don't have to be loyal to your leader to be loyal to your country. Bush is hardly loved and admired anywhere outside of highly conservative circles, and the people you know and associate with are probably just people like yourself, which gives you a bizarrely skewed view on the image of your president.
SezWho2
USAPatriot,
Evidence?
USAPatriot
SezWho2; The majority of South Koreans want our beef. The mobs who demonstrate against it are freedom haters and lovers of the evil doers.
Bush shows his faith that S Korea will flourish with hisn blessing. BTW O`REilly show just started.
SezWho2
USAPatriot,
I rather wish our President would focus his energy on keeping the US a free democracy. As for turning Asia into a free democracy, I suspect you may be partially right about that. After all, he is in South Korea to fight for the democratic rights of South Koreans to buy our beef whether they want to or not.
USAPatriot
RepublicofTexas; and the slogan is as truthfull now as then. Bush is loved in Korea, tens of thousands of supporters, and a few socialist freedom haters, rallying against him.
RepublicofTexas
That's the slogan that forced us into the WAR in Iraq. "If you don't support us your anti-american, etc."
SezWho2
undecidedbout08,
Yes, it all does depend on what you look for. 30,000 Christians rallying for Bush at a prayer service rather accords him second-rank rock star status. Never mind the 20,000 rallying against.
SushiSake3
I hear bush has more supporters in Korea than he does back home.
LIBERTAS
USAPatriot I admire your patriotism and even your respect for the office of the President. But your support for its incumbent would lead me to think that you might require urgent medical assistance. "I don’t have anti-U.S. sentiment. I’m just anti-Bush" says it all! I reckon a lot of people feel that way.
undecidedbout08
Hmmm, a huge crowd rallying in support of the US prez
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//080805/ids_photos_wl/r2368062881.jpg/
I guess it all depends on what you look for...
DenshaDeGO
You're not serious, are you?
USAPatriot
rjd jr; Bush is loved and admired throughout Asia. These demonstrators are liberal thugs who are all anti US. Most Koreans admire Bush for his spreading of peace and love throughout Asia.
RepublicofTexas
The protestors themselves weren't exactly blameless.
undecidedbout08
The last word:
rjd_jr
Umm, USAPatriot, Bush is the last "leader" in the world that should be going around spreading "peace and freedom." He doesn't exactly have shining credentials in that area. Besides, how about criticizing the rough way these protestors were treated?
USAPatriot
What is wrong with the Koreans? Bush is there on part of his trip to Asia to spread peace and freedom, and folks act like tbis.
If it wasnt for the US heroes Skorea would be a communist state, dont forget that folks.