Heather Cox Richardson’s latest "Letters From an American" is very informative about recent events in South Korea, where President Yoon Suk Yeol tried to impose martial law but was forced to back down. An interesting nugget:
“A member of the conservative People’s Party, Yoon was elected to a five-year presidential term in 2022 after a mis…
Heather Cox Richardson’s latest "Letters From an American" is very informative about recent events in South Korea, where President Yoon Suk Yeol tried to impose martial law but was forced to back down. An interesting nugget:
“A member of the conservative People’s Party, Yoon was elected to a five-year presidential term in 2022 after a misogynistic campaign fueled by young men who saw equal rights for women — whose average monthly wage is 67.7% of that a man — as reverse discrimination that is taking away their own rights and opportunities.”
Since clearly neither American nor South Korean voters have the ability to put their problems into perspective, then maybe... we shouldn't expect them to? Maybe we should stop lecturing voters about how other people have it worse than they do*, and start trying to make things better for everyone regardless?
Not sure what you mean here. Seems to me that South Korean voters did precisely that: When faced with the "problem" of President Yoon’s declaration of martial law, they "saw it in the historical perspective", recalling the last time martial law was declared. After decades of democracy, South Koreans today were not willing to relive what happened then.
The last time martial law was imposed in South Korea was in 1980, when special forces under a military dictatorship attacked pro-democracy activists in the city of Gwangju, leaving about 200 people dead or missing. On that occasion military rule did not end until 1987!
Heather Cox Richardson’s latest "Letters From an American" is very informative about recent events in South Korea, where President Yoon Suk Yeol tried to impose martial law but was forced to back down. An interesting nugget:
“A member of the conservative People’s Party, Yoon was elected to a five-year presidential term in 2022 after a misogynistic campaign fueled by young men who saw equal rights for women — whose average monthly wage is 67.7% of that a man — as reverse discrimination that is taking away their own rights and opportunities.”
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/december-3-2024
Quote of the day:
“I’m fucking blasted and hanging out in the weirdest scene because history happened at a deeply inconvenient hour. So it goes.”
– Sarah Jeong, Journalist (overly inebriated, yet rising to the occasion in Seoul)
I know it’s not how it works, but give her the Pulitzer for that one
Since clearly neither American nor South Korean voters have the ability to put their problems into perspective, then maybe... we shouldn't expect them to? Maybe we should stop lecturing voters about how other people have it worse than they do*, and start trying to make things better for everyone regardless?
*Unless they're a CEO or billionaire
Not sure what you mean here. Seems to me that South Korean voters did precisely that: When faced with the "problem" of President Yoon’s declaration of martial law, they "saw it in the historical perspective", recalling the last time martial law was declared. After decades of democracy, South Koreans today were not willing to relive what happened then.
The last time martial law was imposed in South Korea was in 1980, when special forces under a military dictatorship attacked pro-democracy activists in the city of Gwangju, leaving about 200 people dead or missing. On that occasion military rule did not end until 1987!
I'm referring to how South Koreans actually voted, and the quote in your original comment.
I see your point! Thanks.