Comments on: How Journalist Lisa Ling’s Unusual Pleadings Helped Two US Women Be Freed by North Korea

By: tidbits

tidbits — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:55:59 +0000

Father time -

Please do not mistake my comments for support of Kim Jung Il or the dictatorship of North Korea. The post, and my comments were about Asian culture, not about the political structure of North Korea.

As for the idea of North Korea, or any other regime we don't like, needing to be destroyed, I have had enough of war and killing as the answer to every perceived ill and grievance. We have shed enough of the blood of our sons and daughters, sisters and brothers in vain efforts to establish our "moral superiority" to all others. No matter how many we kill and no matter how many of ours die ,there will always be one more "evil regime", and for each that we destroy, another will rise up. Enough.

By: kritt11

kritt11 — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:52:16 +0000

Dr. E– I couldn't agree more. We insist on dominating other cultures and forcing them to conform instead of respecting their beliefs and traditions. That in turn blocks diplomatic breakthroughs, because other countries abhor our heavy-handed approach.
That is why those who have traveled extensively understand why the US is so unpopular. Cowboy diplomacy was the ultimate low point in international relations.

By: gallantKnight

gallantKnight — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:17:56 +0000

Dr. E

Excellent insight regarding often overlooked differences among cultures. Too often, we only see our own side of the issues. Thankfully, beating our “enemies” into submission is no longer the entirety of American foreign policy, nor do we act based strictly on rules dictated by the American perspective.

By: Father_Time

Father_Time — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:38:25 +0000

tidbits--

Uh no.

This crazy lunatic kidnapped Japanese civilians from Japanese soil and spirited them away to North Korea to be used as his personal sex and entertainment slaves. This is NOT a culture, it IS a dictatorship of the WORST type.

South Korea is a culture, North Korea is hell.

By: archangel

archangel — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:35:50 +0000

dear Alan yeon, welcome, and you are right: in much of Asia, it appears even the 'home religion' which has been/is Buddhism and Confusianism, along with other religions that are newer in terms of rooting there in the last many decades, Christianity, for instance, are not free to be practiced in peace in China, North Korea and other surrounds. If you'd like to read more about persecution of religious groups in Asia, go to the National Catholic Reporter online and search keyword China and Korea.

again, welcome.
dr.e

By: alanyeon

alanyeon — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:07:37 +0000

African Americans have Oprah Winfrey.
I think Lisa Ling is the closest thing Korean Americans have of a Person with such far reaching influence
as was exemplified by the release of Laura Ling & Euna Lee from North Korea.
That is why I think Korean American Pastors who week in and week out always include a Prayer for the
innocent citizens of & defectors from North Korea.
I wish North Koreans may soon enjoy the freedom that we all take for granted everyday.
Some North Koreans even have The One Wish to be able to go to Church like we do here in the U.S. & South Korea.

By: LionAslan

LionAslan — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:31:11 +0000

Fat.Time

You're full of sh– as usual. Re-upped lately? Right, thought not. Since you have never put your big a$$ on the line for your country, go whine somewhere else.

By: tidbits

tidbits — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:33:05 +0000

Father Time – In the view of Osama bin Laden the United States is an “evil regime” that disrespects Islam by stationing American troops on Muslim soil. That is his excuse for declaring that the US “needs to be destroyed.”

Sometimes, unaware, we have more in common with our enemies than we realize.

By: Father_Time

Father_Time — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:29:28 +0000

BS.

A mad man had to be placated to save the lives of these two Americans. What he did to these women is yet to be publicly known. What he has done to his own people, South Koreans and to the Japanese people is well known. This is not “A culture to understand”, this is a psychotic, evil regime that needs to be destroyed.

By: biliang

biliang — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:30:32 +0000

Yes, we should communicate with other tribes in effective ways to avoid misunderstanding. The more contact with your opponents, the more common understanding you will find.
Keep talking with those communist countries like China,Vietnam and DPRK, things will be better.

By: kathykattenburg

kathykattenburg — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 02:02:02 +0000

Well said, dr e., and an important point. Thank you.

By: tidbits

tidbits — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 23:13:14 +0000

Yes, dr. e., our failure to understand other cultures, our insistence on squeezing them into our culture, is the core of misunderstanding, mistrust and alienation. Joe Gandelman's link to the Choksy article on Iran and Shiism earlier today is another example, and worth reading.

By accepting other cultures, we draw them to us and us to them. By insisting that they abide by our mores, we drive wedges of discord.

Thank you for your insight into this phenomenon of Asian culture.

By: ordinarysparrow

ordinarysparrow — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 23:08:09 +0000

Lots of good sense here Dr. E. . . many times i have read or heard Mata Amritanandamayi a spiritual leader and humanitarian from India make the statement; ” If you want to reach high, then first you must bow or bend very low. . .and good for Clinton and anyone else that it could of been; that has a seasoned strength to bend about anyway in order to bring forth the goods . .