Korea – Land of Opportunity

The Korean people have a long and distinguished history. They have battled their various neighbors for many years, suffering invasions from all about. One might think of them as the Balkan Peninsula of the East.

The Korean “War” was started by Stalin, thinking the West was too war-weary to fight and so presenting a perfect opportunity for expansion. Much to his surprise, Truman fought. Much to a lot of Americans’ surprise, America was again at war. In SO many ways Korea is truly “the forgotten war”. We vets of Vietnam were abused by the Left (our current elite leadership). Korean vets were simply forgotten. No one speaks much of the war, of the sacrifices, of the bravery. One of the best battle books, and I am a great fan of great battle books, is Last Stand of Fox Company, the story of Fox Company, 2/7 who held the hill in Toktong Pass, the only escape route for all of 1st MarDiv and associated Army units, against a division of Chinese soldiers. I believe at least two MOH’s were given. ?Ever hear of it – fight OR the guys who got the MOH.

The solution was kind of a “let’s agree to disagree” approach. The peninsula was divided into two – we “held” the south and China, who had interjected themselves into the fight, held the north. The subsequent development of the two segments is a lesson on Capitalism vs Communism, a lesson that even the mentor of the North has learned and adapted to.

The Norks have devolved into abject misery. The regime is among the most repressive in the world. The country is among the poorest in the world. To appreciate the depth of that misery, you ought to read a great book called Nothing To Envy by Barbara Demick (?sp). About the ONLY thing the Norks have that is not 14th century is nukes.

The rational answer would be to topple Fat Boy and reunite North and South Korea. Such a move would be very advantageous to China, giving them a significant trading partner. It would also buy them goodwill were they to orchestrate such a result. It would also decrease the odds of a serious conflict along that border for China, as Korea would not be likely to attack China, and we aren’t likely to push that either.

The problem for China is that such a result requires a strength-to-strength relationship with America. Obama’s time was marked by American weakness, so China had no incentive to lose face by brokering such a result. Things have changed.

Trump has, in just 3 months, reasserted America’s power. China now has a real opposition to which to play. Their involvement now looks like a Great Power being magnanimous. Judging from some of the recent moves, I suspect China has an increasing number of people who already see the Norks as a disadvantage.

The problem is that just collapsing the North would be really, really traumatic. South Korea, much like Germany, has excellent economic strengths to aid the North to recover, and if you read the above mentioned book, you will find they have done much to aid those who have escaped from the horror. Still, we are talking about a whole generation of Koreans who know no Korean history, nor anything about capitalism. They can learn but it WILL be a journey.

So stand-by for change. And watch Rex, Jim, and Nikki, with Trump guest appearances, keep the pressure on.

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5 Responses to Korea – Land of Opportunity

  1. SeawriterSeawriter says:

    One of the best books on the Korean War remains T. R. Fehrenbach’s “This Kind of War”

    (https://www.amazon.com/THIS-KIND-WAR-T-Fehrenbach/dp/0028811135/)

    Published in 1963 it is still a classic. Fehrenbach, sadly passed in 2013.

    Seawriter

  2. AdministratorAdministrator says:

    Well, probably about time for China to throttle North Korea and then strut around the South Pacific. Build up a couple more islands. You know — while we’re busy not doing anything off the coast of Korea.

  3. EThompson says:

    As an individual who did a fair amount of business in Seoul, I am concerned for her welfare as well. My business associates there worked hard and thoroughly embraced the principles of capitalism and I would be devastated if all the hard work I have personally witnessed and profited by was destroyed.

    With that said, my first priority is the security of my homeland and if Trump has to stomp on Fat Boy’s neck, so be it. There is no one to blame but China if that happens.

    The Chinese have been subsidizing the Norks since day one and Trump was brilliant to threaten their economic security during his campaign. He really understands how to hit below the belt- effectively.

    I think Trump is going to solve this national security issue using donuts as only a businessman could.

  4. jzdrojzdro says:

    “The Korean people have a long and distinguished history. They have battled their various neighbors for many years, suffering invasions from all about.”

    Hullo Deveraux, and hullo everybody,

    Thank you for this analysis. In my limited experience, Koreans are famous for being prickly and pugnacious. Invaded multiple times, they could not ultimately emerge with victory and self-rule because they did not have an island home, like England had an island home. And as for neighbors – well. So they have stayed on guard and prickly. That is not to be wondered at; it is to be understood and dealt with. Would you agree?

    Japan of the 1930s and 1940s was their oppressor. Now it could be their ally and their hope. Could, or do, the South Koreans accept this? What is the state of that psychic and political relationship?

  5. DevereauxDevereaux says:

    Where you live/come from has a lot to do with how you deal with the world. Korea is much like the Balkan Peninsula – often put upon by those stronger. The Japanese were pretty merciless to the Koreans. But then, the Japanese were pretty merciless to anyone they came in contact with.

    To now expect the Koreans to easily accept the Japanese is a bit of a stretch. Like the Serbs and Croats of the Balkans, there is “history”. Never mind that Benedict XVI healed the rift between Orthodox and Catholic, Serbs and Croats still look at each other askance. Nor has recent history done much to produce a sense of change. The Balkan War of the early 90’s didn’t help much – except make BOTH hate the muslims more.

    The Koreans and Japanese have a bit of a different dynamic. There has been no enmity between them for more than a generation. Often it takes that kind of time to begin healing old wounds. The kids don’t remember “the war” as starkly as the parents. New bonds can be made.