By Michael Bergmann
Your German reader in Seoul has been quiet after you had fully convinced me on the NK issue. But agreement is also worth expressing, and this time I have to.
In "Trumpism Can't Help Korea" ― in a curious Oh vs. Costello-commentary on the Donald Trump inauguration ― you found very clear and really great words for what needs to be said.
"It is much harder to create something than to destroy it." We once had the point that some basic human experience, be it called wisdom or common sense, can't harm political thinking. The whole paragraph about "the problem with this kind of thinking ― disruption without a better plan is just destruction" should be printed and quoted everywhere against the temptations of Trump-style populism.
And I enjoyed the turn that you agree with Oh on the possibility of "some positive side impact from all the disruption", focusing then on the advantages of both "renewed civic activism" and "expecting less from the U.S.", and leading to the silver lining "Koreans can."
This miraculous far-eastern country is an inspiration and hope for the future of liberal democracy, right at the time when it seems in accelerated decline in the West, and that is how I had responded to some of Oh's recent articles that appeared in The Korea Times. I don't know how many people outside in the world got aware of the star middle power of this time. Time for a political Korean Wave, maybe someone in Washington or so could promote it!
Seriously, we have to worry that "sunshine" ― engagement, dialogue and cooperation ― is abruptly abandoned, like 15 years ago toward N.K., on an even much wider scale. I'm just a worried reader and hobby writer, also my friends are just at a loss that our generation is bringing this mess to the world.
Michael Bergmann
Teacher
bergmann2473@yahoo.de
Your German reader in Seoul has been quiet after you had fully convinced me on the NK issue. But agreement is also worth expressing, and this time I have to.
In "Trumpism Can't Help Korea" ― in a curious Oh vs. Costello-commentary on the Donald Trump inauguration ― you found very clear and really great words for what needs to be said.
"It is much harder to create something than to destroy it." We once had the point that some basic human experience, be it called wisdom or common sense, can't harm political thinking. The whole paragraph about "the problem with this kind of thinking ― disruption without a better plan is just destruction" should be printed and quoted everywhere against the temptations of Trump-style populism.
And I enjoyed the turn that you agree with Oh on the possibility of "some positive side impact from all the disruption", focusing then on the advantages of both "renewed civic activism" and "expecting less from the U.S.", and leading to the silver lining "Koreans can."
This miraculous far-eastern country is an inspiration and hope for the future of liberal democracy, right at the time when it seems in accelerated decline in the West, and that is how I had responded to some of Oh's recent articles that appeared in The Korea Times. I don't know how many people outside in the world got aware of the star middle power of this time. Time for a political Korean Wave, maybe someone in Washington or so could promote it!
Seriously, we have to worry that "sunshine" ― engagement, dialogue and cooperation ― is abruptly abandoned, like 15 years ago toward N.K., on an even much wider scale. I'm just a worried reader and hobby writer, also my friends are just at a loss that our generation is bringing this mess to the world.
Michael Bergmann
Teacher
bergmann2473@yahoo.de
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