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What changed Mr. Lee's mind again? |
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Written by Stumo
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Wednesday, 25 June 2008 |
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South Korea's president Lee Myung-bak is not apologetic anymore. Protests occurred. His approval rating plummeted and a part of his cabinet offered to resign (but did not). His government was paralyzed. Over U.S. beef and the S. Korea Free Trade Agreement.
He recently struck a new deal with the U.S. allowing American beef
from cattle less than 30 months of age. Cattle younger than thirty
months are supposed to be more safe from mad cow risks than over thirty
months, though the science is questionable.
The movement behind
the curtains is vigorous. Mr. Lee pushed the beef deal hard. Then the
demonstrations shook the very foundation of his government. The he
sought to renegotiate with the U.S. The U.S. said they would not
negotiate. Then they struck a new deal. Now Mr. Lee has told Korean
citizens he would tolerate no more demonstrations.
Mr. Lee abandoned his low-key, apologetic stance on Monday when he
warned that his government would not tolerate any more violent
demonstrations. On Tuesday, pro-government conservative activists
occupied a plaza in downtown Seoul blocking anti-Lee demonstrators from
gathering at their usual rallying point.
The pressure from the Korean citizens was astoundingly intense.
What was the nature of the pressure from the U.S. the equaled and
overcame the citizen pressure? Defense interests/threats? Other foreign
policy or economic collaboration threats? What was said in the negotiating
room? Our U.S. leadership makes these trade agreements a very, very
high priority. As our economy is gutted.
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In the news
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The following article appeared on the online site for Manufacturing & Technology News on November 17, 2008 and was written by Paul Craig Roberts, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration.
By most accounts the U.S. economy is in serious trouble. Robert Reich, an adviser to President-elect Obama, calls it a "mini-depression," but that designation might be optimistic. Russian economist Mikhail Khazin says that the "U.S. will soon face a second Great Depression." It is possible that even Khazin is optimistic.
I cannot predict the future. However, I can explain what the problems are, how they differ from past times of troubles and why traditional remedies, such as the public works programs that Reich proposes, are unlikely to succeed in reviving the U.S. economy. |
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