White blogule to OH Se-hoon - swift boats across the Hangang

LEE Myung-bak may or may not become South Korea's next president. Like Sarkozy, he could be leading in the polls too clearly too early. Actually, the man who changed the face of the Capital city (Bus Rapid Transit system, restored Cheonggyecheon, Seoul Sup...) always seems in a hurry and doesn't like to waste time. For a start, he never took the time to change his own face. Plus he was twice convicted for starting an election campaign too early.
But swiftness is certainly not a handicap in Korea. After all, LEE's predecessor did become Korea's head of state in a hurry : GOH Gun assumed ROH Moo-hyun's interim during his short 2004 impeachment transition.
Still, LEE's successor could very well become the "next-former-mayor-of-Seoul president". It's just that 2007 looks a little bit too early for OH Se-hoon, who isn't even of the "former" kind since he only took the mayoral charge last summer. At least, this good looking politician won't have to change his face to seduce the voters.
Yesterday, OH decided to stop the pre-electoral stalemate on real estate issues, the most important topic in a country that doesn't seem to realize North Korea is about to collapse in a meltdown if not nuclear, at least economically ten times more destructive than Albania's*.
Anyway... ROH Moo-hyun's Government cannot go as far as it would like against real estate speculation because the opposition doesn't want it to succeed before this year's elections... the said opposition including many members of the "ruling" Uri party. OH Se-hoon is a member of the Grand National Party but wants to be remembered as a man who reaches for the good of the majority : he didn't wait for national guidelines to set tougher rules on new developments. A small move but a wise and a timely one.
Nowadays, some short sighted Gangnam investors see LEE Myung-bak as their only hope of postponing the inevitable burst of Seoul's real estate bubble. The wisest and swiftest among them are becoming OH Se-hoon's best supporters... with the hope of making in Gangbuk for their future losses in Gangnam : they have already moved their assets north of the Han river, flocking to such areas as Nowon-gu like rats before the shipwreck.


* once again : instead of benchmarking Germany for their reunification scenarios, Koreans would be inspired to remember what happened to Albania after the collapse of Enver Hoxha's regime.

Smokescreened him out - Saddam 1-1 Slobodan - Red blogule to justice in 2006

Red blogule to justice in 2006. Slobodan Milosevic died unconvinced and Saddam Hussein unconvincingly. The former in the middle of a fair trial that took too long, the latter after the caricature of a trial that took too much away from the relevant issues.

At least historians will be able to browse through the unedited tapes of Solbo's show on ICTY TV (International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia). Less frustrating than the almost comical tragedy narrowcasted by Baghdad TV, not to mention the lousy tapes of Nicolae Ceaucescu's execution.

By the way : Romania is joining the European Union. Along with Bulgaria.

And oh : 2006 is about to be executed soon, too. Quite a serial killer of bad guys*, this one.

Happy new year folks.


* Let's not forget Augusto Pinochet, Pieter Wilhem Botha, Kenneth Lay, James Brown (who used to beat his wife - wives ?), Paik Nam-june (who used to short circuit our brainwaves), or Gerald Ford (for not publishing his critical views on war in Iraq beyond the ears of Bob "The Vault" Woodward). My ennemies could add both my grandmothers, also claimed by this nasty serial killer : DNA tests proved their responsibility for my birth.

Red blogule to Condi Rice - is war "worth the investment" ?

Each war has its purpose and the War in Iraq was sold as a war on terror. It proved to be a war in favor of it... and sold through bold lies.

Democracy ? Bush replaced a cruel dictatorship with an even more lethal chaos. Not to mention such collateral damages as the failure in Afghanistan, or the repeated insults to America's values.

I do hope democracy will prevail in Iraq but it will cost much more in time, money and lives than through the constructive ways of the international community, also crushed by this excuse for an Administration.

Let us consider the "investment" in American lives and dollars mentioned by USA's top "diplomat" (and not consider the losses in Iraqi lives, which Condoleeza Rice must consider yet another "wonderful opportunity") : "I don't think it's a matter of money - along the way there have been plenty of markers that show that this is a country that is worth the investment, because once it emerges as a country, that is a stabilizing factor you will have a very different kind of Middle East".

We'll have a very different kind of Middle East, all right. For a start, Iraq will not emerge as a country (as it used to do) but as several countries. Iran will emerge as the dominant player in the region, which could be considered "a stabilizing factor"... but for the nerves of some neocons / theocons.

Fundamentalism will emerge in Israel, Palestine and Turkey, new herds of terrorists will emerge in Jordan. As planned from the start, Christian fundamentalism will strengthen its base in the US and overseas.

I've been telling the same for years on these pages, Condi : this war in Iraq was definitely worth the investment for the fundamentalists who sold it to such a gullible audience.

Rewriting history (reloaded) - IHT Letters To The Editor

Praise the International Herald Tribune. First for publishing another blogule of mine (even if slightly edited* to fit a wider audience than this utterly incorrect blog), second for giving it a title I've been mantrazing for a few years.

Actually, I mentioned "Rewriting History" in one of the few blogules published by "Le Figaro" before Sarkozy became Editor in Chief. Back then, I noticed the irony in the way Dubya compared himself to Roosevelt and Churchill ("Reecriture de l'Histoire - GW Bush le nouveau FDR ?" - 20040607).

I guess "rewriting history" could be considered today's international pastime on steroids.

Anyway... For those who missed my latest ranting on Abe** and/or reached their newstands to late, here is the letter as published in today's IHT*** :

Rewriting History
Your Dec. 16 edition delivered two rather disheartening insights on the way history is being taught.
In "Confronting Holocaust denial" (Views), Ayaan Ali Hirsi reveals how the Holocaust is not only absent from textbooks in many Muslim countries but also still considered a great idea by many young people.
In the news report "Japan passes measure for patriotic education," an education reform is not only meant to keep the Japanese people in the dark regarding the terrible war crimes committed during Hirohito's reign, but also to revive ultranationalism.
Perhaps worst of all: None of this comes as a surprise. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran is on a permanent revisionist road show, while Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan has already declared his nationalist views.
I wonder what tomorrow's textbooks will tell the next generations about our time? In this sick medieval revival, even the president of the United States and the pope want to replace science and reason by an ultraconservative caricature of religion.

* let's say I elaborated a bit on "declared his nationalist views"

** see "Red blogule to Shinzo Abe - another revisionist leader" (20060926), or the unedited blog spill in French preceding my letter to the IHT : "Blogule rouge a Shinzo Abe - l'Empire contre attaque" (20061216)

*** see iht.com/articles/2006/12/19/news/edlet.php (20061220)

Red blogule to Taco Bell Jingle Bell Shingles All The Way

The first and last time I tried Taco Bell was about 20 years ago near Frisco.
That was enough to understand where the brand got its Latino twist from... that junk food was pure turista in a wrap : two secs to wolf it down, three days to recover. At least I didn't get E. Coli.
This joint should close for good, not for a few days. And the Golden Arches as well, for good measure.
Praise Big Apple for banning trans fat ! Nothing personal, Boy Georges. I just don't want to die of secondhand smoke from overburnt burgers each time I pass by a 24/7 deli.

White blogule to Mary Cheney - Red blogule to Mary Cheney

This time, I must agree with President Bush : I'm rather happy for Dick Cheney, whose daughter announced her pregnancy after 15 years of partnership with her beloved park ranger, a Ms Poe.
Note that Dubya is happy for his VP, not for his VP's daughter (who recently became a VP herself, at AOL).
I prefer to see a happy lesbian couple raising one child rather than a Christian fundamentalist family raising an army of doomsday activists.
Note that Mary Cheney herself is an activist. Less eager to support the gay and lesbian cause than her dad's interests and her own's, at it seems. Lobby Dick's ticket won again in 2004 and Junior specializes in getting nice positions in companies targeted by true activists.

Red blogule to Hallyu Expo in Asia and Wacko Jacko Bae Yong-Joon

Seogwipo is a convenient place to welcome Asia's Hallyuwood lovers, flocking in by entire charters (mainly from nearby Japan) through Jeju-do's main airport.

His Royal Lowness Yonsama managed to ruin the Governor's inauguration speech with his Liz Taylorish late arrival. Ponytailed and white gloved, Bae Yong Joon resembles more and more Michael Jackson. But Korea's lousiest actor doesn't need any plastic surgery : he just needs to put his copyrighted fake smile on, the one that make his fans faint and his jaws ache.

I may infuriate some of my readers from Uzbekistan or Japan, but Hallyu Expo in Asia is both the Graceland and shame of this country. A profitable exhibition certainly, but an anticultural event nonetheless. Once again*, Korean culture deserves (and has) much better ambassadors.

* see "Red blogule to Bae Yong June Airlines" (20050426) or "Blogule rouge à Bae Yong June - Vide Sidéral" (20050109)
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Seoul Village

White blogule to the EU's carbon cuts and the new ECSC

European Trading Scheme phase II (ETS 2) has cut member states' carbon permits by an average 7% for the years to come. If not disruptive, this is a first step beyond Kyoto.

A small step for environment but a giant leap for Europe : this international nobody had been asked for years to work on global warming, a much easier and popular task than political union.

Considering the EU was founded on the CECA (Communaute Europeenne du Charbon et de l'Acier) / ECSC (European Coal and Steel Community), we actually need less European Coal but an actual Steel Community as far as will is considered.

White blogule to netrootizens - Impeach for Change

Better late than sorry...
I've been calling for an impeachment for over 2 years but this could be the time for it to happen.

I understand Dems had to keep a low profile before mid-term elections but now, they can unleash the (watch)dogs and talk impeachment.

The petition is on its way but I cannot join the party of almost 30,000 since I'm not a US citizen.

But YOU, dear netrootizen reader, are more than often a genuine one. So visit Impeachforchange.org and cast your ballot. These "aggressive progressives" plan to create an Impeachment Committee for each of the 435 Congressional Districts.

(debate) First withdraw from... the Bush doctrine

(debate on "our way out of Iraq")

No sane decision can be made before setting the house in order (the house beyond the House, that is - congrats for the Elections !). I suggest 3 steps :

First, America must clearly formulate some apologies to the Iraqi people and the international community for forgetting its own values. America will be respected again when America will be respectful again.

Second, quickly formulate the positions from all key players through a commission with a mandate to meet with all parties willing to talk (including Iranians). Iraqis should be open to new faces and ending the black / white talk should help hitting common ground / common sense. From America's point of view, that could also be a way of putting a friendly pressure : the US won't be the black sheep anymore, the scapegoat responsible for all trouble.

Once America repositions itself as a neutral force instead of an invasion / occupation force, the next steps will appear much easier.

But the US cannot leave Iraq without fixing the damage done. It is the hell of a burden but you cannot say you weren't warned of the consequences of this war.