Ostensibly exploring the practice of law before the internet. Heck, before good highways for that matter.
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Friday. March 26, 1875. Violence in Texas.
Saturday, December 28, 2024
Wars and Rumors of War, 2024. Part 8. Wider wars.
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
Matthew, Chapter 24.
There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.
Ernest Hemingway.
August 7, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
Ukrainian troops have advanced into Russia's Kursk Oblast and are in their second day of operations there.
August 8, 2024
Middle Eastern War
Rockets from northern Gaza have lead to an Israeli advisory in the area that residents should leave.
An arrest of ISIL terrorist who were plotting a strike in a European Taylor Swift concert lead to cancellation of events.
Russo Ukrainian War
Ukrainian forces have made confirmed advances up to 10 kilometers into Russia's Kursk Oblast amid continued mechanized offensive operations on Russian territory on August 7. Geolocated footage published on August 6 and 7 shows that Ukrainian armored vehicles have advanced to positions along the 38K-030 route about 10 kilometers from the international border.[1] The current confirmed extent and location of Ukrainian advances in Kursk Oblast indicate that Ukrainian forces have penetrated at least two Russian defensive lines and a stronghold.[2] A Russian insider source claimed that Ukrainian forces have seized 45 square kilometers of territory within Kursk Oblast since they launched the operation on August 6, and other Russian sources reported that Ukrainian forces have captured 11 total settlements, including Nikolaevo-Daryino (1.5 kilometers north of the Sumy Oblast border), Darino (three kilometers north of the Sumy Oblast border), and Sverdlikovo (east of the Nikolaevo-Darino-Darino area), and are operating within Lyubimovka (eight kilometers north of the Sumy Oblast border).
ISW.
August 9, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
Russia has declared a Federal level emergency due to the incursion near Kursk. Ukrainian advances have been fairly extensive.
August 10, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
Ukrainian advances have resulted in evacuation orders being issued and the formation of some local anti government partisan units seeming to have formed.
August 15, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
The Ukrainians have taken the Russian town of Sudzha in the Kursk Oblast.
cont:
And now the Ukrainians are in Belgorod Oblast, south of Kursk Oblast, and directly north of Kharkov.
Resistance was strengthening in opposition to the offensive in Kursk, so they've side stepped it.
August 16, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
Russia jailed dual US/Russian citizen ballerina Ksenia Khavana for a $52.00 donation to a charity aiding Ukraine.
Indian has asked its citizens who live near the conflicts zones to relocated:
In view of the recent security incidents in Bryansk, Belgorod and Kursk regions, Indian nationals are advised to take necessary precautions and relocate outside these regions. Any Indian national or student requiring assistance may contact the embassy.
Russian forces are attempting to encircle Ukrainian forces southeast of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast. While Ukrainian forces are on the offensive in Russia, Russian forces remain on the offensive in Ukraine.
August 17, 2024
Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States finalized a trade agreement removing export barriers on defense goods and technology between them.
August 22, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
Russian mercenary leader Georgy Zakrevsky has called for Putin to be removed.
August 25, 2024
ISIL v Everyone
ISIL claimed responsibility for a knife attack in Solingen, Germany, that killed three people and wounded eight others at a claiming the murder targeted Christians and did this to avenge Muslims and Palestinians everywhere, as if doing that in Germany would make a lick of sense whatsoever.
Middle Eastern War
Israel has been conducting air strikes in Gaza
It conducted massive ones in southern Lebanon, to which Hezbollah responded with rockets.
I suspect that Israel is hitting targets heavily in advance of an anticipated cease fire.
cont:
Actually, the strike in Lebanon was a preemptive strike.
August 28, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
Ukraine reports that Russia has lost over 600,000 men in its war with the country, of which over 180,000 were killed.
By way of a contrast, 58,220 Americans were killed in the Vietnam War.
The Russians have been advancing rapidly near Pokrovsk and are generally sustaining offensive operations in Ukraine.
September 4, 2024
China v. Taiwan
In a recent interview, the president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) suggested that the People's Republic of China, rather than bothering Taiwan, ought to cast its eyes on land that it lost to Russia in the 1850s and 1860s.
If it is for the sake of territorial integrity, why doesn’t it take back the lands occupied by Russia that were signed over in the Treaty of Aigun? Russia is now at its weakest, right? You can ask Russia (for the land back) but you don’t. So it’s obvious they don’t want to invade Taiwan for territorial reasons.
Here's the territory he referenced:
That's a lot of territory.
From the way it was said, I think the remark was meant to be flippant, rather than serious, but it does raise a real question which is, with Russia so weak, will China look north?
September 5, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
Belarus scrambled fighters to shoot down Russian drones that invaded its airspace.
September 9, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
Russian drones have entered Latvian and Romanian airspace within the past few days.
September 10, 2024
China v. India
Chinese special forces penetrated into India for up to 30 miles and stayed there for several days. China and India's border is disputed.
September 11, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
Apparently getting a big positive reaction in Poland:
Why don't you tell the 800,000 Polish Americans right here in Pennsylvania how quickly you would give up for the sake of favor, and what you think is a friendship with a dictator who would eat you for lunch?
Kamala Harris to Donald Trump in last night's debate. Trump claimed he'd end the war, if elected, as President Elect, which a person would have to be an absolute idiot to believe.
September 16, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
Poland's foreign minister suggested ending social benefits for Ukrainian men living in Europe, which the Ukrainian government agreed with. The goal would be to boost pressure on military aged men to return to the country and be available for military service.
September 17, 2024
Middle Eastern War
Pagers carried by Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon exploded at about the same time Tuesday afternoon injuring over 2,700 and killing eight.
Yikes.
September 18, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
A "massive" Ukrainian drone strike on Russian munitions' and fuel depots in Toropets, Tver, Russia has set things ablaze and resulted in a partial evacuation of the region.
For reference, this area is northwest of Moscow.
September 19, 2024
Middle Eastern War
And yesterday it occured again with two way radios.
September 20, 2024
Middle Eastern War
Israel launched major airstrikes in Lebanon directed at Hezbollah.
The strikes against Hezbollah actually have received street level support in Arab countries, with Northern Syrian troops even passing out candy in celebration of the event in northern Syria.
Russo Ukrainian War
Putin rejected a request to mobilize made by senior Russian military leaders. Knowing why Putin does what is hard to fathom, but speculation runs from a fear what it would do to the economy, to a fear what the public reaction would be.
On the latter, Ukraine is rapidly starting to resemble the US participation in the Vietnam War in some ways, and its notable that the US called up very few reservists in that conflict.
It became unpopular anyway, of course.
September 22, 2024
Middle Eastern War
Hezbollah retaliated with a massive rocket attack into Israel. Israel responded with hundreds of airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
Israel closed down the Al Jazeera bureau in Gaza.
September 25, 2024
Middle Eastern War
Israel is calling up reservists and deploying them in the north in anticipation of a ground invasion of Lebanon.
September 29, 2024.
Middle Eastern War
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike.
October 1, 2024.
Middle Eastern War
Israel has commenced raids within Lebanon.
cont:
Iran struck Israel with missiles in retaliation.
October 6, 2024.
Middle Eastern War
Israel had expanded its missile campaign in Lebanon, hitting Hezbollah targets near Beirut and a Hamas target in northern Lebanon.
It's also reengaged in ground operations in Gaza.
October 8, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
The Ukrainians launched a major strike on a Russian petroleum facility on Crimea.
Somebody has launched a major cyber attack on Russian state media yesterday.
October 21, 2024.
Middle Eastern War
Israel has started targeting Hezbollah's financial wing, al-Qard al-Hassan, which operates as a cash based bank, in strikes in Lebanon.
October 22, 2024
Middle Eastern War
Where the money is:
https://x.com/i/status/1848438591409819750
October 23, 2024
Middle Eastern War
Israel killed major Hamas figure Yahya Ibrahim Hassan Sinwar.
Russo Ukrainian War
North Korea is sending large numbers of troops to Russia to fight against Ukraine.
October 23, 2024
Middle Eastern War
Israel conducted strikes on Iranian targets.
Russia has been supplying targeting information to the Houthis.
cont:
The Israeli airstrike was an actual air raid, with no losses.
The route is unclear, but this would involve overflights of at least three countries. It shows Iranian air defenses to be completely anemic.
October 28, 2024
Russia
Possible Russian Gains in Georgia and Moldova
October 31, 2024
The war on ISIL
The US condcuted airstrikes on ISIL targets in Syria this week.
November 4, 2024
Russia v. The West
Western security officials say they believe that two incendiary devices, shipped via DHL, were part of a covert Russian operation that ultimately aimed to start fires aboard cargo or passenger aircraft flying to the U.S. and Canada, as Moscow steps up a sabotage campaign against Washington and its allies.
The devices ignited at DHL logistics hubs in July, one in Leipzig, Germany, and another in Birmingham, England. The explosions set off a multinational race to find the culprits.
Wall Street Journal.
November 9, 2024
Iran v. the West.
Iranian agents were plotting to kill Donald Trump, but the plot was foiled by the FBI. The plot was supposed to be put together quickly, and then if that could not be achieved, revived after the election, which they rationally expected him to lose.
November 18, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War.
The U.S. has approved use of the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMs for Ukrainian strikes inside of Russia. This comes in response to Russian mustering of thousands of North Korean troops.
November 20, 2024
Russia and China v. The West
The Danish Navy boarded the Chinese-flagged bulk carrier Yi Peng 3, captained by a Russian, after it was suspected of damaging two undersea telecom cables in the Baltic Sea..
November 21, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
Reports this morning hold that Russia hit Dnipro with an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). If correct, its the first such use of an ICBM in history and would be an unconscionable escalation of the conflict.
November 23, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
The missile turns out to be a new intermediate range experimental Russian missile.
A North Korean general has been wounded in a Ukrainian missile attack near Kursk.
November 26, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
Saudi Arabia is considering dropping the price of oil to $49/bbl to crush the Russian export oil market.
It'd crush the American one as well, which is pretty much what a new Trump administration would deserve, as would those oil producing states voting for him.
NPR Politics podcast on where the war may be headed, in light of the election of Trump:
Before leaving office, Biden wants to keep helping Ukraine
November 28, 2024
Middle Eastern War
A cease fire has been brokered by the US and France between Israel and Hezbollah. This will require Hezbollah to withdraw, in Lebanon, north of a line in southern Lebanon.
It's worth noting that the Lebanese Army has largely sat the recent conflict out, probably hoping that Israel would destroy Hezbollah. This agreement won't be good for Lebanon.
December 2, 2024
Syrian Civil War
A Sunni jihadist rebel group supported by Turkey has made serious gains, taking Aleppo in recent days. In no small part this is due to the degrading of Russian support for the Syrian government and the degrading of Iranian support by Israel.
This isn't, ironically, necessarily good news, as there's no reason to believe this group is democratic, or will bey sympathetic to Syrian minorities.
December 3, 2024
South Korea
In a bizarre episode South Korea was under martial law for a day, the President accusing the main opposition party of having communist sympathizers. Parliament reversed his decision.
December 4, 2024
Syrian Civil War
The Russian Navy is evacuating naval assets from its base in Tartus, Syria,
December 6, 2024
Syrian Civil War
Syrian rebels took Hama, and appear likely to take Homs, in a drive that apparently seeks to sever Syria from the sea.
December 7, 2024
Syrian Civil War
Iran is withdrawing its troops from Syria, stating:
Iran is starting to evacuate its forces and military personnel because we cannot fight as an advisory and support force if Syria's army itself does not want to fight, Iran has realized that it cannot manage the situation in Syria right now with any military operation and this option is off the table.
Rebels took Daraa and Sweida and the revolution is generally spreading everywhere.
December 26, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
Finland has detained the Russian ship Eagle S after submarine cables in the Baltic were severed. Estonia's parliament has gone into an emergency session on the Boxing Day holiday.
cont:
Russian air defenses downed an Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan.
December 27, 2024
Middle Eastern War
Israel struck Houthi targets in Yemen with airstrikes yesterday. The strikes impressively demonstrates Israel's ability to strike targets with precision at distance via its air force.
Russo Ukrainian War
North Korean troops have sustained heavy casualties in combat against Ukraine.
Russia hit Ukraine in a massive air attack on Latin Rite Christmas Day.
December 28, 2024
Middle Eastern War
Houthis launched a massive missile raid on Israel yesterday.
South Korea
South Korea's legislature voted to impeach its acting president Han Duck-soo, two weeks after it voted to impeach its President Yoon Suk Yeol, in an example of how democratic bodies should act towards those who would seek to subvert democracy.
Russo Ukrainian War
Ukraine has equipped drones to shoot shotguns to take out other drones.
Related threads:
The conflict in Lebanon. A few items.
Last edition:
Wars and Rumors of War, 2024. Part 7. Undermined.
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
An open letter to South Korean Parliamentarians on the occasion of their heroism.
Dear South Korean Parliamentarians,
Thank you for standing up for democracy, unlike those in a major party in another nation I could name.
Truly, you are heroes.
Yeoman
존경하는 대한민국 국회의원 여러분
제가 언급할 수 있는 다른 나라의 주요 정당과 달리 민주주의를 옹호해 주셔서 감사합니다.
진실로 여러분은 영웅입니다.
자작농
Thursday, August 15, 2024
Thursday August 15, 1974. An attempted South Korean assassination.
South Korean, Japanese born, North Korean sympathizer, Mun Se-gwang attempted to assassinate South Korea's President Park Chung Hee but instead killed Yuk Young-soo, age 48, Park's wife.
In the ensewin gun battle Jang Bong-hwa, a member of a high school choir performing at the event, was killed.
After the shooting and Mun's arrest, President Park resumed his address, which hardly seems appropriate.
Park composed the following poem in her honor:
Like a Long Magnolia Blossom Bending to the Wind
Under heavy silence
Of a house in mourning
Only the cry of cicadas
Maam, maam, maam
Seem to long for you who is now gone
Under the August sun
The Indian Lilacs turn crimson
As if trying to heal the wounds of the mind
My wife has departed alone
Only I am left
Like a lone magnolia blossom bending to the wind
Where can I appeal
The sadness of a broken heart
Last edition:
Wednesday, August 14, 1974. Second Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
Sunday, March 3, 2024
Wars and Rumors of War, 2024. Part 3. The Putin's Cheerleaders Edition.
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
If your position is being cheered by Vladimir Putin, it’s time to reconsider your position.
I don’t like this reality. Vladimir Putin is an evil war criminal.Vladimir Putin will not lose this war.
I worry about their safety too. These people, everyone in this room is in great danger. We have a nuclear weapon that if you hit New York, South Carolina is gone
FWIW, and Trump is receiving criticism on this, the yield of a nuclear weapon is sufficient by a long measure to destroy South Carolina from a strike in New York. Prevailing wind patters, also, would not carry the fallout there.
Anyhow, I'm noting this here as a recent item on NPR's Politics discussed Trump's fear of nuclear war, which apparently is very pronounced.
I don't give Trump credit for deep thought s on very much. The Internet has allowed a lot of those in the shallow end of the pool to have voice as if they know what they're talking about, and frankly I'd include Trump in those in the shallow end of the pool. But apparently nuclear war is one thing he actually thinks about and has opinions on, and he's afraid of it.
That doesn't really surprise me too much.
Trump came of age in in the 1960s which was at a time that the fear of nuclear war was quite pronounced. It remained that way in the 1970s, and by the early 1980s I recall being forced to read A Republic Of Grass. which urged that we surrender to the Soviet Union, essentially, right then and there rather than face the prospect of nuclear war, which lefties were certain Ronald Reagan was going to get us into. I recall some on the right saying "there are worse things than death" in response to such things, which is harsh, but true.
But if your values end at yourself, maybe there aren't.
Russo Ukrainian War
Prominent Russian milblogger Andrei Morozov committed suicide after refusing Russian military command orders to delete his reports on high Russian casualty rates around Avdiivka.
Iranian sources told Reuters that the country provided hundreds of short-range ballistic missiles to Russia in early January.
That certainly helps Russia, but it also shows that industrially its a shadow of the former USSR.
Putin gave a car to the North Korean Communist Monarch.
February 23, 224
Houthi's
The Houthis on sent shippers and insurers a formal notice of a ban on vessels they deem linked to Israel, the U.S. and UK from sailing in waters bordering Yemen. They also declared they are going to use submarine weapons.
Russo Ukrainian War
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine has a right to use its Western-supplied weapons to defend itself against Russia, up to and including targeting sites within Russia.
February 24, 2024
Armenia is suspending its membership in Russia's Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
February 25, 2024
Houthi's
The US and UK struck 18 Houthi targets yesterday.
Cont:
Russo Ukrainian War
In a speech marking the two-year point in the war, President Zylenskyy indicated 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have lost their lives so far, which is actually about half of what I previously saw estimated some time ago.
Two separate measures are being introduced to provide aid to Ukraine that go around Mike Johnson, who has proven to be a Trump flunkie.
King Charles praised President Zylenskyy for his countrymen exhibiting something that Johnson is not, that being courage.
Nigeria
Fifteen Catholics were murdered at Sunday Mass.
February 26, 2024
Hamas v. Israel
The PM of Israel made it clear that it is Israel's intent to enter Rafah no matter what. A ceasefire will merely delay that.
Russo Ukrainian War
Two separate discharge petitions to bring funding for Ukraine are being introduced into the House on different bills, one being the bill that has already passed the Senate. There seems to be optimism that one of them, that being the unique House bill in particular, will pass in this end run around politically castrated Trump eunuch, Mike Johnson.
ISW reports that there were more Russians casualties taking Avdiivka, 47,000, than in the entire Soviet Afghan War.
February 29, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
Russia has taken Stepove, seven miles northwest of Avdiivka. Ukrainian have pulled back from Stepove and the neighboring village of Sieverne.
Maybe the Russians will put up a monument to Mike Johnson there.
March 1, 2024
Russo Ukrainian War
A Ukrainian missile strike killed 19 troops, injured 12 and Colonel Roman Kozhukhov, a respected commander in the occupied Donetsk in Ukraine. They were at a medal ceremony.
Donald Trump's Minister of Propaganda, Tucker "Lord Haw Haw" Carlson, stated that Donald Trump's object of affection, Vlad Putin, was stating something "dumb" when he justified the assault on Ukraine on the object of denazification.
China v. Taiwan
The PRC Coast Guard patrolled prohibited and restricted waters around Taiwan-controlled Kinmen.
Mexican Border Crisis
Both President Biden and would be president Trump were on the Mexican border yesterday.
March 2, 2024
Hamas v. Israel
The United States is going to air drop humanitarian relief into Gaza.
Russo Ukrainian War
Transnistria, breakaway sliver of Moldova, which itself is a Cyrillic using region of Romania that's a separate country as the Russians oppose Moldova uniting with Romania, asked Russia for "protection" from Moldova.
March 3, 2024
Houthis v. the West
A fertilizer ship hit days ago by the Houthis has sunk.
Russo Ukrainian War
For unknown reasons, North Korean munitions shipments to Russia appear to have stopped.
Tuesday, January 9, 2024
No More Puppy Chow. Cliffnotes of the Zeitgeist, 53d Edition.
South Korea has banned the production and sale of dog for human consumption.
Last Prior Edition.
Lame. Cliffnotes of the Zeitgeist, 52nd Edition.
Monday, January 8, 2024
Tuesday, January 8, 1974. Suppressing dissent and the news.
South Korean President Park Chung-hee issued an emergency decree making it illegal "to deny, oppose, misrepresent, or defame" the president's decisions. The same decree prohibited reporting on dissent "through broadcasting, reporting or publishing, or by any other means."
He must have been concerned about "fake news".
Park started his adult life as an army officer in the Japanese puppet Manchukuo Imperial Army. After serving a little over two years in that entity during World War Two, he returned to the Korean Military Academy and joined the South Korean Army. He was a figure in the 1961 military coup in South Korea. After large scale protests in 1979 he was assassinated by Kim Jae-gyu, the director of the KCIA, and a close friend of his after a banquet at a safe house in Gungjeong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Kim Jae-gyu would be hanged the following year for the action.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association approved allowing amateur athletes to play as professionals in a second sport.
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
Watching the mule auction this past Sunday brought me to a possible explanation as to why so many Western legal organizations like to feature cowboys in their propoganda.
And that's because it's honest, and manly, work.
It was Bates v. State Bar of Arizona in which the United States Supreme Court destroyed the professionalism of the legal profession. In that 5 to 4 decision, the Court found that a rule of the Arizona State Bar preventing advertising violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments. It further held that allowing attorneys to advertise would not harm the legal profession or the administration of justice.
They were wrong.
As was often the case in that era, the majority had its head up its butt. In reality, advertising destroyed decades of work by the early 20th Century American Bar Association and drug the occupation of being a lawyer from that of a learned profession down to a carnival barker.
Recently I watched the Netflix uploaded episodes of the Korean television series The Extraordinary Attorney Woo (이상한 변호사 우영우). In it, every one addressed attorneys by their patronymic and the title "Attorney", even if they were personally familiar with them. So, for example, every time somebody addressed the central protagonist, they did so as "Attorney Woo". That struck me as odd, so I looked it up to see if that was correct, and found a Korean language site entry that stated off with a comment that was something like "unlike the United States, attorneys in Korea are a respected profession".
That struck me, as I hadn't really thought about it like that. When I started off in this line of work, we were still somewhat regarded as respected professionals and its hard to forget that's now in the past.
The decline was in, however, already by that time. When we were admitted to the bar, Federal Judge Court Brimmer gave a speech about civility in litigation. I've heard versions of it many times since. When I first started practicing, advertising was just starting here, and it was the domain of plaintiff's lawyers for the most part. It still is.
Bates got us rolling in this direction, but the flood of 60s and 70s vintage law school graduates did as well. Too many lawyers with too little to do, expanded what could be done in court. Lawyers have backed every bad cause imaginable in the name of social justice. That's drug the profession down.
I think we know that, which is why I think we also go out of our way to associate ourselves with occupations that have real worth. We like conventions featuring the West, both for defense and plaintiffs, rather than sitting in front of our computers in office buildings in Denver and Salt Lake City.
Nobody, that is, wants to go to the "2023 Sitting On Your Ass Asking Insurance Carriers For Money" conference. No, we do not. We want to go instead to the "2023 Blazing Saddles and High Noon Conference".
But what are we really?
It's a real red meat question, but it needs to be asked. To some extent, civil litigation started off as a substitute for private warfare. But now? Many people have asked if this is a virtuous profession, but beyond that is it, well, manly?
Many lawyers aren't men, of course. But if there are occupations that exhibit male virtues and natures, is this one?
Our constant association of ourselves with occupations that do, and the use of language borrowed from fields that are, suggests we don't think so.
Monday, July 4, 2022
Tuesday, July 4, 1972. The Koreas ponder reunification.
North and South Korea announced that they had agreed to discuss reunification. Their joint statement held:
The July 4 South-North Joint Communiqué
4 July 1972
Recently, talks were held in Pyongyang and Seoul to discuss the problems of improving SouthNorth relations and of unifying the divided country.
Lee Hu-rak, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency in Seoul, visited Pyongyang from May 2 - 5, 1972, and held talks with Kim Young-joo of the Organization and Guidance Department of Pyongyang; Vice Premier Park Sung-chul, acting on behalf of Director Kim Young-joo visited Seoul from May 29 - June 1, 1972, and held further talks with Director Lee Hu-rak.
With the common desire of achieving the peaceful unification of the nation as early as possible, the two sides engaged in a frank and openhearted exchange of views during these talks, and made great progress towards promoting mutual understanding.
In an effort to remove the misunderstandings and mistrust, and mitigate the heightened tensions that have arisen between the South and the North as a consequence of their long period of division and moreover, to expedite unification, the two sides reached full agreement on the following points.
1. The two sides agreed on the following principles as a basis of achieving unification: First, unification shall be achieved independently, without depending on foreign powers and without foreign interference. Second, unification shall be achieved through peaceful means, without resorting to the use of force against each other. Third, a great national unity as one people shall be sought first, transcending differences in ideas, ideologies, and systems.
2. In order to ease tensions and foster an atmosphere of mutual trust between the South and the North, the two sides have agreed not to slander or defame each other, not to undertake military provocations whether on a large or small scale, and to take positive measures to prevent inadvertent military incidents.
3. In order to restore severed national ties, promote mutual understanding and to expedite independent peaceful unification, the two sides have agreed to carry out numerous exchanges in various fields.
4. The two sides have agreed to actively cooperate in seeking the early success of the SouthNorth Red Cross talks, which are currently in progress with the fervent support of the entire people of Korea.
5. In order to prevent the outbreak of unexpected military incidents, and to deal directly, promptly, and accurately with problems arising between the South and the North, the two sides have agreed to install a direct telephone line between Seoul and Pyongyang.
6. In order to implement the above items, to solve various problems existing between the South and the North, and to settle the unification problem on the basis of the agreed principles for unification, the two sides have agreed to establish and operate a South-North Coordinating Committee co-chaired by Director Lee Hu-rak and Director Kim Young-joo.
7. Firmly convinced that the above items of agreement correspond with the common aspirations of the entire Korean people, all of whom are anxious for an early unification, the two sides hereby solemnly pledge before the entire Korean people to faithfully carry out these agreed items.
Upholding the instructions of their respective superiors S
Lee Hu-rak
Kim Young-joo
A similar communiqué has been issued at least one additional time.
Today, in 2022, prospects for reunification are dim, and frankly they may well be moving further, even permanently, apart. In 1973 when this statement was issued, many Korean had lived in a unified state. Now, many fewer have, and its becoming fewer every day. South Korea is a modern, capitalist, democracy, and younger South Koreans have waning interest in reuniting with the communized backwards north.
The news of the day:
Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Am I the only one who finds Korean boy bands to be super creepy?
As in really creepy?
Frankly, I find Korean girl bands to be pretty creepy also.
The other day an issue of People was laying around and I thumbed through it and found an article on a Korean K Pop girl band. Really creepy. They're obviously the Bubble Gum of their day in a decade people will look back on them laughingly, with their assembled personalities and westernized pink hair, etc. Indeed, people will probably find them uncomfortable.
But the boy bands? Really creepy.
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
October 30, 1968: the Uljin-Samcheok Landings
The landings promoted a massive reaction in the South with 70,000 troops being deployed to counter the 124 commandos who landed and attempted to infiltrate South Korean villages. 110 of the force were killed. Under 70 South Koreans, of which 23 were civilians, died in the event. Three Americans lost their lives.
Coming in the hottest year of the war in Vietnam, and dating back to an attempted raid in January that coincided with the Tet Offensive, this event served to remind that the Korean War had ended in an armistice, not a true peace, and the North Korean effort continued; even violently.
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Deal? What deal?
Promises, yeah well. . . Clinton and Obama had promises too.
Sunday, June 10, 2018
A note. You can't declare the Korean War to be over unless. . .
Sounds silly, I know. But wars only occur between sovereign states.
If the Korean Conflict, its official name, can be declared "over", it has to have been declared to begin, and that would require acknowledging that it was a war between two sovereign states.
Which has never been the case for North or South Korea.
Because if that's acknowledged, then the concept that there's one Korea is effectively over. There would be two sovereign entities, each with a right to exist, in perpetuity.
Sure, two sovereigns can unite. But a unification would note be the official presumption.
And changing that is a major change, should it occur.
Sunday, May 27, 2018
War Warning
Friday, April 27, 2018
Has Kim Jong-un been reading my blog?
Something's up, that's for sure.
And whatever it is, may be good.
Yesterday Kim Jong-un met with South Korean president Moon Jae-in and declared that North Korea would cease developing nuclear weapons,* would work towards demilitarization and, essentially, that the armed conflict between North and South Korea was over. He stepped in to South Korea as a guest. Moon stepped into North Korea the same way.
All of which is a big deal, and that last item, the apparent end of a state of conflict (it's technically not a war as that would require recognition of North Korea's government as legitimate) is particularly a big deal. That would amount to a declaration that a nearly seventy year long effort to conquer South Korea by armed force and unite it under the red banner was over. That doesn't mean that either state has declared that its giving up on the concept of a united Korean peninsula, but it sort of points in that direction in a way, maybe.
So what's up?
That's nearly impossible to say, but here on this blog we've long speculated that the communist leadership in the north would collapse in some fashion, with that fashion probably being a Chinese backed coup. We've also speculated that the Chinese might warn Kim Jong-un to cool it prior to that time, or even order him to work towards a peaceful reunification of the peninsula based upon the Finlandization of the country, in a reunited form, under a democratic leadership with American withdrawal from the country. . . something we'd likely agree to in that context. And there's any number of close variants to this scenario that could occur.
And Kim was recently in China.
Hmmm. . . .
I wonder what was said at those meetings?
Stay tuned for further developments. . . .
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*On their program, there's been recent rumors that a catastrophic tunnel collapse may have set it back quite a ways. Those were rumors, but the other day the Stars and Stripes was running it as an established fact.
If that occurred, there'd be a real question of how it occurred. Simple accident? Very well could be. U.S. clandestine action? Also possible. Chinese clandestine action? Perhaps even more probable. Maybe Kim is wondering what the cause of this was himself. Maybe the Chinese suggested a cause. . irrespective of whether they were the source of the it or knew themselves.
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Where I attended Easter Mass, 1987
Thursday, November 30, 2017
North Korea keeps on perfecting its ICBM
Of course, that takes the naive view that with the end of the year, the end of the year's bad news comes as well.
Probably not.
Anyhow, North Korea has tested an ICBM that can probably hit anywhere in the United States.
Just a few months ago, when the Dear Leader first tested an ICBM the denial of this was so strong that one forum I noted on this drew an immediate response from somebody declaring that North Korea had not developed an ICBM. Heck, they'd just tested one.
This is a huge, immediate, problem.
We've ignored this for years and years. Starting really with Clinton the North Korean progression towards a nuclear weapon, and the capability to deliver it, has been pretty obvious. Of course, the first Presidents to deal with it, or not, had more of an excuse. It was further away. Maybe the whole thing could be diverted.
By President Obama's term it was pretty evident that the crisis was becoming immediate. Of course, he had plenty of crises on his hands. And now it's nearly fully developed, and we have President Trump, whom many feel rather uncomfortable with in this context.
Well, this is going to be a test of President Trump, and for that matter the United States, South Korea, Japan, China and Russia. Let's hope we all pass the test, whatever that means.
Monday, October 9, 2017
Was the Domino Theory Right?
Maybe the theory was, therefore, correct. At least it seemed rational to believe it was, as we noted:
Indeed, I was less clear on the challenges faced in my earlier post than I have been in this one (which I researched on this topic a bit more). During the early 1960s, when the Kennedy Administration was faced with trying to decide how much, and how, to support South Vietnam, it faced a situation in which nearly every country in the region had been challenged by a Communist insurgency and some had been successful while others had only been recently defeated by hard effort.
I went on from there in my original post to ponder what that meant, and I'll leave the reader to review that in the context of my Cold War analysis that I offered there, but I'll note that it started off with this:
This went on, and looked at the war in the context of a Cold War campaign. You can judge for yourself whether I was right or wrong, or partially right or wrong on that, but I'm going to divert from quoting that post here to go on to the main point here. That is, was the Domino Theory correct?
Well, the evidence would suggest. . . it was correct.
The proponents of the theory argued that if Vietnam fell (or continued to fall, as North Vietnam had fallen to Communism) then Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma and India would all follows suit.
So how can you say that it was correct, critics (now) say, Thailand didn't fall the Communists?
That's right, Thailand didn't. But you have noticed that Laos and Cambodia did, correct?
And they fell after South Vietnam, which is more than a little coincidental. Both nations had been part of French Indochina and both had Communist movements in the 1940s, but neither fell to Communism until after Saigon fell in 1975.
Now, to be fair, Laos was falling in slow motion since the mid 1960s. . . or even the 1950s. But something kept it from teetering completely over the edge. That something was the war in South Vietnam. North Vietnam was willing to dominate parts of the country and to force it into an uneasy neutrality but it apparently feared tipping it over the edge as that might have caused the United States to intervene full scale in Laos, rather than low scale as it was doing.
Cambodia wasn't pushed, it fought it out late in the Vietnam War and then fell to the Khmer Rouge as it received increased support, for awhile, from the North Vietnamese. Cambodia had favored the Communist effort, slightly, during most of the Vietnam War but when its monarchy fell in a coup the Army chose to actively enter the Vietnam War, albeit on its own soil. This turned into a fierce civil war and when the war went badly for the South Vietnamese in the end it went just as badly for Cambodia. Like South Vietnam and Laos, it fell in 1975.
By that time, of course, Burma had already gone to its own odd brand of near Communism. Thailand was surrounded.
But nobody else fell. So surely that means that the Domino Theory was wrong, correct?
Well, that''s hard to tell, in the end. What we do know is that nearly every Southeast nation fought a war against a communist insurgency. Some were successfully fought, some were not. A person might argue that the long war in Indochina gave other nations that had already fought a war against Communist insurgents the chance to consolidate politically so that their wars would not renew. Arguably the war in Thailand failed as it came too late, after the Thai government had been given an extra decade to plan against it and to have cut its teeth on the war in Vietnam.
Of course, you can argue it the other way around. After the North Vietnamese won against the South and then intervened with finality in Laos, they ended up invading Communist Cambodia and fighting a guerrilla war against the Khmer Rouge. China invaded North Vietnam and was thrown back. The rift between Chinese Communism and Soviet Communism proved to be pretty bitter and the respective allies of those nations would fight amongst themselves. North Vietnam proved to be highly Soviet at first, but it was never a Soviet puppet and ultimately, would be forced to later abandon much of its hardcore economic Communist that it espoused. Cambodia would reemerge from Vietnamese rule as a free state and a royal one at that, no longer Communist. So things didn't work out they way they were hoped for or feared for anyone.
None of which answers the question. Was the Domino Theory correct? It's impossible to say, but even now, the evidence suggests it might have been.