America wake up!
Every now and again while here in South Korea, I see or notice something that gets me thinking, and today I thought I might share these things with those who may pass by here, no matter their nationality.
Korea is a beautiful country, and a wonderful place. The people are friendly, the food is excellent, and there are so many things to do and see. The public transportation system is first class and inexpensive, with service to every single point of interest in the country, no matter your point of departure.
There is all sorts of shopping, restaurants, cultural activities, and various other interesting things to do, including just trying to speak with and get to know the local people. The people are very warm and friendly, gracious, and accommodating to a fault.
In my year of experience in country so far, I have noticed that most of the American soldiers here that hate being here, and can not seem to find anything they like or find interesting is due to closed mindedness. Americans -no matter their race- seem to have the notion that things should be a certain way simply because they are American.
There is no consideration given for the fact that they are not IN America, and that other countries and cultures are vastly different than their own. American soldiers, especially the younger generation of them, have far to many expectations and demands, and not nearly enough understanding, respect, and open mindedness.
In the more than 50 years that the US has been in Korea, the Korean people have indeed tolerated a great deal, and they continue to do so, and welcome their American friends with open arms.
I have found that if you are polite, and make an attempt to respect their culture, the Korean people are wonderful and friendly. Basically showing common courtesy and politeness to these people will open many wonderful doors to you.
No comes the serious part- the part that once again these young Americans don't seem to realize, or fully comprehend, and that is North Korea. In my travels in South Korea, I began to notice many things, things that your average everyday American citizen, military or otherwise has never had any exposure to.
The South Korea people go about their everyday lives living in a country where major roadways, railways, and bridges are actually designed and built with destroying them in mind. The further north you travel within South Korea, the more signs you see. There are highways that at various points have what are called "rock drops" suspended above the road.
These "rock drops" are giant blocks of concrete which have supports suspending them above the road with pre-bored, or purpose built cavities in which to place explosives, for the purpose of destroying the supports, dropping these huge concrete blocks in the road. The purpose of which is to impede a North Korean push into South Korea.
The closer to the border with North Korea you get, the more of these structures you will see, so of which have the explosives placed inside them full time, being guarded by the South Korean Army, ready to be detonated on a moments notice.
These same design features apply to bridges, and other likely avenues of approach throughout the country. As you travel along the roads you will also see many defensive structures, bunkers, trenchlines etc carved into terrain features along likely avenues of approach. The entire country and infrastructure is arranged to facilitate defense and repulsion of an attack from the north.
These gracious South Korean people live every day with the knowledge of, and resigned to the loss of the city of Seoul, and all of the cities north of Seoul, if there was ever an attack. They project that as the distance the North will push before an effective counter attack can be mounted, and know that the artillery and air bombardment will ravage the country as far south as Seoul. And yet they live and have normal busy lives.
These young American soldiers don't seem to fully realize the gravity of their situation, and their purpose for being in Korea. The attitude is generally one of being on vacation, a tourist trip, a year to party away from home. The South Koreans know there is a will be a price for freedom, and they are ready.
Americans tend to act most often like spoiled children, and we are quick to forget the lessons of history and become complacent. Americans need to wake up, pay attention, and learn to appreciate and be respectful of other peoples, but most importantly, appreciate and be respectful of freedom.
Korea is a beautiful country, and a wonderful place. The people are friendly, the food is excellent, and there are so many things to do and see. The public transportation system is first class and inexpensive, with service to every single point of interest in the country, no matter your point of departure.
There is all sorts of shopping, restaurants, cultural activities, and various other interesting things to do, including just trying to speak with and get to know the local people. The people are very warm and friendly, gracious, and accommodating to a fault.
In my year of experience in country so far, I have noticed that most of the American soldiers here that hate being here, and can not seem to find anything they like or find interesting is due to closed mindedness. Americans -no matter their race- seem to have the notion that things should be a certain way simply because they are American.
There is no consideration given for the fact that they are not IN America, and that other countries and cultures are vastly different than their own. American soldiers, especially the younger generation of them, have far to many expectations and demands, and not nearly enough understanding, respect, and open mindedness.
In the more than 50 years that the US has been in Korea, the Korean people have indeed tolerated a great deal, and they continue to do so, and welcome their American friends with open arms.
I have found that if you are polite, and make an attempt to respect their culture, the Korean people are wonderful and friendly. Basically showing common courtesy and politeness to these people will open many wonderful doors to you.
No comes the serious part- the part that once again these young Americans don't seem to realize, or fully comprehend, and that is North Korea. In my travels in South Korea, I began to notice many things, things that your average everyday American citizen, military or otherwise has never had any exposure to.
The South Korea people go about their everyday lives living in a country where major roadways, railways, and bridges are actually designed and built with destroying them in mind. The further north you travel within South Korea, the more signs you see. There are highways that at various points have what are called "rock drops" suspended above the road.
These "rock drops" are giant blocks of concrete which have supports suspending them above the road with pre-bored, or purpose built cavities in which to place explosives, for the purpose of destroying the supports, dropping these huge concrete blocks in the road. The purpose of which is to impede a North Korean push into South Korea.
The closer to the border with North Korea you get, the more of these structures you will see, so of which have the explosives placed inside them full time, being guarded by the South Korean Army, ready to be detonated on a moments notice.
These same design features apply to bridges, and other likely avenues of approach throughout the country. As you travel along the roads you will also see many defensive structures, bunkers, trenchlines etc carved into terrain features along likely avenues of approach. The entire country and infrastructure is arranged to facilitate defense and repulsion of an attack from the north.
These gracious South Korean people live every day with the knowledge of, and resigned to the loss of the city of Seoul, and all of the cities north of Seoul, if there was ever an attack. They project that as the distance the North will push before an effective counter attack can be mounted, and know that the artillery and air bombardment will ravage the country as far south as Seoul. And yet they live and have normal busy lives.
These young American soldiers don't seem to fully realize the gravity of their situation, and their purpose for being in Korea. The attitude is generally one of being on vacation, a tourist trip, a year to party away from home. The South Koreans know there is a will be a price for freedom, and they are ready.
Americans tend to act most often like spoiled children, and we are quick to forget the lessons of history and become complacent. Americans need to wake up, pay attention, and learn to appreciate and be respectful of other peoples, but most importantly, appreciate and be respectful of freedom.
posted by Josh at 4:53 PM
2 Comments:
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
You remember the good ole Golden Rule, right? I think it's something almost everyone could work on.
Having spend only about 5 hours of my life on foreign soil, I have no idea what it's like to live with the fear of my freedom being taken away. Ok, our laws may change and reduce the freedoms that I have, but the type of (potential) loss it sounds like the South Koreans live with daily... that's amazing to me. To face that daily and just go on with life as if the threat didn't exist. It's a wonderful testament to the human spirit and to what life is really about.
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