“The malformed summit” Korea Times

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Korea Times

“The malformed summit”

June 13, 2018

Emanuel Pastreich

 

I must admit that when I stared at the jarring image of the “stars and stripes” in alternation with the “blues and reds” of North Korea I thought for a moment that I need to increase my dosage of antipsychotics. I pinched myself twice, but I simply could not wake out of this dream.

And now you too must face the facts. This rushed and bungled U.S.-DPRK summit has plopped in your lap, prematurely, its offspring ― neither fish nor fowl ― with its fetid amniotic sac still attached. And it has turned its twisted maw up toward you, screeching “Feed me!”

Sure, you can talk all you want about how it was spawned by nasty little boys playing unsafe diplomacy in the coatroom. It was international relations at a discount practiced by used car salesmen, strategy thrown together by barkers and pimps, policy fumbled by playboys and freeloaders. 

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“평양에 간 폼페요” 다른 백년

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다른 백년

“평양에 간 폼페요”

2018년 6월 12일

임마누엘 페스트라이쉬

도널드 트럼프와 김정은의 회담은 나폴레옹 3세조차 시기할 만큼 시끌벅적 했다.  이제는 우리가 정확히 무엇을 목도하였는지에 대해 생각해보자. 북미회담이라는 행사는 마치 헤비급 챔피언 쟁탈전처럼 꽤 노골적으로 홍보되어왔다. 트럼프는 끊임없이 전쟁을 들먹인 해리 해리스(Harry Harris) 대사와 마이크 멀린 (Mike Mullen) 전 합참의장 등 강경파의 도움으로 만약 자기 뜻대로 일이 풀리지 않으면 참혹한 결과가 있을 것임을 암시했다. 모하마드 알리(Mohammad Ali)가 조 프레이저(Joe Frazier)와의 결투 전, 반복해서 프레이저를 조롱한 것과 크게 다르지 않았다. 그리고 트럼프에게는 책임이 따르거나 지루할 수도 있는 실제 입법 행위와 정책보다 이 재미있는 과정이 훨씬 편안한 선택이었다.

리얼리티 쇼에 핵확산방지 전문가 데니스 로드맨(Dennis Rodman)까지 부록으로 붙은 이 만남을 위해 싱가포르가 낙점된 것은 우연이 아니다. 싱가포르는 그냥 국가가 아니다. 아시아와 중동, 동남아시아의 세계자본이 흘러 드는, 이번 회담이 개최된 카펠라 호텔처럼 호화스러운 호텔이 무성한 초현실적 공간이다. 빈곤인구가 적은 싱가포르는 마치 빗장도시처럼 조심스레 역내의 분쟁으로부터 스스로를 차단시켜왔고, 덕분에 싱가포르를 일컬어 ‘사형이 있는 디즈니랜드’라는 우스갯소리를 하기도 한다. 싱가포르의 5성 호텔들은 일반 서민이나 전문가를 위한 시설이 아니다. 이번 행사는 그 의미도 모르는 자가 “CVID” 같이 현란한 단어를 주문처럼 반복해서 외는 목소리로 점철되었다. 진실과 정의에 대한 관심은 어느 곳에도 없었다. 전 과정이 심각하게 반(反) 지성적이었다. 미국은 트럼프가 중간선거까지 버틸 수 있을 정도의 혼란만을 조성하기 위해 이성적인 토론없이 감성과 연계에 기대는 전략을 썼다.

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“Establish a South-North dialog about reviving Korea’s traditions” The Korea Times

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The Korea Times

“Establish a South-North dialog about reviving Korea’s traditions”

June 12, 2018

Emanuel Pastreich

Just about everyone has assumed that the ideological divisions between North and South Korea are so great that any discussion of political ideology or governance will be so divisive that it must be studiously avoided. Instead, it is assumed, the focus must fall on neutral issues like trade and investment.

This is a terribly outdated assumption. Trade and investment are not neutral issues and there is plenty of evidence that North Koreans at all levels are disillusioned with the legacy of Kim Il-sung and are skeptical about the high-growth models of China and Vietnam that are so commonly promoted.

South Koreans have become aware of the severe limitations and risks of the export-oriented high-growth, consumption-focused economic system that has driven the country for the last 50 years. Many people on both sides of the DMZ are struggling to formulate an alternative.

Let us think outside the box. Perhaps a serious discussion between scholars and high-ranking officials from North and South about fundamental issues of political philosophy and political economy could be a creative and inspiring moment of tremendous historical significance, rather than the source of ideological conflict?

Do you recall how Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in walked together at the opening of the Inter-Korean Summit while rows of military troops dressed in yellow uniforms of the Joseon Dynasty stood at attention in the background? 

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CGTN

“Efforts made outside Trump-Kim meeting are the most crucial”

June 10, 2018

Emanuel Pastreich

 

The unprecedented meeting between President Donald Trump of the United States and Kim Jong Un of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) does have the real potential to transform the world and lead us in a positive direction.

However, Trump and Kim lack the maturity, vision, and understanding to make full use of this meeting. They also have not welcomed the broad participation of ethical and committed citizens throughout Asia, and around the world that is necessary to make this effort successful in the long run.

Now that the summit is already in play, there really is no value in debating whether it should take place. It will take place and we must work hard to make sure that whatever curve ball comes flying out of the Capella Hotel, we are ready as a unified international community to give it our very best Singapore swing.

To start with, this is not an event for the common man, nor for the experts. The exclusive hotels aimed at the super rich that Trump and Kim so enjoy are full of commercial media who are gathering for a spectacle, not for the search for truth or for justice. There will not be many experts in international relations or non-proliferation.

The whole event looks like a mixture of Pebble Beach and reality TV, with the nonproliferation specialist Dennis Rodman thrown in, compliments of the chef. Trump and Kim are focused on what they really care about: image.

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Elderly women handing out advertisements

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I saw this elderly woman new the government complex in Gwanghwamun handing out advertisements to people walking by. She tried her best, but she was ignored, and even pushed out of the way, by those whom she approached.

For those who were irritated by her efforts, she was just an inconvenience. Certainly, she was offering ads for products that had no appeal for them.

But the more essential issue was how this elderly woman was forced, by a crumbling economy to engage in such an unpleasant and painful job in order to feed herself. We see this happening in Korea more and more frequently.  I doubt that the men and women who sweep by her had ever thought about this fact.

I think they are also for the most part in denial about an equally important point: that they themselves could easily end up like her, or worse, as the global economy continues to implode.

I was not sure what to do myself.

There seems to be so little interest in South Korea in a serious discussion of inequity. But the problem is so severe that I want to suggest that along with climate change, it should be at the top of everyone’s list.  If you look at the leaflets handed out by candidates in the run-up to the regional election next week, these two issues are not even addressed in a meaningful manner.
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“Pompeo in Pyongyang” Korea Times June 9, 2018

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Korea Times

“Pompeo in Pyongyang”

June 9, 2018

Emanuel Pastreich

 

 

 

Perhaps you watched the forced smiles on the faces of President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as they exchanged words with Kim Yong Chol, vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, on the grounds of the White House. Or perhaps you observed how Trump first told the press that he had read the personal letter delivered to him from Kim Jong-un, and then stated a few hours later that he had not even looked at the letter.

If you felt sick to your stomach, it is not because of the omelet that you eat for lunch. There is something so grotesque going on in Washington D.C. today that it rivals the institutional decay under Louis XVI or Nicholas II.

Maybe you had solace in the suggestions that Trump might win a Nobel Peace Prize, or you read the editorials suggesting direct parallel between his daring actions and Ronald Reagan reaching out to Mikhail Gorbachev.

But is the end of the Cold War the more apposite parallel? Perhaps we should remember the treaties for cooperation signed between Germany, Poland and the Soviet Union in another strange historical moment that few of us remember.

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“한반도의 평화 더 큰 대한민국으로 가느 길” 2018ë…„ 6ì›” 14일 오후 7-9

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“한반도의 평화 더 큰 대한민국으로 가느 길”

이만열 (임마누엘 페스트라이쉬)

지구경영연구원 원장

2018년 6월 14일 오후 7-9

장소:

글로벌사이버대학교

서울특별시 강남구 압구정로32길 11 캐럴라인타워

pastreich cyber u

“为了拯救地球，青年人能做的事” 多维新闻

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多维新闻

“为了拯救地球，青年人能做的事”

2018年 6月 5日

贝一明

 

 

上一代人对于环境问题的漠不关心和对于将来要发生的事不去做深刻思虑的事实, 让现在的年轻人们深感忧虑.。他们也清楚地知道，那些掌握决定权的人们不仅对于环境变化关心甚少，而且也不准备为了环境保护而采取任何长期性的行动。关于环境问题的谈论，基本都是与日常生活没有直接关联的, 类似北极熊或冰河一类的话题。这样的谈论所能起的作用, 不过是让人们认为环境问题与日常性的实践无关，仅仅是那些领取国家俸禄的专家们的事。除了寄希望于那些专家们可以处理好以外，普通人好像没有什么事可以做。青年人们经常被引诱去相信, 那些掌握决定权的人们如果关于特定的文件达成共识并签字承诺, 环境将会有所改善。或是轻易相信绿色和平组织 (Green Peace)能够做出某些贡献和富人们或高位公职者们可以带来某些革新性的变化等等。

但是在日常生活中，关于为了环境保护可以具体做些什么的实质性信息，却很难接触到。在电视里出镜的大学教授或高位公职人员们，已经放弃了亲身实践，而是热衷于误导青年人们，给他们传达一些实际上毫无意义的信息和灌输一些错误的观念。

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「グアンタナモ湾収容キャンプから駐韓米国大使に：アメリカ式軍閥の出世街道」ハフィントンポスト

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ハフィントンポスト

「グアンタナモ湾収容キャンプから駐韓米国大使に：アメリカ式軍閥の出世街道」

2018年06月05日

エマニュエル・パストリッチ

 

 

2018年5月24日は日本で最も重要な意味を持つアメリカの東アジアでの役割が、ターニングポイントを迎えた日だった。しかし、東京では少数の人たちだけしかその深刻さをわかっていない。一面の見出しで中国との経済的・文化的・技術的・軍事的な戦争を招く恐れがある二つの措置が取られたことを報道する日本の新聞社はなかった。

安倍政権はこの危機に巻き込まれることを実質的には願っている。しかし、はっきり言えることは、この戦いで日本は勝者にはなれないばかりか、実際には 危機に直面するということである。

5月24日に起きた第一の危機は、トランプ大統領が金正恩に送った書簡である。この書簡は普通の書簡ではなかった。この書簡はアメリカ大統領が今後、外国に対して権力を行使する場合、議会や専門家、そして、いかなる他の者からの承認を受ける必要がない「最高指導者」であることを宣言するものであった。その後北朝鮮の金英哲 副委員長は ホワイトハウスを訪問し、トランプ大統領と笑顔で対話したが、お互いに何の信頼も得られないようであった。米朝会談を元通りすることと決まったにも関わらずその傲慢な書簡の事が北朝鮮当局の記憶からはなかなか消えていない模様だ。 米朝会談を元通りすることときまったにも関わらずその傲慢の書簡が北朝鮮当局の頭の中からなかなか記憶が消えていない。

マスコミはこの書簡は複雑な交渉の段階であり、最終結論ではないと報道した。トランプの書簡では交渉内容には一切触れてなかったため、おおかた楽観的に捉えてもよいものだと思われていた。確かにそうかも知れない。

しかし、それよりも説得力のある解釈は、この展開の裏に隠されている本当のリスクから大衆の注意をそらすために、そういったポジティブな変化をマスコミに積極的に宣伝させたというものである。

首脳会談の時期が多少延期されたことはさほど問題ではない。

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