Accused of changing the rationale for ‘his’ war, and hounded for mismanaging it. Derided as an uninspiring public speaker. Belittled as an idiot. Blamed for dividing the nation. Charged with incompetence in his administration. Accused of trampling on the Constitution. Engaged in censorship and manipulation of the press. Mockingly compared with lower primates. Pressured for a key Cabinet Advisor’s resignation.

Yep, it’s a historical fact. Damn Republican too.

Abraham Lincoln.

Read this fascinating history here. Lots of great links.

I’ve noted this week the words of mad Dr. Dean. Today I share these words from William Shawcross, writing in the The Spectator. Shawcross explains why “the struggle in Iraq really is between the worst of humanity and the best of humanity” and why America and Britain, being on the right side, must persevere”:

US and other coalition troops should and will be withdrawn as soon as the legitimate Iraqi government believes its newly created security forces can defend the country. Those who doubt the importance of the commitment should ponder the consequences for the world, not just Iraq, if al-Qa’eda and the Baathist terrorists should succeed in defeating the United States.

Iraqis will make sure that the new Iraq succeeds. The only thing that could stop it now would be if the US and Britain really did abandon the Iraqi people and withdraw prematurely, thus allowing the few thousand terrorists to destroy the future of 26 million people. The Nobel Peace Prize winner from East Timor, José Ramos-Horta, said recently that he too believes the Iraqis can create a decent society. ‘But they cannot succeed if they are abandoned. And the brave young American soldiers whom we today see cruising the treacherous streets of Iraq, sometimes battling the terrorists, sometimes conversing with ordinary Iraqis, will be remembered as the heroes who made this possible.’

You can read the whole thing over at PowerLine

Ok, I admit that like many Americans I know next to nothing about (aboot?) our large neighbor to the north. I think the Canadian government’s policies concerning the GWOT are short sighted at best. I also take some issue with Canadian criticism of U.S. foreign policy when Canada has grown feeble militarily while living under the protection of the American defense umbrella. I wish Canada had maintained the moxie of her Anglo cousins the Aussies and the Brits (ok, Quebec is French, but you don’t want to get me started on the French). To be honest, I guess I just don’t see the relevance of Canada in the grand scheme of things.

But I do tend to like almost all the Canadians I meet, and there are lots of them in Korea. Some of my favorite expat blogs are written by Canadians. I think I can even name most of the provinces (as I was challenged to do one night by some Canadians I was drinking with). I just wanted to be clear in distinguishing my criticism of Canada to my generally positive regard for the people who reside in that beautiful country (I’ve seen pictures).

I actually tried to visit Canada once but they wouldn’t let me in. It was 1974 and me and a friend had hitchiked from our southern California homes to Montana. For the return trip we thought we would enter Canada through Idaho, go west to Vancouver, and back down the coast home. We both had long hair and were looking a little scruffy from our time on the road. And the potato farmers in Idaho weren’t much on giving rides to strangers (at least strangers who looked like us). Which meant we had walked the last 11 miles from Bonners Ferry to the little border crossing of Eastpark (fork?).

The crossing closed at 2100 and we got there around 2050. The Canadian border guards asked us where we were heading, and we explained our objective. They seemed skeptical and were looking at us like the vermin many folks of the time considered long haired hippie freaks to be. Then they asked how much money do you have? I recall we each had 35 or 40 dollars, which in 1974 would have kept us fed for the week we expected to spend hitching home. The guard smirked and said “that’s not enough money to get into Canada”. After the aforementioned 11 mile march I was tired, hungry and in no mood to be dicked with. So I said, how much do I need, I will wire home and get it. The guard got right up in my face and said “son, you will NEVER have enough money to get into Canada.”

Well, I figured I would just wait till the border station closed and sneak in (it’s not exactly a secure border with barbwire fences and landmines like the one just north of Seoul). I guess that border guard was reading my mind because about that time the Bonner’s Ferry Sheriff just happened to arrive. After conversing with the Canadians he says “boys, I’m going to have to take you in and run a records check on you, so just climb into the cruiser over there”. He then drove us back the 11 miles we just walked to the Sheriff’s office. Of course, we had no wants or warrants. He even offered to let us sleep in the jail that night if we wanted. We declined and slept with the mosquitos alongside the Burlington Northern railroad tracks.

Anyway, I haven’t made it back to Canada since then, but when I do go I intend to cross the border from Idaho. It’s a matter of pride.

You may be asking yourself is there a point to this post? As if not having a point has ever stopped me before. But I actually do have a reason for regarding Canada today. I found this post at Assymetrical Information on the political situation in Canada fascinating. Which is saying a lot for me given my general who cares attitude about the Great White North. Give it a read and let me know what you think or even if you care. I would especially enjoy the perspective of my Canadian reader (that would be you Jenn).

In a comment to my earlier post equating Korea with Iraq, Carol noted that an OpEd by Anne Applebaum in today’s Washington Post made a similar point, although she reached a more ambiguous conclusion. Thought provoking and worth the read.

For me, if 50 years from now Iraq looks anything like the Republic of Korea I’ll call it a win. No, it is not a perfect situation here, but when one considers the alternative of a unified Korean peninsula under the boot of Kim, Jung Il it is hard to dispute that our sacrafice in blood and treasure for the freedom of our Korean brothers and sisters* was worth it.

*I actually mean that literally. I see so many similarities between the physical features of the Korean people and Native Americans that I am convinced it was ancient Koreans who migrated across the land bridge during the ice age to populate North America.

Interesting post by David Price over at Dean’s World concerning the loss of life during the Korean war. Today the Republic of Korea is an amazing success story, but was the cost too high? Since naysayers like Howard Dean contend we are in an “unwinable” war in Iraq, that we should attribute the 2100 American lives to Bush’s folly and simply leave the Iraqis to whatever the fates dictate, it appears that for many the value of freedom in the 21st century has is no longer worth the effort. Mr. Price notes:

Given that those opposing the war believe the much smaller price paid so far in Iraq is already too high, it’s reasonable to assume they certainly don’t believe Iraqi freedom and democracy is worth 53,000 American casualties and 3 million lives overall. So, assuming they don’t think Iraqis somehow deserve freedom less than Koreans, do they think (all else being equal) we should have allowed S Korea to fall to the North, and saved the vast majority of those lives lost in the war to keep the South free? It’s hard to logically reconcile any other position, esp. given the prevailing view that the subsequent Vietnam War was a terrible mistake, as opposed to a noble cause similar to the Korean War that was tragically left unfinished.

Obviously the state of war itself is never a good thing for anyone involved. But wars are always a contest between different camps that have different reasons for violently resisting the other camp’s right to rule a group of people and different plans for how to conduct post-victory rule of those people, some of which reasons and plans are terribly immoral and oppressive of those people and some of which are not. It seems to me that history has shown going to war against repressive regimes for the purpose of defending or advancing freedom is rarely wrong.

I think he’s right on the mark. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I recently heard Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and the 8th Army commander, Lt. General Campbell, draw comparisons between what we did for Korea over 50 years ago and what we are attempting in Iraq. I certainly think that is a more apt comparison than Howard Dean’s attempt to paint Iraq as another Vietnam.

Like most Americans, I never thought much about Korea one way or the other until I moved here. South Korea is an amazing place and an incredible success story. The people are thriving in a free society. And compared to the living hell that is North Korea, it is an abject lesson in the value of democracy. So, I would love to hear someone explain that the lives expended in defense of the Korean people were not worth the achievement. And while you are at it, tell me why the Iraqis are unworthy of the chance to live as a free people.

find the cost of freedom
buried in the ground
mother earth will swallow you
lay your body down…
—David Crosby

Oh yeah, a commenter at Dean’s World talked about the rampant anti-Americanism in South Korea. Said soldiers can’t walk the street without fear of getting jumped. Bullshit. Yeah, there are some people here who want us gone, but they are a small minority. I have been made to feel very welcome in this country and in 11 months have only had one incident with a Korean telling me to go home. At least that’s what I assumed he was saying, but my Korean is poor and he was drunk. I will note again that the pro-U.S. rallies draw far more people than the anti-America groups can muster.

I along with millions of Koreans live 30 miles from a monster with a 3 million man army who wants nukes. Yeah, our presence here is still worthwhile and thinking Koreans know that.