More criticism for South Korean central planning, which has not yet done the wonders that North Korean central planning has done. The Economist is on a tear against the government’s “outdated” economic policies. The Chosun Ilbo sounds miffed, like a vain actress reading a bad review.

More criticism for South Korean central planning, which has not yet done the wonders that North Korean central planning has done. The Economist is on a tear against the government’s “outdated” economic policies. The Chosun Ilbo sounds miffed, like a vain actress reading a bad review.

Today is petting zoo day (no, not this petting zoo), so blogging time is constrained for now. I was going through all of the relevant coverage of the Bush-Roh meet, was reading through Bush’s brief welcoming statement, and what do I see? It’s my honor to welcome the President of our very close ally to the Oval Office. I’ll have a statement; the President will have a statement. Then I’ll answer two questions from the American press. I first want...

The Chosun Ilbo rants against South Korea’s press-control laws. While I don’t really disagree with limiting the power of any one entity to control too great a share of the media, the remarks of a few South Korean ministers give away the lack of content neutrality to the restrictions here. See the sidebar link.

The WaPo reports: “South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun will press President Bush in a meeting in Washington on Friday to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to a diplomatic resolution of the North Korean nuclear standoff, according to South Korean officials familiar with Roh’s plans. Roh intends to underscore Seoul’s position that any military option is “unacceptable.” In exchange, Roh will offer assurances that South Korea will support sharper U.S. measures to get the North to return to stalled international...

The Chosun Ilbo rants against South Korea’s press-control laws. While I don’t really disagree with limiting the power of any one entity to control too great a share of the media, the remarks of a few South Korean ministers give away the lack of content neutrality to the restrictions here. See the sidebar link.

The WaPo reports: “South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun will press President Bush in a meeting in Washington on Friday to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to a diplomatic resolution of the North Korean nuclear standoff, according to South Korean officials familiar with Roh’s plans. Roh intends to underscore Seoul’s position that any military option is “unacceptable.” In exchange, Roh will offer assurances that South Korea will support sharper U.S. measures to get the North to return to stalled international...

The WaPo reports: “South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun will press President Bush in a meeting in Washington on Friday to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to a diplomatic resolution of the North Korean nuclear standoff, according to South Korean officials familiar with Roh’s plans. Roh intends to underscore Seoul’s position that any military option is “unacceptable.” In exchange, Roh will offer assurances that South Korea will support sharper U.S. measures to get the North to return to stalled international...

I just don’t know how long I can make this delicious agony last. In any event, once everyone else starts to declare a trend to be so, spotting it loses a lot of the fun and most of the originality. The death certificate won’t have been signed until we announce a timetable for withdrawing the bulk of our people, but Roh Moo Hyun’s visit seems to have reminded everyone that it’s time to start fighting over the choice of the...

Another U.S. “ally” does a mini-Tienanmen–this time, in Ethiopia, with 24 gunned down and many more injured. The White House has issued a statement, but is it prepared to build a united, multi-ethnic opposition that can win an election, take power, and maintain law and order? Recent elections appear to have been a sham. The current Ethiopian regime is one of several rival tribal militias–all nominally adherent to some loony form of Marxism. The current rulers are Tigrayan, and drove...

The full text is here. Several observations: 1. It’s hard to argue that abducting citizens of a nation with which you’re at peace for political reasons isn’t terrorism. Congress is clearly sending a signal that North Korea doesn’t come off the terrorism list until it releases these abductees. 2. The United States is talking about South Korean abductees and Japanese abductees. Japan is talking about Japanese abductees. South Korea is not talking about South Korean abductees. 3. It is not...

I just don’t know how long I can make this delicious agony last. In any event, once everyone else starts to declare a trend to be so, spotting it loses a lot of the fun and most of the originality. The death certificate won’t have been signed until we announce a timetable for withdrawing the bulk of our people, but Roh Moo Hyun’s visit seems to have reminded everyone that it’s time to start fighting over the choice of the...

Here’s NRO on Amnesty International’s moral abdication of its responsibility to talk about the real gulags. What’s sad is that Amnesty had such credibility on human rights–credibility that this world needed–and threw it away. Not only have they lost their ability to be a conscience for the United States when it needs one, it’s also been derelict in being a conscience for the greater world at large. Having backed off on “gulag,” Amnesty’s mouthpiece went on to tell what a...

Another U.S. “ally” does a mini-Tienanmen–this time, in Ethiopia, with 24 gunned down and many more injured. The White House has issued a statement, but is it prepared to build a united, multi-ethnic opposition that can win an election, take power, and maintain law and order? Recent elections appear to have been a sham. The current Ethiopian regime is one of several rival tribal militias–all nominally adherent to some loony form of Marxism. The current rulers are Tigrayan, and drove...

Another U.S. “ally” does a mini-Tienanmen–this time, in Ethiopia, with 24 gunned down and many more injured. The White House has issued a statement, but is it prepared to build a united, multi-ethnic opposition that can win an election, take power, and maintain law and order? Recent elections appear to have been a sham. The current Ethiopian regime is one of several rival tribal militias–all nominally adherent to some loony form of Marxism. The current rulers are Tigrayan, and drove...

The full text is here. Several observations: 1. It’s hard to argue that abducting citizens of a nation with which you’re at peace for political reasons isn’t terrorism. Congress is clearly sending a signal that North Korea doesn’t come off the terrorism list until it releases these abductees. 2. The United States is talking about South Korean abductees and Japanese abductees. Japan is talking about Japanese abductees. South Korea is not talking about South Korean abductees. 3. It is not...

Here’s NRO on Amnesty International’s moral abdication of its responsibility to talk about the real gulags. What’s sad is that Amnesty had such credibility on human rights–credibility that this world needed–and threw it away. Not only have they lost their ability to be a conscience for the United States when it needs one, it’s also been derelict in being a conscience for the greater world at large. Having backed off on “gulag,” Amnesty’s mouthpiece went on to tell what a...

There are more alarming signs that famine may again worsen in North Korea, reports the BBC. The report quotes writer Paul French, who blames Stalinist collectivization for destroying any incentive to increase production, given that the any surplus will be skimmed off. : Instead, they concentrate on their own private plots, which they use to feed themselves and to produce food for the markets. . . . The problem with this system is that market reforms, instituted in 2002, have...