Donald Trump’s Rise Gaining More Attention In South Korea

I figured it was only a matter of time before the South Korean media picked up on some of the inaccurate comments about Korea that Donald Trump has been repeating.  I figure by now he has to know his comments are untrue, but just repeats them because they resonate with uninformed voters.  It is pretty sad that we have gotten to the point that politicians have to craft messages that appeal to the uninformed:

Trump’s rise in popularity also garnered attention in South Korea after his remarks on the security of the two Koreas and the American military involvement.

Initially, South Korean media covered Trump’s remarks against women and immigrants as noteworthy international headlines, speculating that Trump’s popularity was American conservatives’ reaction against Obama’s more liberal policies, such as the Affordable Care Act and marriage equality.

However, Korean interest in Trump increased after he suggested that South Korea gives nothing back in exchange for U.S. military protection.

“(Whenever) they’re in trouble, our military takes care. You know what we get? Nothing,” he said during a South Carolina rally last month.

His comments made in 2011 before the 2012 presidential election also resurfaced in hindsight, when he also said that the U.S. military protected South Korea, but “they don’t pay us.”

Trump made similar remarks on Korea again last Sunday, saying that South Korea makes “a fortune” from their exports. “Between Samsung, and LG, and Sharp, they all come from South Korea,” he said, misidentifying Japanese company Sharp as Korean.

“Why are we defending everybody? And these are rich nations. South Korea makes billions and billions. We get nothing. We are like the stupid people that go and defend everybody,” he added.

His remarks drew some ire from the public, and South Korean news outlets described Trump’s remarks as “misinformed” or “misguided,” citing that South Korea has long shared the cost of having a U.S. military presence in the country.

Korea currently has about 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in the country to help defend against North Korea. Additionally, it is also seen as being in America’s interests to be within geographic proximity to China.

Last year, Korea renewed its agreement with the United States to pay 920 billion won ($770 million) toward the upkeep of U.S. troops here, a 5.8 percent increase from the previous year.  [Korea Herald]

You can read more at the link.

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tbonetylr
tbonetylr
8 years ago

Asian Congresswomen: Bush’s ‘Anchor Baby’ Comments Prove He’s ‘Unfit’ for Presidency
GOP preventing votes on immigration just like on declaring war on ISIS ~ GOP being LAZY and acting BADLY for the people ❗
http://observer.com/2015/08/asian-congresswomen-bushs-anchor-baby-comments-prove-hes-unfit-for-presidency/
“Queens Congresswoman Grace Meng and California Congresswoman Judy Chu tore into former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush for his claim yesterday that Asian people were responsible for the phenomenon of “anchor babies”—children born to foreign nationals on American soil, making the infants American citizens with the potential to gain legal status for their families.

Ms. Meng and Ms. Chu, both members of the Democratic minority in Congress, used the remarks to broadly attack the Republican presidential field and leadership in the Capitol during a conference call with reporters this afternoon. Mr. Bush, a top contender for the Republican presidential nomination, argued yesterday during a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border that his criticism of birthright citizenship was not directed at Latinos, but that “frankly, it’s more related to Asian people coming into our country having children in that organized effort.”

“If slurring the children of immigrants, whether Hispanic or Asian, is their idea of the ‘welcoming, inclusive message,’ then the GOP has more, much more work to do than we originally thought,” she said.

The congresswoman went on to attack House Republicans for preventing a vote on an immigration reform package that would have created a pathway to citizenship for many immigrants lacking proper paperwork, accusing the GOP majority of bowing to “angry voices.” The comments from Mr. Bush—seen as the preferred candidate of the inside-the-Beltway Republican leadership—were a sign of a vein of racial prejudice running to the heart of his party, she said.

“It turns out those angry voices don’t represent the fringe, they represent the establishment. So when someone like Jeb Bush speaks this way about immigrant communities, all Americans are right and should ask the question, ‘Why does it seem so difficult for the Republican Party to treat communities of color with respect?’” Ms. Meng said.

Ms. Chu, who chairs the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, echoed her colleagues’ comments, and argued such viewpoints disqualify Mr. Bush from serving in the Oval Office.”

tbonetylr
tbonetylr
8 years ago

Act of God it is for Trump’s Great Wall
Ann Coulter Introduces Trump At Iowa Speech: “God Hasn’t Given Up On America Yet” VIDEO ~
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/08/25/ann_coulter_introduces_donald_trump_at_iowa_speech_i_feel_like_im_dreaming_the_great_wall_of_trump.html
“Make it a big world-wide tourist attraction and everyday live drone shows whenever anyone tries to cross the border. I have not had this much hope for America since November 7, 2012…

And now I think it’s like Joseph in the Bible. He had to be sold into slavery, imprisoned, betrayed so that eventually he could save the Jews. Maybe Mitt Romney had to lose. And maybe we had to give Republicans one more chance in 2014. And maybe Mitch McConnell and John Boehner had to betray us one more time to pave the way for President Donald Trump.”

Truth: S. Korea pays nothing. Paying less that 50% for S. Korea’s own defense is nothing. Even 100% gets America nothing. If S. Korea paid more than the cost of their defense then that would be something. Economics 101 – If only…YANKEE GO HOME ❗
“(Whenever) they’re in trouble, our military takes care. You know what we get? Nothing,” he said during a South Carolina rally last month.”

johnnyboy
johnnyboy
8 years ago

Why should people who came here illegally have a pathway to citizenship? How is that fair to the people who came legally?

ChickenHead
ChickenHead
8 years ago

“Why should people who came here illegally have a pathway to citizenship?”

To keep from offending some Latinos… obviously.

setnaffa
setnaffa
8 years ago

Was it Trump who suggested that citizens should have to pass the same citizenship tests as immigrants before being allowed to vote? That would cut down on the folks who elect idiots like Reid and Pelosi… 😈

ChickenHead
ChickenHead
8 years ago

A poll tax is a crappy idea… as a poor person’s vote should be equal to a rich person’s vote… otherwise, the poor will be (even more) eaten alive.

A poll test, however, might not be a bad idea… as a stupid or ignorant person’s vote should NOT be equal to a smart or well-informed person’s vote.

It would require a lot of wisdom to design such a test that wasn’t immediately manipulated to become a tool opposite of its intentions.

tbonetylr
tbonetylr
8 years ago

“A poll test, however, might not be a bad idea… as a stupid or ignorant person’s vote should NOT be equal to a smart or well-informed person’s vote.”

I’d judge that you were too ignorant and too much of an EGGHEAD to vote, you’d fail and wouldn’t be able to vote. I might give you another chance to pass the test in a few years though, for my own entertainment 😮

ChickenHead
ChickenHead
8 years ago

You are probably right, Tbone.

…and I expect, with the amazing knowledge and insightful analysis you display here so frequently, you would do so well on the test they would let you vote twice.

johnnyboy
johnnyboy
8 years ago

I have a sneaking suspicion that there are plenty of people who vote twice already.

setnaffa
setnaffa
8 years ago

Like the poll worker in Ohio who admitted voting for 0bama seven times… It’s okay if you’re not using #whiteprivilege… /sarc

Danny Park
Danny Park
8 years ago

I already know South Korea pays the US $866 million per year for military troops. South Korea has been paying the US every since 1991 and this is just for the troops. South Korea buys tons of military weapon systems from the US. For example, SK will buy 40 F35 Fighters which will cost 7.83 billion dollars ALONE. They buy many other things related to military from the US. And of course they spend a good amount of their own GDP towards defending themselves.

setnaffa
setnaffa
8 years ago

Danny Park is pining for Pyongyang’s mighty fjords…

tbonetylr
tbonetylr
8 years ago

Iowa poll finds Trump and Carson surging as Walker collapses
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/08/29/iowa-poll-finds-trump-and-carson-surging-as-walker-collapses/
The new poll finds Trump at 23 percent, and a positive favorable rating of 26 points
Carson has surged by eight points, from 10 to 18 percent, and seen his favorable rating surge from +41 to +71.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) rose from 5 to 8 percent, with smaller but notable growth in his favorable numbers.
Walker tumbled from 17 percent support to 8 percent.
Jeb Bush slipped from 9 percent to 6 percent as his favorable rating remained underwater.
Sen. Marco Rubio(R-Fl) 6 percent.
Carly Fiorina, jumped from just 2 to 5 percent.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), fell from 10 percent to 4 percent.
Mike Huckabee 4 percent.
Former Texas governor Rick Perry, whose strapped campaign has stopped paying some staff, careened from 3 percent to 1 percent.
Rick Santorum watched his support fall from 6 percent to 1 percent.

tbonetylr
tbonetylr
8 years ago

johnnyboy & setnaffa
GOP states illegally discriminate against black voters and one has admitted it ❗

Georgia Illegally Discriminating Against Black Voters
Will other GOP states have their Secretary of State investigate violations/illegal discrimination?
Georgia County Admits To Illegally Disenfranchising Voters
http://thinkprogress.org/election/2015/08/26/3695039/county-admits-it-disenfranchised-voters-in-african-american-dominated-county/
“Fulton County, Georgia admitted to illegally disenfranchising and misleading voters in the 2008 and 2012 elections in a settlement this month. For more than two dozen violations of state law — including improperly rejecting eligible ballots and sending voters to the wrong precincts — the county will pay a fine of $180,000. To make sure the problems do not continue in the future, the county has promised to spend an additional $200,000 on new training software for their poll workers.

The county, which includes Atlanta, has a heavily African American voting population. As detailed in the new settlement, county elections officials misinformed the precincts of who was coming to vote and when, failed to provide absentee ballots to voters who requested them, and failed to put voters who registered on time on the rolls, among other violations.”

johnnyboy
johnnyboy
8 years ago

If there is wrongdoing, let it be stamped out.

I do worry about some of the attempts at limiting voters by the GOP. Things like shortening the early ballot or not accepting absentee ballots at all need to be examined more closely.

I don’t worry about requiring a state issued form of photo ID to vote. The only valid reason I have heard for someone not to have one is people who have difficulty obtaining ID because they were born at home and didn’t receive birth certificates. Obviously exceptions or special help can be given to them, but I wouldn’t imagine there are that many people alive who fit into that situation.

I also feel that states tightening their voter ID requirements should implement transportation assistance for the elderly and those who live a burdensome distance from any state facility that issues ID’s.

If these issues are addressed, I don’t see any valid arguments against tightening ID requirements.

To be sure, the GOP’s intentions in Voter ID laws are at least partially to reduce Democrat votes, but if a rule needs to be implemented, it doesn’t matter the intentions of those pushing to implement it. The rule needs to be in place to prevent fraud.

I don’t feel sorry for any able bodied person who says they cannot obtain valid identification and plan ahead to have it for elections.

setnaffa
setnaffa
8 years ago

I’m sure that requiring voter IDs has nothing to do with racism. Any more than requiring IDs to board an airplane does…

I’m guessing “Paintchip” won’t see that tho’

setnaffa
setnaffa
8 years ago

Besides which, the Democrats control Fulton County Georgia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulton_County,_Georgia#Government

Eat that, “Paintchip”!

johnnyboy
johnnyboy
8 years ago

I don’t think it’s racism.

I do think it is a concerted effort by the GOP to neutralize the votes of a portion of likely democrat voters.

I don’t think it’s anybody’s fault but their own (except in the rare cases I referred to in my other post) if someone doesn’t have or pretends to be incapable of obtaining a photo ID in time for an election.

Imagine you run a business and you don’t have anything for anyone to punch in on. You have always just allowed employs to go on the honor system.

One day you start to get the feeling that some employees aren’t being honest about their hours. Even if there is no evidence of dishonesty, you decide it might be a good idea to install an automated timekeeping system anyways just to keep everything on the up and up.

Now imagine that a group of employees says that the black employees are incapable of remembering a punch number or using the system, so the new timekeeping system is racist. Is that not insulting to the black employees’ intelligence?

johnnyboy
johnnyboy
8 years ago

And then there’s this:

http://www.ijreview.com/2015/08/406098-141-counties-voters-residents-receive-fix-now-youre-getting-sued-letter/

“Michigan, Illinois, and Kentucky are the states with the greatest numbers of counties with excess voter roles – with 24, 18, and 17 counties respectively. Two counties in Illinois have the greatest discrepancy – Franklin County has 90% more registered voters than residents and Pulaski County has 76% more.”

Setnaffa
Setnaffa
8 years ago

The only votes I see being blocked by voter ID laws are those where a person with one ID is blocked from voting multiple times.

And it has been Democrats, not the GOP blocking absentee ballots, especially those from our folks deployed.

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