I received 21 (of 22 coming in) research papers from my graduate students yesterday, 15+ pages, amounting to something akin to 2 reams of paper. They are all on some aspect of globalization, and I was struck my the creativity of approach and outlook of all of the topics. The optimism and internationalism of all of the students, that was really something that surprised me. I expected harsh criticism of the U.S., and heard even less of it than I had anticipated. Reading through the papers I have been impressed by the research, so it will be an time well spent.
Americans don't get riled up to protest. Give away billions in taxpayer money to financial fatcats with no accountability--no worries. Refuse to punish war criminal torturers--no problem. The battle cry is...moo. Koreans, on the other hand, live in a vibrant democracy and their political action is a bit more direct. Here is a striking photo of union protesters in Daejeon using sharpened bamboo spears to attack riot police. (an article about the current state of rioting in Korea, quoting a Sogang professor, is here )
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