Right Wing Would Prefer Laura and Euna Stay in North Korea

Like most of the country, I was overjoyed to see Laura Ling and Euna Lee finally back on US soil.  Surprisingly, it appears that not everyone shares this opinion.  The right wing has seen the release of these journalists as a major blow to American prestige and indeed a few have suggested that Euna and Laura were better off imprisoned.

Lets start with possibly the worst ambassador to the UN that the United States has ever had: John Bolton

On Sean Hannity’s show, these two clowns criticize Bill Clinton’s trip to release the journalists.  Although try to feign sincerity by expressing their relief over their return, it becomes abundantly clear that they would have preferred Euna and Laura to stay put.  Their diplomatic solution to this situation was…NOTHING.  Even though a few months earlier John Bolton labeled the situation as unacceptable and charged that North Korea had illegally kidnapped the journalists, he now charges that negotiating their release has “weakened America” and reduced the position of the United States internationally.  These pundits would have preferred the journalists to slave for twelve years  with the naive notion that not negotiating their release would discourage further kidnapping of US citizens. Lastly, they lay out the claim that this move has strengthened Kim Jong-il and that the US is helping to prop uo his regime.

Of course, the Republicans would NEVER prop up an evil dictator or terrorist group for political motives.  Right Saddam Hussein?  Right Nicaraguan Contras?

It gets worse, of course lets move on to halfwit Dick Morris who decides that Euna and Laura need to be taught a lesson.  Keeping in mind that this is the same man that is convinced that the black community is fundamentally anti-white and maybe we should just ignore him.  However, his opinions essentially reflect the mood to the conservative establishment and for all intensive purposes is probably what most conservatives are thinking.  It amounts to a classic case of blaming the victim.  Morris not only entertains the idea to Laura and Euna “never come home” and then states that they would have to “live with the consequences of their decision”.  What part of “THEY WERE KIDNAPPED” do you not understand?

But of course it gets worse.  G. Gordon Liddy, the grandpa of neo cons and the man who spend 4 years in jail over Watergate decides to escalate this to a whole new level.  He refers to Laura and Euna as “Ling Ling and Wee Wee” and “chicky birds” and insinuates that they were sexually assaulted by Bill Clinton on the flight back from North Korea.  He further charges that Hilary Clinton forced Bill Clinton to go and that the entire international disagrees with it.  Further, he disparages the work the journalists were doing.  He doesn’t even refer to Laura and Euna as journalists and claims that they were making a “movie”.  Its disgusting, racist, misogynist and irrational rolled into one hate filled tirade.

Let me make a few things clear.

• Laura Ling and Euna Lee are JOURNALISTS working for a major news network and were investigating the trafficking of women at the North Korean border.
• If they indeed set foot in N.Korean territory it was not for an extended period of time.  Any incursion would have been accidental and reports suggest N.Korean border guards crossed in North Korea and kidnapped them.  Still also doesn’t warrant twelve years of labor
• Laura Ling and Euna Lee are WOMEN not “girls” or “chickies”.  They are professionals that are married and in Euna’s case also a mother.  They deserve the same respect afforded to Michelle Malkin or Ann Coulter by Right-Wingnuts
• Disparaging diplomacy and negotiating with enemies is both childish and backwards.  Its also disturbing for a former diplomat to disparage negotiations considering how he handled the Iraq debacle.  We can afford to allow a banana republic to have its propaganda victory if it means the return of hostages.  There is a thin line between pride and foolishness.  To suggest that two women rot away so that the US looks big and strong is flawed reasoning
• Her name is LAURA not Ling Ling and her name is EUNA not Wee Wee.  I would like to think that Liddy can comprehend how racist his comments are, but he’s from the time where it was acceptable to hose down peaceful protesters with firehoses and and attack dogs.  Its not as if they have difficult names.  These names, pulled straight from the big bag of ching-chongery were constructed for the mere fact that they are Asian.  That’s why even Laura, with an English first name, suddenly became Ling Ling the Chinaman.
• NO ONE deserves 12 years in a North Korean labor camp

I should be overjoyed that Laura and Euna are back, safe with their families.  Rather, I am seeing red right now.  Allowing politics to seep into the well being of two American citizens disgusts me.

AO Spring 2009

ao-spring-2009-issue-2-v2

Hong Kong Trip pt 1

I got back later then I told everyone, cuz I spent two extra days in Hong Kong.

Day 1:

Honestly, I really tired of being treated like a second class citizen at the airport.  This was the procedure I went through:

1. Take off everything remotely metal as well as shoes (standard procedure for everyone)

2. Walk through metal detector (it didnt go off)

3. Get blocked by the TSA guard anyway who informs me I need to be patted down (no one else has been at this point)

4. I go to get my bag, and then I’m informed that they need to search it

5.  TSA bitch paws through bag, removes one AA battery and my mp3 player then claims that was the problem…doesnt realize theres another battery still in the bag.  Takes it to the corner for further screening.

6. True Americans walk around, give me a puzzled look, and go on with their business.

7. I walk away from TSA screening cursing and with my pants falling off since i forgot to put my belt back on

By contrast, security at Vancouer and Hong Kong airports were much much more reasonable

My family was stopped at all three aiports, but the times in Vancouver and Hong Kong were for (sort of) legitmate reasons.  In Vancouver my grandma had bottle of lotion over 3 oz.  Stupid rule, but it was a rule everyone follows.  The security guy was nice about it though and let us empty it into a smaller container.  In Hong Kong my grandma forgot (AGAIN) to check some powder into the suitcase.  The security guy in Hong Kong looks at the container curiously, shakes it, and gets a faceful of powder.  Embarresed, he closes it, gives it back and lets us through.

Frankly I think its a disgrace that as a natural born citizen I need to enter the airport screening like a convicted felon.

The plane delayed in New York for two hours which meant I missed the connecting flight in Vancouver.  Quick note guys, if you miss ur flight, and its the airlines fault they can provide you with a hotel and food vouchers.  That was indeed preferable to spending 24 hours at the airport waiting for the next AirCanada to Hong Kong.

Well due to time differences i would have had only 4 days in Hong Kong so we extended the stay two extra days.

Day 3: (i dunno with all the time differences im gonna count Day 3 as the first day in HK)

Explored around Mongkok (were the hotel was).  My mom discovered that she could get a wheelchair for my grandma from the hotel.  The thing weighed a ton, and guess who had to push the thing, as well as carry it up and down the subway?  Me of course.  Did I mention the thing weighed a ton?  Thing was so sturdy, they probably made it from the same material as the space shuttle…

Either way, I think my muscle mass increased significantly and I burned off 5 pounds that week.

Day 4 – Went to Central and Admiralty.  Surprisingly the only time I actually went to Hong Kong Island.  I didn’t see much there except Pacific Place as well as some buildings (lol..as a New Yorker im not easily impressed).  Afterward, I went up Victoria Peak on the tram.  I would have wanted to hike the distance, but there was the matter of the 300 pound wheelchair as well as the fact that my mom didnt want to walk ANYWHERE.

Hong Kong from the Tram.

continued later…i have to write an article once

Launch Day

Hello everyone! This is (obviously) the first post and i hope that this blog will become more thought provoking rather than a diary or a summary of my uneventful life (haha). I didn’t want to go back to my xanga mostly because not everyone could comment on the posts and it seems a little kiddy for my tastes.  I guess my reason for starting one of these is because sometimes I wish I can put words to the thoughts that bounce around my head. This blog is going to focus alot on sports and politics and hopefully you’ll find something interesting here

Best,

Calvin