Left Flank

Mind you, here's a slightly more polite version of the story about which my wife lectured me this morning:

In a joint press conference after the summit at the Great Hall of the People on Tuesday afternoon, Hu said the two countries «agreed to make a joint four-point effort to develop a partnership of strategic cooperation."

The four points are strengthening bilateral communication and build a dialogue channel for foreign strategies; strengthening reciprocal cooperation on telecommunications and nuclear power generation and conduct active research on a Korea-Chinese free trade agreement; expanding personnel, cultural and youth exchanges; and promoting close cooperation on international issues, including peace and stability in Northeast Asia, climate change and reform of the UN.

(…)

«An old saying in Korea says, 'If a rooster crows in Qingdao early in the morning, you can hear the cackling in Incheon.'

Obviously, my wife didn't vote for Lee Myung-bak. Then again, she didn't vote for Roh Moo-hyun, either. I'm not certain how she ever votes, every single election, including parliamentary by-elections, but it might be for me. I'm fairly certain she spoils ballots, and I only hope she doesn't use profanity.

Outside the expat echo chamber and the netizen asylum, there lies the majority of really pissed-off, responsible South Koreans, like my in-laws. The historical subtleties of international politics seems like nothing more than a ever-recurring cyclical anal penetration. My parents vote GNP faithfully, and I know this because I once went to a GNP auxiliary rally where my wife and I were the only lucid persons younger than 40. But, my wife and her friends, and my siblings are in a quandary. Let me put it bluntly as I here it. The conservative GNP is "shit", old crooks who love Japan and China. The progressive UNDP (or whatever they want to call themselves now) are "morons", made up of people whose only virtue is their inability to steal. They also love the North. There's no one to vote for! We're screwed! The world sucks!

Beijing needs shepherding into its leadership position in East Asia, and democratic Japan and South Korea are the best bets for the job. But, I don't know how long my wife and friends' patience will last.