Monday, April 18, 2016

color me skeptical

This article by Sam Kim says Ahn Cheol-soo is in a position to become South Korea's next president after two consecutively conservative administrations. The lowdown:

Touted as a probable candidate in the 2017 presidential race, Ahn has offered few policy specifics. He has cited U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt as a role model and advocates higher welfare spending, stiffer capital gains taxes and caution on free trade agreements. He has been critical of Park’s get-tough policy on North Korea and favors expanding economic ties to entice Pyongyang to give up nuclear weapons.

He hits all the leftie check boxes, for sure: more emphasis on welfare, higher taxes, less free trade, and the cautious-yet-joyous return of the misbegotten, misguided Sunshine Policy, which will simply ensure that North Korea continues on its current intravenous drip. Sorry, but I'm a doubter. And because countries are subject to pendular mood swings, I fully expect Ahn, or some leftie numbskull like him, to be the next occupant of the Blue House.

(To be clear, this post isn't an endorsement of President Park.)

ADDENDUM: the article notes that some in Korea view Ahn as a "center-right alternative." Nothing in the above list of policy positions strikes me as center-right. Not from an American perspective, anyway; maybe Korea, as a whole, leans so far left that less left equals way right.


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1 comment:

Charles said...

"He has been critical of Park’s get-tough policy on North Korea and favors expanding economic ties to entice Pyongyang to give up nuclear weapons."

Yeah, because concessions and incentives have always worked so well in the past. My eyes nearly rolled straight out of my head there.

Color me skeptical, too. That's all I'll say for now.