Real quick:
WHAT WAS SAID
1) I stand by my posts (1, 2) that a) did not call Koreans "Nazis" but b) mere pointed out interesting points at which there seems to be uncomfortable overlap between Nazi ideology and aspects of modern Korean nationalist ideology, with the possibility of 2 major points of direct contact, one being the active study of said ideology by a major contributor to the construction of the Korean nation itself (which I in the original article, I acknowledged was through a secondary source and would be interesting for someone to look further into), and the other being the more diffuse route of nihonjinron (a form of Japanese ethnic nationalism/ideology) that most definitely has myriad links to what some newer scholars are calling hangukinron, what you could call Korea's own form of ethnic nationalism.
Then I added in the peculiar fact that there doesn't seem to be much negative reaction to all kinds of real Hitler and Nazi iconography as found in the wave of Nazi theme bars and other "funny" Nazi-era icons. Does this make Koreans Nazis? Of course not. I already admitted that I thought the national anthem thing was a stretch, especially after some good comments pointing that out.
There's also the interesting streak of rabid anti-Semitism that does exist in both Japan and Korea, which some people in Japanese Studies (see Michael Goodman) has already published about. I guess he's crazy for suggesting links between Germany and Japan as well.
Did I say that Koreans were actually Nazis, ready to engage in pogroms and another "final solution?" Come on. Can we get some intelligent responses here?
But why is it a sin to broach the topic when there are quite possibly some interesting links with Nazi Germany's ideology, some of them direct and indirect, some obviously stronger than others?
Who is being intellectually close-minded here?
As always, Occi and his boosters are totally misrepresenting what was said.
YOU GOT ME! I AM A MADMAN!
2) As for the single, short paragraph that seems to now be the rallying call for calling me a start, raving madman – I guess I'll never live down having written a paragraph in my post rashly, in anger, and as part of my volley against Occidentalism.org. Sure, his site has a lot of interesting stuff on it and parts are well-researched – but I still believe the tone, intent, and focus are racist and misogynist.
At least I can recognize when I have made a mistake or misspoke. But that must make me crazy, right? Occidentalism's people seem to take it as a sign of weakness, backtracking, or doubletalk. Well, I knew that this would happen, so I can't be too surprised. But it still hurts to roll over and concede on something, knowing full well that you're going to continue to be attacked and kicked even as you do it. And I also regret that it detracted from my greater argument that had nothing to do with the single paragraph in question, something I acknowledged.
What remains clear is that Occidentalism is above reproach and has nothing worth criticizing. Such an attitude is exactly the kind of arrogant tone that typifies its insensitivity, negativity, and one-directional "social critique."
WHY ASK WHY?
3) Why focus on this site? If this site is the vanguard site of so-called "intelligent" criticism of Korea, with people defending it as something constructive and a benefit to Korean society, I find this quite sad. And as the inspiration for my own site is that of conducting real, intelligent, and sometimes academically-grounded critique, I am pretty disheartened to find my efforts described as just the empty words of a pseudo-academic windbag with nothing to say worth listening to. I know I have my readers out there, but it sounds like what the majority of expat bloggers really want is the kind of "intelligent debate" that deals in categoricals, lashes out, and merely paints Korea in the colors of the knee-jerk frustration that many of us expats have with some of the obviously rougher points of Korean society and culture.
If that's all that you're looking for, that's all that you'll see.
It's just sad that Occidentalism is what the majority of foreign expats want to define the mode of social critique amongst foreigners in Korea.
Well, maybe that's all we/they deserve, then.
