The Korea Herald

[Kim Seong-kon] Political ideology and culture in film

Oct 25, 2011

Movies are one of the most effective media for disseminating and propagating political ideologies to people. In communist countries where propaganda is imperative, the government controls the movie industry in order to produce and promote movies filled with propaganda. Unable to perceive latent political messages, people are vulnerable to such subtle brainwashing and thus are easily manipulated by ideologically-charged movies. During the Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations, at a time w
[William Pesek] More money than brains leads to Olympus shock

Oct 24, 2011

Master of Business Administration programs the world over should add a new course: Olympus 101. For budding business magnates, it would be a timely exercise into how not to handle a crisis, run a major company or manage the third-biggest economy. It says a lot when world-weary investors hardened by the shenanigans at Enron Corp., WorldCom Inc., Parmalat SpA and Wall Street are aghast at a corporate scandal. The Einsteins at Olympus Corp., the camera and medical-supplies maker, pulled off that fe
[Howard Davies] How much capital do banks need?

Oct 24, 2011

PARIS ― Almost everyone nowadays agrees that banks need more capital. Christine Lagarde chose to make it her first campaign as managing director of the International Monetary Fund. And conventional analyses of the financial crisis focus on the weak capital base of many banks, which left them with insufficient reserves to absorb the losses they incurred when asset prices fell sharply in 2007-08.Taxpayers, notably in the United States and the Uni
Many black swans make metaphor meaningless

Oct 24, 2011

Nassim Taleb believes in probabilities, not predictions, but at times it can be hard to tell the difference. “The real Black Swan event,” he said in June, “is that people are not rioting against the banks in London and New York.” Taleb saw it coming, and his well-publicized remark may be the only reason Occupy Wall Street hasn’t been labeled a black swan. This once-rare bird, made ubiquitous by Taleb’s best-selling 2007 book of the same title, now appears so often after dramatic events, such as
KORUS FTA ― The time has come

Oct 24, 2011

There is an old adage that “good things come to those who wait, better things come to those who are patient.” The Korean people, businesses and government have been very patient since the KORUS FTA was first completed in 2007. Now that it has been ratified by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Obama, it is now up to the National Assembly to approve the KORUS FTA in order to reap the many benefits for Korean businesses, workers and consumers. The KORUS FTA is the largest FTA for the United
U.S. needs to maintain robust foreign aid budget

Oct 24, 2011

The death of Moammar Gadhafi on Thursday was a victory for the Libyan people, for the NATO coalition, for U.S. forces and for President Barack Obama’s foreign policy vision of “leading from behind.” Criticism of the effort to oust the Libyan dictator ― that it was unfocused and too slow ― looks silly in retrospect. Even Sen. John McCain, no fan of the president, said the administration “deserves credit” for the outcome.And yet the wild swings in the Libya campaign are a reminder that events in t
[Mohamed A. El-Erian] The growing stall speed risk for the U.S. economy

Oct 24, 2011

NEWPORT BEACH ― Judging from the skittishness of both markets and “consensus expectations,” the United States’ economic prospects are confusing. One day, the country is on the brink of a double-dip recession; the next, it is on the verge of a turbo-charged recovery, powered by resilient consumers and U.S. multinationals starting to deploy, at long last, their massive cash reserves. In the process, markets take investors on a wild rollercoaster ride, with the European crisis (riddled with even mo
No more Gadhafi, plenty of worries for Libya

Oct 23, 2011

Libyans are rejoicing at the death of their former dictator Muammar Gadhafi, but the party can’t last long. The hard business of creating a modern state lies ahead. As a first step, the ruling National Transitional Council needs to quickly form an interim government that will include representatives
[Robert B. Reich] Rise of the regressive right in U.S.

Oct 23, 2011

A fundamental war has been waged in this nation since its founding, between progressive forces pushing us forward and regressive forces pulling us backward.We are going to battle once again.Progressives believe in openness, equal opportunity and tolerance. Progressives assume we’re all in it togethe
Best response to Iran is removing MeK from terror list

Oct 23, 2011

The foiled plot by agents of the Iranian regime to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States has officials in the Obama Administration furiously scratching their heads for an “appropriate” response.All too often with Iranian provocations, U.S. policy options swing ineffectually between the uncreative (economic sanctions) to the unrealistic (military strikes). One option sure to get the attention of the ruling mullahs in Tehran ― and that could help set the stage for a future democrat
Next Arab domino may be oil darling Algeria

Oct 23, 2011

The death of Muammar Gadhafi is a cause for joy in Libya, and for concern. Some worry that the ruling National Transitional Council will force its way to permanent power; others that Islamist elements will seek to put the country under Shariah law; and there is also the danger of the nation splitting into three parts. But there is another tremendous threat to Libya’s progress waiting quietly next door. Algeria’s military junta is terrified that a rebellious spirit may finally cross its borders.
[Joel Brinkley] France teeters on financial brink

Oct 23, 2011

David Appia, a senior French official, was visiting American technology companies a few days ago, trying to convince business executives to open offices in France.Right now, it’s an extremely hard sell.Appia, head of the Invest in France Agency, is a friendly, dapper diplomat. And with a smooth, confident tone he told them: “The EU is still the biggest market in the world.” What’s more, France offers 35 percent to 40 percent tax credits for research and development expenses ― the richest such re
Sluggish America can still be a world leader

Oct 21, 2011

A new survey shows that a majority of Europeans want the United States to continue exerting “strong leadership in world affairs.”One wonders why Europe holds so much faith in America right now when Americans, trapped in a deep national malaise, have so little faith in themselves.The survey, by the G
[David Ignatius] What Libya now needs most

Oct 21, 2011

WASHINGTON ― Down in the basement, I still have a copy of Moammar Gadhafi’s bizarre political manifesto, “The Green Book,” which I picked up during a trip to Libya in the early 1980s. It’s a reminder of what an oddball dictator Gadhafi was ― and of how he nevertheless managed to defy and bedevil the
Maehara’s words do ties with South Korea no good

Oct 21, 2011

Why would Seiji Maehara, chairman of the Democratic Party of Japan’s Policy Research Committee, raised the idea of establishing a new fund for South Koreans who acted as so-called comfort women during wartime? We cannot help but question his recent remarks on this matter.Maehara this month met with