[Kim Seong-kon] Dubious claims and the fall of U.S.

If a foreigner wrote a book criticizing Korean society or presumptuously announcing the downfall of Korea after living in South Korea for only several years, we would immediately condemn the author as an ignorant, impudent racist. Moreover, if the book was praised by the press of the author’s country in a review titled, “Fifty-two reasons why South Korea is doomed to go down,” while referring to Korea as “a living hell,” we would surely be furious. Ironically, however, we make such mistakes, just with the roles reversed.

A few weeks ago, a book entitled, “There is No America We Used to Know: 52 Reasons Why We Should Re-read the United States,” was published in Korea and widely reviewed by newspapers. In the book, the author argues that compared to the U.S. he knew decades ago as an exchange student, today’s America is completely changed and a heavily indebted, financially staggering country that is rapidly falling. Praised by the anti-American leftist media, the book instantly shot up the bestseller list, marking fifth place in the category of social sciences. The title of the book seems fine and even intriguing; it is true the United States has undergone considerable changes in recent years, and thus it may be necessary to redefine the country.

Notwithstanding the undeniable reality, however, it would be vastly misleading if the book, as the review stated, argued that Americans have become so poor that they cannot afford to buy beef, and thus have begun raising chickens in their back yards for food. It would be equally wrong if the book contended that in many American counties and towns, pavements are now turning into gravel roads, because local governments are destitute and cannot afford to sustain asphalt. And it would also be highly inaccurate if the book maintained that in American schools, paper books are now being replaced by e-books, because schools are short of money and electronic books cost less.

When I discussed the Korean book’s assessment of the aforementioned changes in American society with my colleagues at the State University of New York at Buffalo, they all burst out in laugher. Dr. Stephen C. Dunnett, vice provost of SUNY/Buffalo, explained the situation; “Raising chickens has now become a fashion among middle-class Americans who are concerned with wellbeing and organic food.” Then he added, “But considering the permit fees and the price of a chicken coop and food, raising chicken is more costly than buying eggs at the supermarket.”

“What about some counties’ preference of gravel road to asphalt road?” I asked. “We paved nearly all the roads, and it caused drainage and other environmental problems. That’s why,” answered Dunnett.

“Is it true,” I asked again, “that American schools are switching to e-books because they cannot afford paper books?”

“That’s a laugh,” Professor Mark Shechner remarked wryly. “All the students have iPads these days with the capacity to hold hundreds of books. So switching to e-books is an inevitable transition in the electronic age. It has nothing to do with saving money.”

Quoting from the aforementioned book, Korean newspaper articles also stated that the sales of canned goods such as SPAM have drastically increased in America, partly because many Americans cannot afford expensive fresh meat, and partly because Americans no longer trust their government in times of emergency. Once again, Dunnett pointed out that the above assumptions were wrong; beef is so inexpensive in America that there are few people who cannot afford it.

It may be true that after 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, Americans have stressed the need for preparation and contingency plans in case of an emergency. Such preparations, however, are nothing new and do not necessarily have to do with eroding public trust of the government. Even 30 years ago, I noticed many Americans stored emergency items such as canned food, a first-aid kit, and an emergency power generator in their basement.

The above-mentioned book states that the United States is now suffering from huge debts far exceeding her GDP, and billion dollars of deficit as well. Indeed, it is undeniable that the United States is experiencing an unprecedented financial recession, moral hazard, and a leadership crisis. Worse, people say that since the fall of the Soviet Union, America has become arrogant, and that since 9/11, Americans have become unfriendly to foreigners. If it is true, we need to re-read America in order to understand her fully.

Nevertheless, we should be discreet and decent, and not to mention accurate, when we criticize another country. Such expressions as “I saw a living hell” are neither appropriate nor decent for newspaper headlines. Besides, we should be discreet in order not to fall into the logical fallacy of hasty generalization and a dicto simpliciter; otherwise, our claims cannot but lose credibility. Perhaps it was not the book’s intention, but the anti-American leftist press surely used the book for political gain. One of our serious problems is that we assume we know America quite well. I have lived in the States for more than 10 years, but I am still not sure I know America well enough.

By Kim Seong-kon

Kim Seong-kon, a professor of English at Seoul National University, is editor of the literary quarterly “21st Century Literature.” ― Ed.