Check your Guilt Trip!

In class, we are learning about social classes. One way we determined social class was through a social class calculator from the New York Times. This calculator measures your privileges, such as education and occupation, and places you into one of five categories: bottom fifth, lower middle, middle, upper middle, and top fifth.
There's also the Privilege Calculator (does it have a name?), which, instead of calculating your social class, calculates your right to talk about social issues. I decided to calculate my privilege last night. I got a total of 45 points, making me 'above average'. Although some categories such as 'bonus' (-15 for my perceived lack of a social life?) and 'height' (-10 for being short?!), I found most of the categories reasonable. This chart is clearly not as professional as the New York Times (calling European countries top, meh and s***), but the real problem is what 'privilege' means in the social justice world. A score of above 100 not only makes you 'above average' but means that you need to check your privilege daily.

But for who? Social justice bloggers, you privileged, mighty whitey pigs! Social justice website Shrub is here to guide you to reaching a PC Nirvana in just seven easy steps! Shrub's Walkthrough for Whites includes instructions on how to navigate 'minority spaces', areas in which you, the privileged, had better shut up in. This is because "we, as privileged people" often try to hijack minority spaces with inferior opinions. Shrubs says that it's best to give the minorities a turn and listen to "their issues, lives, and oppressions" that you are exempt from.
Although I'm 'above average' in privilege, I really want to criticize Shrubs. The idea that the privileged, ignorant you is incapable of understanding the oppressions of the poor, poor minorities is patronizing to both parties. It sounds like you are just so above the lowly minorities that you CAN'T comprehend their pain unless you give them their minority spaces. The idea that minority spaces are "needed because they are the only place where non-privilged people can truly focus on our own issues" is well-intentioned but only further highlights the lack of privileges minorities face. By giving minorities a separate space free of privileged interference, Shrubs is assuming that minorities can't express their pain to a privileged person.
I NEED A CONCLUSION.

North Korea's Bullying Party 2013, part 1: the military

Just a month ago, when you searched 'North Korea' on a major Western news site such as BBC World or the New York Times, you would get articles warning the world of North Korea's latest threat. But now it seems that these very publications have changed their opinion and are now downplaying North Korea's threats. This would all be very groundbreaking news...
...if South Korea hadn't felt this way from the beginning.

In this series of blog posts, I want to talk about why North Korea's threats of destruction are just that by talking about its military, history of threats, and why the threats still work (ish). Let's start with military.

According to blogger Jason Yu (who has worked with BBC World and others), North Korea is simply a playground bully. Although Western news publication have tried to give the impression that North Korea is a legitimate threat and South Korea is terrified, the reality is that most young South Koreans have stopped caring. To them, North Korea has always been a toothless bully. And with "a fortified military zone – known as the DMZ – separating the Koreas, a strong, technological Korean military, and highly-trained US forces in the area, Koreans feel safer more than ever. This is despite Korea’s thriving capital, Seoul, being a mere 46 miles away" from the last country crazy enough to consider nuclear warfare. Even IF North Korea invaded, it would be no match for South Korea and US forces. 

At a glance, North Korea's military seems like a huge threat. According to The Guardian, North Korea spends 22.3% of its GDP on its 8.2 billion dollar military. (note: figures are from 2008)

North Korea has almost two times more manpower in peace times, and could gain almost eight million more men if they called upon their reserve troops. Based on quantity alone, North Korea outnumbers South Korea in every category except Navy, armored vehicles, and C2-ISR aircraft.  However, quantity does NOT equal quality in this case.  Half of North Korea's best weapons were "designed in the 1960s; the other half are even older. Also, it is certain that due to shortages of spare parts, fuel, and poor maintenance, some weaponry will not be functional" and can do nothing but feed a bluff. North Korea may have"enough combat hardware to equip perhaps ten US divisions" but can match the power of only "about 2.5 US armored divisions" due to it's outdatedness. The Guardian also points out that although South Korea spent a seemingly weak 2.8% of its GDP on its military in 2008, it still spent three times more money. South Korea's army is better funded and has better technology. North Korea's army is large (the fifth largest in the world) but poorly equipped. North Korea may have nuclear weapons, but   So threats of war from North Korea are rarely a concern for the average South Korean.

American Occupation in South Korea: Outline

If I don't post this, I'll never post anything.
With North Korea's recent threats to destroy everyone (again) and America getting ready to help South Korea defend itself if necessary, I don't know what to say. But I do question why we are still in South Korea, and if South Korea even needs (let alone wants) us there with them.

Back in December, a video of Psy performing an EXTREMELY explicit, anti-American song went viral. This was Psy participating in a 2004 concert protesting American occupation in South Korea. In the video, Psy refers to American soldiers as '--- Yankees' who should 'die slowly and painfully' with their families for interfering with South Korea's politics.
As an American, this really surprised me, because I always viewed American occupation in South Korea as vital to its safety against the war-ready North Korea. I thought that without American troops ready to fight, North Korea could easily bomb South Korea and conquer it again.

1. Opinions on American soldiers.
2. Opportunity costs
3. North Korea a real threat?