Wait, wait… a candlelight vigil for THAT?!
As you can see to the right, in a photo by Dong-A Ilbo, there is no more powerful imagery than thousands of votives flickering amongst the illuminated skyscrapers of Seoul. On June 11, 2008, this stunning photo graced the cover of The New York Times.
What compelling idea could unite these concerned citizens under a common banner? Ending world hunger? A push for global human rights? A call for ethnic and racial tolerance?
Nope. These South Koreans are pissed about American beef imports. Yes, American beef imports. Let me say it one more time, for emphasis: AMERICAN BEEF IMPORTS.
Now, the French will riot over anything, you name it: Bread, salt, ethnic tension, just because they are students, just because they are French. This is okay, because they are French and Parisians have a long and glorious history of rioting. (For an analogous American tradition, it’s kind of like rioting at Penn State’s Arts Fest. It just isn’t Arts Fest unless someone throws a flaming couch from a seventh-story apartment onto Beaver Ave, right?) So the French – and to a much lesser extent the students of Penn State – have earned their right to public spectacle. They go crazy, and the world may or may not respond. There’s an understanding. But what do our candlelit South Koreans think they’ll accomplish just by standing around? Do government policies get changed just by standing around?
Lets talk about economics. If you buy a bunch of candles and stand in the street, this will not really impact the importing of beef in your country. It will be a windfall for candlemakers and congest your city’s streets for several hours. You may get on the cover of The New York Times, but nothing will change. However, if you snuff out those candles, go home, and stop buying American beef things might. (The concern is over mad cow disease, so why the hell are they eating beef anyways?) It’s called boycotting; it’s what anyone with a lick of sense does when an issue can hinge on purchasing power.
I honestly have no patience for things like this. Get your stupid luminarias and stupid bodies out of the way and buy South Korean beef.
:: Bibliography ::
- Sang-Hun, Choe. “Korean Leader Considers Ways to Rework Government.” The New York Times, 11 June 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/world/asia/11korea.html (21 June 2008).
- Ilbo, Dong-A. “Korean Leader Considers Ways to Rework Government.” The New York Times, 11 June 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/06/11/world/11korea.inline1.ready.html (21 June 2008).
