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From: mmt@dciem.UUCP (Martin Taylor)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Grenada
Message-ID: <470@dciem.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 7-Nov-83 10:35:04 EST
Article-I.D.: dciem.470
Posted: Mon Nov  7 10:35:04 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 7-Nov-83 16:31:14 EST
References: <558@ihuxw.UUCP>
Organization: D.C.I.E.M, Toronto, Canada
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===================
Regarding the question of American actions covert or otherwise
have ever resulted in something other than a repressive dictatorship,
I believe  South Korea may be an example to the contrary. US and UN
intervention via the Korean War appear to have preserved a
democratic government there. I am not an expert on internal South
Korean politics, however AND make no claim to be. It just happens
to come to mind since I know the South Koreans are generally
strongly anti-communist. Anyone else have better data?
===================

S. Korea has had a repressive dictatorship ever since
the Korean War (and to some extent before it). Many S. Korean intellectuals
welcomed the original N.Korean invasion as being a liberation from
the dictatorship of Rhee, before they discovered their mistake.
They did not welcome the second invasion (the Chinese one). After the
war, a military dictatorship was established. A couple of years ago
the dictator Park was assassinated in a manner not unlike the Grenada
murders. I don't think you can use S. Korea as a counter-example to the
generalization that US intervention leaves behind totalitarian states.
I don't think the S.Korean dictatorship is as repressive as a lot of
them. Opposition parties are tolerated to some extent, provided they
don't get too noisy and are not too obviously popular. On the other side
of the equation are murders of students and others supposed to be
opposed to the government, and the kidnapping of S.Koreans living
outside the country.

Martin Taylor

(PS My wife is from S. Korea)