Trump wants Korea to pay more for American troops there?

Korea is the only country to pay to have American troops and bases. Subic Bay and Okinawa were American bases that the US paid a lease to the host country. American bases in Europe are funded by the US.

The US paid for the war in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries. They are paying to protect Saudi Arabian oil fields. An article  in the Wall Street Journal mentions the scope of US involvement since the oil field attacks.

The US pays for strategic military power in various regions of the world. In Korea, they have the THAAD anti-defense system. It is an early warning system for the US, in my opinion, and not of much use to Korea. There are enough missiles in North Korea to overwhelm the system and obliterate Korea many times over.

The only good thing he has done is stand up to China. It is a socialist country with undemocratic laws, extremely protectionist and unfair in trading. For example, to publish a video game in China, you need to get government approval, but they have not approved one single game from a foreign company. Only Chinese companies have gotten approval. So you have to be a minority partner in a joint venture with a Chinese company or go through a Chinese company. Either way, the business in China will be controlled by Chinese. There are seemingly endless examples of unfairness in all the other industries.

Korea can't afford to fight with China too hard. China accounts for around 42% of its trade surplus. Maybe Trump wants Korea to pay because of Korea's trade surplus, but if you follow that argument, he should be asking Japan to, at least, start to pay for US troops there.

Korea does not pay for the other countries that have military forces in Korea through the UN. Also the present situation with North Korea is not wholly due to South Korea's decisions and will, the US has the final world as the head of the military command in Korea during a war. Korea will take back command over its military forces even during wars in a few years, as agreed with the US.

The US military is all over the world and in dozens of countries, why is Korea the only country that helps pay for US forces in their country? And why does Korea have to pay more?

I don't think South Koreans are really scared by North Korea, militarily. We are more scared of China or Russia helping North Korea, and so is the US. That is one of the reasons that the US forces are still in Korea.

So, I think most people would see a sharing of the costs for US troops in Korea as logical. Asking for Korea to pay for the whole cost of US troops in Korea and related support operations in Guam and in the US ($ 4.7 billion), does not seem fair. It seems Trump is daring Korea to reject his demands and ask US troops to leave Korea.

(Updated 17 November - From an Reuters article, I found out that Japan also pays a share of the costs for US troops there and that the US wants them to pay 4 times more, around $ 8 billion for the costs. There are about 24,000 US troops in Korea and 54,000 in Japan.

Korea's Far Right Liberty Korea Party Is Full Of Former Prosecutors

The Liberty Korea Party is vehemently opposed to Cho Kuk's appointment to Minister of Justice.

Minister Cho's mission is to reform the justice system, especially the prosecutor's office. 

The Liberty Korea Party has a large number of former prosecutors as members. Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn, Speaker Na Kyung-won, Choi Kyo-il, Kwak Sang-do, former party leader Hong Jun-pyo, Chung Mi-kyung, Jeong Jeom-sik, Kim Do-eup, Kim Jae-kyung, Joo Kwang-deok and too many others to mention. 

Prosecutors are close to rich families (like owning families of business conglomerates) and are targets for grooming by the rich and powerful. They also wield a lot of power. 

I knew a few prosecutors and used to go out drinking with them and their rich friends. Once, they leave civil service, they all earn millions as lawyers. Many also seem to be selected by the conservative party to run in elections and become members of the party. 

I think they have a lot of influence over their former colleagues at the prosecutor's office and do not want reforms to stop abuses of power and corruption.

Space, Time and Energy

Space and Time are related to Gravity. Energy is related to Mass and Life.

Theorists say that in even the smallest unit of space/time, there always is a fluctuation of energy, which reacts to create strings which make up subatomic particles, which make up the world. The fluctuations add up to zero, according to leading theory.

Zero-point energy

If that is so, there doesn't need to be a "big bang" for the universe to exist. The big bang is used to explain the cosmic background radiation.

Photons do not experience time or distance.

Does light experience time?

So, radiation should not experience time or distance.

Science has seen that heavier atoms decay into lighter atoms over time. Protons are theorized to decay into radiation over time, but this have not been proven yet.

But if protons did decay, then all matter will decay into radiation (photons) in the distant future.

All those photons do not experience time or distance.

All the energy from all the matter in the universe that has decayed will be in a state without time or distance. Something like the conditions for the "big bang", but since the photons do not experience distance, there is no space to explode into. So, there is no need for the "cosmic inflation" that says everything expanded at much faster than the speed of light.

So, after a very very long time, everything will become photons, and the conditions for a big bang without cosmic inflation will be fulfilled. I heard a famous British physicist speak about this on Youtube many years ago. It sounds good to me.

Theoretically, black holes emit radiation and eventually disappear.

Stephen Hawking Was Right: Black Holes Can Evaporate, Weird New Study Shows

Korean Justice System To Be Reformed

Korean President Moon Jae-in appointed Cho Kuk as Minister of Justice despite intense opposition from conservative parties and most media. Even prosecutors are suspected of overreaching their authority in issuing unprecedented and unusually very prompt search warrants for his family and associates, in which I suspect was an attempt to find something to prevent his appointment. I am sure if they manage to uncover any crimes that Cho Kuk will not be personally involved. It is just a smear campaign, in my opinion. I can't recall having seen such intense political and media opposition to a ministerial appointment. Historic.

Moon appoints Cho Kuk as justice minister despite huge political opposition

It seems the ones in power are extremely opposed to his appointment. I wonder why. Maybe it is because he is going to reform the system to prevent habitual abuses of power by prosecutors, judges, and police, in many cases to the advantage of the conservative rich and powerful.

Almost all the polls cited in the news state that those opposed to the appointment outnumber those in favor, but the presidential site where people can register their support or opposition, those in favor of the appointment outnumbered those who are opposed by two to one.

Most Koreans agree that the justice system needs to be reformed in order to prevent past abuses, except for those who used this to their advantage.

I am sure plenty of Koreans are really glad that he was appointed, in spite of the widespread and intense campaign opposing his appointment.

How To Get Drunk, Crash Into A Motorcycle, Attempt To Switch Drivers And Still Not Get Arrested?

Live in Korea.

Netizens react to reports of rapper Noel's drunk driving and official apology by his politician father

Contrast that with smoke a joint and get arrested immediately. Something is very wrong here.

The guy's father is a politician. He shouts and yells during parliamentary hearings at ministerial candidates just because they belong to another party. Like father, like son. If it was an opposing politician's son who did this, he would be yelling that they are corrupt and scum of the earth, or something like that. And that they used their influence to help make their son a success.

Victim alleges that rapper NO:EL (Jang Yong Joon) initially attempted to conceal DUI accident

Is Japan's Abe Jealous Of Korea?

Abe has been complaining that western news media write his name in the wrong order. He wants it to be written as Abe Shinzo. And he is having the Japanese government write Japanese names in surname first order when written in English.

Japan wants to change the way we use Japanese names

Western media has been writing Korean names in the surname first order, as it is written in Korean, for years. We never had the Korean government take action to do this. It happened naturally.

I think Abe is also jealous of Korea's prosperity and overtaking of Japan in certain industries

For example, western press always writes President Moon's name in the proper order:

Moon Jae-in: TIME Person of the Year 2018 Runner Up

South Korean President Moon Jae-in's nominee for justice minister

Why has the support for South Korea's President Moon Jae-in 

Believe it or not, even the Japanese are protesting discrimination and racism against Koreans in Japan media and by Japanese right wing politicians.

Japan's Shukan Post apologizes after being blasted for discrimination toward South Koreans

Very few articles on this in English, but there are many in Korean.

Japanese protest racism against Koreans and call for goodwill (in Korean)

Japanese in Tokyo protest discrimination against Koreans (in Korean)

Where would a western professor feel comfortable slandering Koreans? Japan.

Racist Professor Calls Student 'That F***ing Korean Gook' 

Koreans have always liked Japanese products and Japan. That's one of the reasons Korea has ALWAYS had a trade deficit with Japan, ever since the end of World War II. They are our neighbors.

We just don't like radical conservative Japanese politicians who incite racism against Koreans and deny that Japan committed war crimes against Koreans (Chinese, Taiwanese, Filipinos, and others).

There was a statement in 1993 from cabinet secretary Yohei Kono, who wrote the Kono Statement, acknowledging Japan's involvement in the enslavement of "comfort women" and apologizing.

Background reading (extra credit) - Ethnic issues in Japan

The Good Things About Getting High On Pot

Let's assume that it is consumed in a healthy manner and not by smoking.

It usually helps me to relax, enjoy music, enjoy exercising, enjoy working, be less stressed, be more content, be less aggressive, have more empathy, be more inclined to exercise, be more creative, helps me to think and have much better orgasms. It makes life much interesting. Ask people who get high, if they agree with this. I am sure most will tell you that it is so.

I think if you are lazy at heart, if you get high, you will become lazy. But if you are an active person, you will still be active even if you get really stoned.

But they made pot illegal in Korea. Did you know that we use to have native Korean weed? It was strong and tasty. I am pretty certain that it is extinct now.

Imagine all the people getting high legally in the USA, Canada and other parts of the world. Remember the 60s? People getting high, spreading good vibes and stuff. A lot more people are getting high now. The effects from this should start to really show in the coming years.

Getting high is the cheapest form of entertainment and meditation that I know of. I don't need expensive cars, luxury items, or admiration of others to enjoy my life. I am sure that others who get high agree.

They keep on arresting famous people and scions of Korean business conglomerates for pot. Most media treat it as a serious crime with "reefer madness" type of reporting. Most young Koreans after hearing their idols and the rich are getting high are certainly going to wonder what they are missing. I wonder if the media knows that they are corrupting young Koreans. If they get caught getting high, it is partially the media's fault.

Arrest warrant sought for CJ Group scion on drug charges

523 drug offenders busted in March crackdown

Singer-actor Park confesses to taking drug

What a downer! Korea is still criminalizing something much less dangerous and addictive than alcohol, while allowing advertising of alcohol everywhere. Other countries are exporting the stuff, doing R&D, patenting medicines, building businesses, and much more constructive things.