At a recent town hall meeting at Grissom High School Mo Brooks made an offhand comment praising South Korea’s freedom loving people, contrasting them to the North Koreans. He stated that he believed that their economic miracle was directly related to their love of freedom.
I could not agree more. The people of South Korea are a democratic society that has experienced an economic miracle over the last several decades. While part of that miracle is due in part to the defense assistance we provide them, the majority of their advances are due to their own hard work and commitment that they have made to the betterment of their own society.
Koreans enjoy one of the best public school systems in the world, in part due to strict federal standards and high teacher salaries that attract high achieving applicants.
Koreans enjoy the fastest broadband Internet speeds in the world, thanks to strict an energetic federal regulation of the telecom industry.
When automaker Kia went bankrupt in the late 1990’s, the government took over the firm (bailout) until the eventual takeover by Hyundai was arranged. Jobs were saved and the company now thrives as a part of the larger Hyundai Company.
Koreans also spend only 6.4% of their GDP on medical care (2006 -according to the CDC) even though they have universal single payer medical care. We in the 15.3% US spent that same year even though we have gaping holes in our medical system.
So Mo was right. There is definitely something to admire about these freedom loving people. Perhaps one of their most admirable qualities is that the people make the system work for their own good.
