In Norway the gender gap in support for left wing parties among high-school aged teenagers *doubled in size* during covid, with the increase being mostly driven by a dramatic increase in the share of teenage boys who believe "gender equality has gone too far".
Absolutely key point.
DC Blob who are now expressing surprise at the coup attempt are dishonest and cynical. Yoon’s authoritarian leanings were very visible from the get-go. They simply looked away, or even cheered him on.
The reluctance of major Beltway think tanks to confront this upheaval raises questions about independence & credibility.
Pulling punches or staying silent does a grave disservice to readers & partners who rely on them for clear-eyed analysis.
Some examples:
• Victor Cha said three times Yoon “did the right thing” by reversing decision
• CSIS said proof of 🇰🇷 democracy's "maturity & resilience"
• Wilson framed it as defending 🇰🇷s "legacy as a democracy"
• Brookings acknowledged a setback but not critical of Yoon.
The DC think tanks dependent on ROK government largesse are now backpedaling to praise Yoon for doing the "right thing" to lift the martial law he declared by respecting the National Assembly override vote. Witness a report on CNN's Situation Room with a prominent tankie guest.
Remember a few years ago when some pundits were telling the masses that South Korean democracy is a beacon of the world and that Americans can all learn something from South Korea’s vibrant democracy. Democracy is not a linear process.
Remember when the DC think tank crowd was getting massively upset over Moon's effort to stop balloon launches over the border and decrying him as a authoritarian monster?
Extremely dangerous situation in South Korea.
The likely next President is *extremely* pro-Beijing. I’ve met with party members who say the “Democratic Party embraces the One China Principle as articulated by China”.
See:
https://t.co/3usJ6g9xpK
https://t.co/RyKt8gJDw7
Literally an unarmed female lawmaker wrestled a soldier with a gun. Then she went in and voted to end the martial law. She won in every conceivable way. So fuck off, gun nuts.
News anchor-turned politician Ms. Ahn Gwi-ryeong is the one who grabbed the soldier's rifle and demanded to know if he had no shame in marching on civilians while so armed.
https://t.co/IHJvXiwPsY