Opinion of Park Chung-Hee

[Simfan34]

FF (normal: I prefer that North Korea isn't Best Korea which it might have very well been had Park come along- South Korea could have ended up like the Philippines or even worse, South Vietnam).

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Being just effective doesn't make one an FF.

[Simfan34]

Being just effective doesn't make one an FF.

Indeed. Taking a country out of levels of poverty worse than contemporary African nations and setting it on a path of not only development, but global competitiveness, does.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

HP. I really doubt that the success of Park's economic policies was because of him specifically or would have required his other policies had it happened under somebody else.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Being just effective doesn't make one an FF.

Indeed. Taking a country out of levels of poverty worse than contemporary African nations and setting it on a path of not only development, but global competitiveness, does.

I take it you're a fan of Stalin, too?

[Simfan34]

HP. I really doubt that the success of Park's economic policies was because of him specifically or would have required his other policies had it happened under somebody else.

Indeed, which is why all those other American-backed regimes in East Asia did so well, right?

[PiMp DaDdy FitzGerald]

Mega FF for his development of South Korea and for his defense of good economic policy from true leftists.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

HP. I really doubt that the success of Park's economic policies was because of him specifically or would have required his other policies had it happened under somebody else.

Indeed, which is why all those other American-backed regimes in East Asia did so well, right?

You mean the ones whose presidents were similarly repressive to Park?

I get the point you're trying to make, I just don't think it really signifies enough to make up for the fact that he ruled as a tyrant to accomplish what he did.

[Simfan34]

SMH @ the "democracy" fetishists here. Democracy is a pleasure of the wealthy. Look at India after sixty years of "democracy"... and look at states run by leaders like Park and Chiang or Lee. Would anyone claim Indian civil society is stronger than South Korean, Taiwanese, or Singaporean civil society? Yet we are expected to condemn the latter nations for their "undemocratic periods".

[H. Ross Peron]

Dictator but at least he was competent.

[Icehand Gino]

HP, like every dictator.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

So he was competent but he cannot be, by definition, called a FF.

[politicus]

Vile creature who did horrible things to his people - being an efficient ruler doesn't change that, so HP. Furthermore a dictator can by definition not be a FF.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Massive HP (normal)

Nice to see Simfan resume his tradition of fawning over murderous dictators.

[The Dowager Mod]

Thug.

[Simfan34]

Vile creature who did horrible things to his people - being an efficient ruler doesn't change that, so HP. Furthermore a dictator can by definition not be a FF.

Can you please tell about some of these "horrible things"?

[Simfan34]

Massive HP (normal)

Nice to see Simfan resume his tradition of fawning over murderous dictators.

Can I get a list?

[Хahar 🤔]

SMH @ the "democracy" fetishists here. Democracy is a pleasure of the wealthy. Look at India after sixty years of "democracy"... and look at states run by leaders like Park and Chiang or Lee. Would anyone claim Indian civil society is stronger than South Korean, Taiwanese, or Singaporean civil society? Yet we are expected to condemn the latter nations for their "undemocratic periods".

I'd argue that it makes more sense to compare India with Nigeria than with any of those countries. Certainly you can at least recognize the absurdity of comparing a state the size of India with one the size of Singapore.