I would like to thank 10 Magazine for the profile they did on the ROK Drop blog for their April issue. Like stated in the article I hope this site gives a different perspective on Korea and military related issues from a person who is actually in the military.
However, I am puzzled though on why I am considered conservative in the article? I really have no fixed ideology other than informing myself on issues before making firm opinions on them. Nothing frustrates me more than to see all the drones out there state and believe opinions simply because their fixed ideology pushed by people like Glenn Beck and Rachel Maddow tells them do so.
Anyway 10 Magazine also gives a shout out to the ROK Drop commenters. The site really does have some well informed and dedicated commenters who hopefully readers learn just as much from than simply just reading the blog postings. We really need to come up with a nickname for the site’s commenter community. Anyone have any suggestions?
![[Valid RSS]](http://rokdrop.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/valid-rss-rogers.png "Validate my RSS feed")
5:04 pm on April 4th, 2011 1
I haven't been surfing through K-blogs in a long time, so maybe some I don't know about can make a lie out of this next statement, but…
…I don't know of any other place in the blogsphere were you can hear from the contractors and others in the business community. Here and at Marmot's Hole.
That give the blog some value by itself.
Most blogs and comment sections are limited to ESLers and many with less than 3 years experience living in Korea (including Tom).
GI Korea's and Marmot's Hole are two places where people in a variety of jobs with a good number of years experience in Korea add their thoughts and knowledge.
7:48 pm on April 4th, 2011 2
Most people ASSUME that veterans and active duty military personnel are all right-wing conservatives. Not true. Yeah, many are conservative, but you shouldn't make that kind of assumption about anyone. There are some liberals and many moderates in the mix, and there are many who are apolitical.
8:33 pm on April 4th, 2011 3
Possible terms for the frequenters of this blog:
Droppings? OK, bad joke!
Droppers
Dropizens
ROKers (terrible, but a possibility)
ROKizens (even worse)
Tom's place? (couldn't help it)
ROKdroppers
ROK n droppers
8:49 pm on April 4th, 2011 4
I have an ideal for this site.
AntiKorean Commentator's Site.
9:31 pm on April 4th, 2011 5
How about Troll Busters.
9:51 pm on April 4th, 2011 6
Ditto USinKorea's comments. I like the coverage here as well as the occasional historical sidebar.
11:18 pm on April 4th, 2011 7
ROKabillies?
ROKeteers?
Droplets?
12:35 am on April 5th, 2011 8
I think the reason they assumed you were conservative is probably the same reason that I do. It appears that any political comment you make on this site is conservative based. I don't think it helps dispel the notion when you have a large cheering section of mostly conservative commentors who tend to agree with those statements in lockstep. There are a few of us who oppose those comments. But, not many. Anyway, keep blogging and I'll keep reading and countering the conservative comments.
1:37 am on April 5th, 2011 9
"I really have no fixed ideology other than informing myself on issues before making firm opinions on them. Nothing frustrates me more than to see all the drones out there state and believe opinions simply because their fixed ideology pushed by people like Glenn Beck and Rachel Maddow tells them do so."
That's pretty much the definition of "Conservative". As opposed to "Wingnut" or "Lefty"…
2:44 am on April 5th, 2011 10
Let's see:
- defends the military to the death, no matter what wrong it does
- defends Bush and his US started wars
- against the environmental movement
- hates communists
- hates China, hates both South and North Korea, and any other country that gets in the way of US foreign policy
- racist against Asians and Muslims
- loves getting into wars and US lead military adventure
- have Ronald Reagan as one of the avatars
- have put up anti-Korean web sites advocating anti-Korean movement because Koreans are allegedly anti American.
- calling people Chinese agitprop because they disagree with some US lead policy issues
- thin skinned, thick headed, ignorant, racist, stupid, and violent.
YUP. American Conservatives.
3:39 am on April 5th, 2011 11
Tom不會讀漢字. Retired GI不會話朝鮮語.
4:31 am on April 5th, 2011 12
GI Korea wrote:However, I am puzzled though on why I am considered conservative in the article?Point of clarification it's your take that's considered conservative (yeah, that sounds like splitting hairs, but).
Anyone who adheres to the harder line approach of, say, One Free Korea's "Plan B" style approach to North Korea (and I'm one of them), might end up looking conservative. But other than your publicly aired skepticism about the climate change issue and the aforementioned Plan B, I don't think there's anything that stands out as conservative (well, I guess a presumption that as a military person you have supported Bush era military ventures).
But there's nothing wrong with being a conservative or liberal as long as one is well reasoned and allows their views to be challenged from time to time. I don't think it was meant as an insult; I think it was just something for some of the just-out-of-college liberal students so they wouldn't be put off by the thought of a "military" blog. It's too bad, I suppose, that that has to happen.
4:33 am on April 5th, 2011 13
GI Korea wrote:
Point of clarification it's your take that's considered conservative (yeah, that sounds like splitting hairs, but).
Anyone who adheres to the harder line approach of, say, One Free Korea's "Plan B" style approach to North Korea (and I'm one of them), might end up looking conservative. But other than your publicly aired skepticism about the climate change issue and the aforementioned Plan B, I don't think there's anything that stands out as conservative (well, I guess a presumption that as a military person you have supported Bush era military ventures).
But there's nothing wrong with being a conservative or liberal as long as one is well reasoned and allows their views to be challenged from time to time. I don't think it was meant as an insult; I think it was just something for some of the just-out-of-college liberal students so they wouldn't be put off by the thought of a "military" blog. It's too bad, I suppose, that that has to happen.
4:34 am on April 5th, 2011 14
GI Korea, I forgot where you recently asked about this, but improvements to this site would include (a) a comment editing function and (b) neat little buttons that helped us input bold, italics, links, and blockquotes.
4:38 am on April 5th, 2011 15
Kangaji—that's just rude. You know I don't read that chicken scratch. But I don't mind. By only concern is that you have tom and I in the same sentence. Just rude.
GI Korea, they think you are conservative because you are not in lock-step with the Liberal Loons. You are not Liberal ENOUGH for them to claim you as their own.
But you're not conservative enough to be claimed by the Right (if I may be so bold & fresh) so I guess we can say that you are "Far and Balanced".
As an aside note: I knew many Liberals in the Army.
They hated Condi Rice. "She ain't one a us!"
6:28 am on April 5th, 2011 16
Oh, and how could I have forgotten this one?
- Illiterate southern American hick with front tooth missing, that lives in the hill, gun toting, gun loving, have sex with guns, have bullets as necklaces, lives inside a bunker, dreams of owning more guns, and convinced that the North Koreans have infiltrated the American government.
YUP, American Conservative.
7:21 am on April 5th, 2011 17
Tom, you're a zipperhead…
8:40 am on April 5th, 2011 18
setnaffa 9 agrees, GI Korea is conservative. Here's an example I can think of. There's a thread for the mental gymnastics of liberals about the Libyan situation. Nothing about the mental gymnastics of conservatives, until I added a couple of comments.
8:49 am on April 5th, 2011 19
No no… two different sentences. You replied to it and Tom didn't so I'm assuming both didn't understand.
8:55 am on April 5th, 2011 20
It says "Tom can't read chinese characters. Retired GI doesn't speak Korean." I used Korean Chinese characters so nobody could google translate it.
9:20 am on April 5th, 2011 21
Kangaji wrote:
Retired GI doesn't speak North Korean.
I could recognize only some of the characters (I know 不, 漢字, and 朝鮮語, but I had to channel back to Japanese class for 話, and the rest I had no idea), but Google Translator does recognize them.
Also, I have two attractive PRC nationals on either side of me at this moment that could have done this for me.
9:21 am on April 5th, 2011 22
GI deserves all the credit for making ROK Drop a great blog. I'm just a minor contributor here.
Political labeling of bloggers can be interesting. Take for instance my own experience at my home blog.
I've been called a hysterical right winger by Daily Kos(A leading liberal blog)
I've been referred to as a moonbat(A left wing nut) by Michelle Malkin(Arguably the biggest conservative blogger)
And called middle of the road by Florida political blogger Jim Johnson/State of Sunshine.
So what am I?
9:23 am on April 5th, 2011 23
I'd have pegged GI Korea as a conservative and many of the commenters too. So what? Unless you start adding phrases like "lock step" and "looney".
There is nothing wrong with having a general liberal or conservative view of things.
The site is open to all points of view – including Tom's racist race-baiting and trolling. It's a blog. Not the media. And the media's claim of objectivity is a hillarious joke by now…
9:27 am on April 5th, 2011 24
USINKOREA write-
Whereas this ROK contributor spent parts of 4 glorious days in South Korea freezing my butt off and being fed nothing but salisbury steak for two days by my keepers.
My personal experience in Asia, other than tourist stuff, involves the Philippines where I was stationed at Subic 1987-89 and am still married to my Filipina wife who I met while stationed there.
10:05 am on April 5th, 2011 25
23 usinkorea, are you really Bill O'reilly?
22 bill, you lean to the left, but not to the point of walking in "lock-step" and being a "Loon".
Happy to hear your wife is still keeping you on track.
20 & 21. I don't speak as much as I used too. I assume the DPRK is a bit different.
12:49 pm on April 5th, 2011 26
Being in favor of a strong military tends to be taken as a condervative position.
1:03 pm on April 5th, 2011 27
Oh, awesome Kushibo! I wondered if anybody would catch that!
1:06 pm on April 5th, 2011 28
Oh yeah and Kushibo did you get my e-mail from a few days ago?
3:43 pm on April 5th, 2011 29
Methinks the name for the commenter community is fairly obvious. We are all ROK Heads.
4:05 pm on April 5th, 2011 30
There are a few ROKtards.
11:38 pm on April 5th, 2011 31
ROK Heads is pretty good. What about the Drop Outs?
In response to Kushibo at 13, it puzzles me that people would label Plan B as conservative. It is an option not an ideology. It is an option that even President Obama has pretty much come around to supporting which to his credit has led to a better North Korea policy than before.
It is kind of the same thoughts I have with the global warming issue. Why should it be conservative to expect honest science and open debate on an issue of such scientific importance?
11:43 pm on April 5th, 2011 32
In response to 23, I like to have a variety of opinions on the site to challenge assumptions. This blog wouldn't be fun to upkeep if it was just an echo chamber which is what many websites turn into. If you can believe it I'm not right on everything and it is good to have a place to exchange ideas to better inform oneself instead of withdrawing into echo chambers to avoid having ones assumptions challenged.
6:26 am on April 6th, 2011 33
Rico's Roughnecks!
6:27 am on April 6th, 2011 34
Obscure Starship Troopers reference for anyone who didn't get it.
6:30 am on April 6th, 2011 35
Perhaps the columnist got you confused with RETIRED GI, assuming he was you. However that would be some rather shoddy journalism.
6:32 am on April 6th, 2011 36
Ok, RokDrop Roughnecks.
7:03 am on April 6th, 2011 37
a listener wrote:
Hey!!!! I resemble that remark.
7:22 am on April 6th, 2011 38
31 I'm good with Rok Heads or Drop outs. But Rok Heads would be the better of the two. You can make up T-shirts!
8:25 am on April 6th, 2011 39
"There are a few ROKtards."
Hey! I resemble this and proudly so!
You can't use "ROK" in the naming, it represents a nation and moves away from the specificity of this site. The naming has to have "Drop" in it somehow.
9:33 am on April 6th, 2011 40
#38 Not only that but the ROK heads could follow GI Korea around the country in a ragtag caravan. We could pan handle, get our old ladies to smear their mascara and hit up strangers for gas money (or baby formula) at rest stops in the wee hours of the morning… Hell we could steal radiators out of cars and sell them for the aluminum.
/not that I've ever participated in activities such as mentioned above
1:05 pm on April 6th, 2011 41
^ *Futurama Nixon voice* "And we'll go into peoples homes at night, and wreck up the place"!!
3:48 pm on April 6th, 2011 42
I believe that their point was proven by the fact that you think Glen Beck and Rachel Maddow are equivalents.
Glen Beck is a raving lunatic, as you implied.
Rachel Maddow gives a brilliant, well-informed "left-wing" approach to news, and people who watch her show, left or right, are better educated for watching it.
If you think they're equivalents, you're a right wing nut.
4:29 pm on April 6th, 2011 43
I should include, "Or you never actually watched an episode of Rachel Maddow, and you've fallen for the right wing propaganda about her."
Which is a little nicer than being a right wing nut.
4:31 pm on April 6th, 2011 44
As the journalist in question, I thought it would be appropriate to offer a response to GI Korea's bafflement about my labeling him as "conservative."
In the gaping ideological divide seen today, the terms "liberal" and "conservative" have become words of criticism as much as they are descriptive of an actual position. Given this situation, perhaps I shouldn't have used the term at all. I certainly wasn't intending to make a personal judgment of whether I agree or disagree with the political viewpoints sometimes evident here.
I simply was trying to say that, in my reading of GI Korea's posts, his politics tend to lean conservative. There was no subtext attributing to him any set ideology or agenda.
I've enjoyed reading this blog during my time in Korea and referring to it as a source of useful and oftentimes humorous info. If there's a political edge to it at times, so much the better. There are few people more boring than those without a point of view.
4:37 pm on April 6th, 2011 45
Thank you sir, and well said.
5:32 pm on April 6th, 2011 46
Someone suggested ROK Droppers,
the Dropouts, the droppings, and ROKers
but with Don't Ask Don't Tell
all gone to hell
perhaps we should call 'em C0CK Knockers.
9:41 pm on April 6th, 2011 47
@43 – You are making the assumption I watch Glenn Beck. I can count on one hand the number of times I have watched Glenn Beck or Rachel Maddow and I was not impressed by either of them. It was nothing more than info-tainment for the people who follow those shows. If you get the majority of your information from watching these shows than you are unfortunately misinformed.
If I want info-tainment I will watch Jon Stewart, at least he is funny.
11:55 am on April 7th, 2011 48
Absolutely wrong, and you've proven your ignorance when discussing Maddow. It's OKAY not to watch every TV show, but you can't tell LIES about the ones you don't watch and are ignorant of. Maddow is not "info-tainment". She delivers one of the most informative and insightful shows on TV every night, while Beck delivers propaganda and lies bordering on insanity. That's a fact whether you're on the right or left. You don't get to argue otherwise. You don't get your own facts. Sorry.
Again, you've implied she's the equivalent of Beck, and thereby again proven your right-wing bent. You can either admit that Maddow is informative and full of useful information, or you get to be a right-wing nut. You don't get it both ways.
12:31 pm on April 7th, 2011 49
@48 – The Beck fans I'm sure will say that Beck "delivers one of the most informative and insightful shows on TV every night, while Maddow delivers propaganda and lies bordering on insanity." They both provide echo chamber information for their audiences and make a lot of money doing so. If you want to watch those shows fine, I'll stick to John Stewart for my info-tainment.
12:57 pm on April 7th, 2011 50
In all sincerity, out of the whole bunch I think Jon Stewart is one of the more trustworthy and intellectually honest. It's kind of sad that a comedian might be the most trustworthy man in America.
1:11 pm on April 7th, 2011 51
Didn't Uncle Walter sell out to the Viet Kong after Tet?
1:23 pm on April 7th, 2011 52
GI Korea, you starting to understand now? You see how Steve shuts you down for trying to be neutral. I watch Beck daily. I have nothing better to do at that time and the SciFi channel sucks these days. As for Steve's declaration that beck lies, I would like an "example". But I will not hold by breath.
Beck MUST be onto something. You never hate people that are just wrong. I also watch Freedom watch with Judge Napolitano on Fox Business. Again, if nothing of entertainment value is on. I will plead guilty to being a "Right Wing Nut". I feel no shame at all in that title. I own more than one weapon "gun". I do NOT attend any so called Church. I am proud of my country and feel that smaller government is needed. The Left is a threat to this. Along with many Republicans. Beck, as a beck fan mind you, has his own style. I would not call it delivering the most informative and insightful of programs. Hannity gets closer to that description, at least in my view.
I would tell you to keep an open mind, but I don't feel I need too. You seem quite able to do that without my input. I also watch Stewart from time to time. He is funny. It is a comedy. I was afraid he would not survive a Democrat as President. But he did rally much better than most liberals after bush. Don't bother to respond to this. The Liberals will get mad at you if you do.
1:33 pm on April 7th, 2011 53
#51 I thought it was DURING Tet. The perception overwhelmed the reality. You know the rest of the story.
1:35 pm on April 7th, 2011 54
#53 …and that's the way it is.
1:44 pm on April 7th, 2011 55
Walter was a fool. The American people listened. He did it for ratings. I feel contempt for the man and his memory.
11:19 pm on April 7th, 2011 56
Mr. GI (#52), here is an entire article on many of the insanity:
http://mediamatters.org/research/201104060047
And Mr. GI Korea, I appreciate your attempt to stay in the middle, but I just get tired of false, BS equivalences. Maddow is NOT the equivalent of Beck. She's a doctor in politics from Oxford, while Beck is a former drug addict who only managed to get out of high school.
Your argument above is the equivalent of, "I'm sure some people believe the world is flat, while others say it's round, so I'll just believe it's oval and that'll split the difference." It doesn't work that way.
You can watch any episode of Maddow and count the facts and pieces of information that she has shared herself or elicited from her very brilliant guests. Almost in the same way you can watch Beck and count the many types of propaganda and he uses.
And you can – if you know what propaganda is. If you don't Google it. There are concrete, actual propaganda techniques, such as using charged language, glittering generalities, etc.
Beck uses them every night. Maddow doesn't. That is a FACT. You can disagree with her, you can hate her show and never watch it, and you can think her politics are wrong, but you CANNOT accuse her of being the equivalent of Beck – not if you still want to be considered in the middle. Or rational for that matter.
2:22 am on April 8th, 2011 57
Steve. Beck broke the Brazil oil deal Obama made with Petrobras months before it was approved. I made money on the deal. If that is "insanity", I want more.
I never heard of George Soros, until beck spoke of him. Nor Van Jones, who was "let go" thanks to beck.
I understand that you have no thoughts of your own and had little option but to link to
media matters 
. Also something that I had not heard of except for beck speaking of it on the show.
Thanks to you linking to them, I see that beck was right about the left. Now if you have any thoughts (of your own) any lies, or misinformation, I would be delighted to hear it.
Thanks to beck, I have read "Rules for Radicals" by Saul d. Alinsky. It has been used to great effect in Wisconsin protest by the Left as of late. Also "The Coming Insurrection" is on my list to read. I'm afraid it might be beyond me, but It is short, so why not. Currently soon to finish "Lies the Government told you" by Judge Andrew P. Napolitano.
I repeat, beck must be onto something. Why else would you and the Left be so "up in arms about him? You're not upset about O'reilly! But Mr. O is pretty soft these days. Often I switch over to Fox Business and watch the Judge instead.
But for any that might be so inclined: The Blaze.com
Even never seeing Maddow, I am sure she is not the "equivalent" of beck. I mean really, who is? He is one of a kind—period. He has stated often (too damn often) about rising above his troubles. I can respect someone that has recovered on his own.
Much more so than someone that has had all the advantages and opportunity. Much more so than someone that has had all the "education". They should succeed. So it is nothing special.
Then you add that all these "intellectuals" are after little ole beck?
Now THAT is entertainment! 
To be honest, I thought beck was making it up. All the BS about the Left. I thought he was just trying to pump up his image.
But you Steve. You proved that beck was telling the truth. That is funny. Thanks for the entertainment Steve — and proving beck was not just boosting his ego. Too Funny!
Hey, GI Korea. Steve doesn't think you know what "propaganda" means. That's funny too. Does he think you're an idiot?
Well, that's the Left for you. If you're not in "lock-step" with them, you're an idiot.
So much for the "tolerant" Left.
11:27 am on April 11th, 2011 58
@Steve, here is an example of the informed analysis you get from Maddow (HT: Glans for the link). Doesn't sound much better than Beck. It doesn't matter what schools they went to if all they are providing is echo chamber info-tainment for their specified audiences.
8:02 pm on April 14th, 2011 59
So you've gone to a wingnut website that tries to pick apart everything she says. This brings us back to the original hypothesis – you have a right-wing bent in your thinking and perspective.
There's nothing wrong with being conservative. We're all Americans here trying to do what we think is best for the country. We get to argue and discuss and debate. Just don't claim to be in the middle when you're really on the right.
That's the little trick the right wing uses to push the whole discussion to the right – and remember that on the extreme left you have Communism and on the extreme right you have Fascism, and we none of us like either of those.
Equate Beck with Dr. Maddow and you're obviously trying to convince the middle-of-the-roaders who don't pay much attention to politics to ignore a very intelligent and helpful perspective on our current political discussion by lumping her in with a nut that's too crazy even for Faux News. ("Obama's a racist," says Beck. That guy's just a moron.)
Oh, and Retired GI – look up "Slippery Slope" which is the form of propaganda technique you used in your last paragraph after rambling rather incoherently for a few other paragraphs. But I'm sure the Beck watchers understood every word you said. The rest of us are left mystified.
It is kind of funny though that the only people left in this conversation are a Beck fan, a Maddow fan and the blog operator.
Still like your blog by the way. You perform a great service.
9:59 pm on April 14th, 2011 60
And there it is GI Korea. Steve sees you as right wing. I see you as leaning to the left.
What I really find interesting is that Steve admitted that I (representing the right) "mystify" him. You can go from that statement and conclude that the Left in general lacks the ability to understand the right.
Also that the truth is seen as a "propaganda technique" by the left. Little ole me? Use a "technique"? I wouldn't know how to do that. I'm just an old retired GI.
10:34 pm on April 14th, 2011 61
@59 – Well I am sure Glans is going to have a good laugh that called Bob Somerby a wing nut.
@60 – I consider myself center-right like most people in the US.
12:09 pm on April 15th, 2011 62
What the hell is the left and right these days?
We have a liberal left-wing community organizing sociialist in office who continued two wars, started a third, increased the police state, continued indefinite detention, extended a tax break for the rich, bailed out management while ignoring labor, and hasn't made a peep about gun control.
I thought Bazaaro World ended when Bush left office.
10:54 pm on April 15th, 2011 63
62 ChickenHead, the Bazaaro World only became more bazaar with the election of the apologist in chief who bows to other world leaders. How can you think Bazaaro world ended when we elected a nice looking young black man based on the phrase "hope and Change" that has zero track record in politics. The more we learn about him, the more Bazaar it becomes.
The 2012 election is going to be entertaining like no other. (obviously I need to get some outside interest)