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South Koreans Unite to Defeat Dictatorship Decree - The Wednesday AM Quickie 12/4/24

By Corey Pein —

"Brain rot" is the word of the year, according to Oxford University Press, publishers of the Oxford English Dictionary. It's hard to argue with that, even though, or especially because, it's actually two words. Also, workers at the Guardian are on strike, so honor the digital picket line today! - Corey

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THE BIG NEWS

Forces of Democracy Peacefully Repel Shock Martial Law Decree in South Korea

A corrupt and unpopular right-wing leader with a slim electoral mandate and facing growing threats to his power outlaws the opposition, labeling it an internal enemy allied with menacing external forces, and declares martial law: It's a scenario that many Americans fear with the looming return of wannabe "Day One" dictator Donald Trump.

It happened yesterday in South Korea. But thanks to urgent, concerted action by the legislative opposition, joined by members of the ruling party – and an outraged public who dared to confront armed soldiers surrounding the National Assembly – the authoritarian decree was reversed only six hours after President Yoon Suk Yeol announced it. Instead of ruling as a dictator with absoulte power, Yoon now faces the prospect of his impeachment and removal from office. South Korea has an unfortunate history with martial law and dictatorship, but it could still offer important lessons for other countries facing rising authoritarianism, so we'll be sure to help you keep tabs on this in the days and weeks ahead.

Yoon's somewhat nonsensical late-night declaration caught most, but not all, South Koreans by surprise. For its part, the military leadership acted immediately to enforce Yoon's order, deploying armed and masked soldiers backed up by helicopters to surround the parliament building.

But protesters in great numbers quickly and bravely swarmed the soldiers, who fortunately refused to fire on civilians even when they grabbed the barrels of the soldiers' rifles. "I'm sorry," one soldier could be seen repeating on video. The crucial refusal to obey was widespread. Although strikes were explicitly forbidden by the decree, South Korea's largest umbrella labour union called an "indefinite general strike" until Yoon resigns. And while the martial law decree put the government in control of the media, the morning newspapers, including the conservative Chosun Ilbo, condemned Yoon's actions.

Lawmakers also defied Yoon and the military, calling the declaration an illegal coup d'etat. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party livestreamed himself climbing a wall so he could vote to overturn martial law. Legislative staffers fended off the soldiers with fire extinguishers. By acting together, the pro-democracy forces in society forced Yoon to back down.

President Joe Biden, a key Yoon ally, has not yet had much to say about this. The Washington Post reports that Yoon did not inform the US about his plans; US military commanders were also "unable to reach their counterparts" in South Korea during the crisis. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said yesterday that "our alliance with the ROK is ironclad" while calling for a peaceful and lawful resolution of "any political disputes."

Now comes a period of seeking accountability, not only for Yoon, but for police officers and soldiers who may beheld "legally responsible" for "physical damage and illegal acts" during the six hours of martial law.

Supreme Court Hears Major Trans Rights Case Today

The Supreme Court hears oral arguments today on a case that could decide the fate and well-being of transgender youth across the country. Assigned Media has an explainer on the case, US v. Skrmetti, which notes that trans youth and their families, as well as anti-trans bigots, will be rallying outside the court; Vox's Ian Millhiser also discussed the case on MR yesterday. The Biden administration and the American Civil Liberties Union are representing trans teens and their parents in the case, with Tennessee Republican Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti arguing the state's position in favor of a ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The Washington Post interviews one family of a trans teen, LW, who are parties to the case; LW says that transitioning with help from puberty blockers and hormone therapy rescued her mental health from gender dysphoria and allowed her to thrive. Meanwhile in Montana, a Republican measure to ban trans Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr from State Capitol bathrooms failed at the committee level due to a lack of GOP support, NBC News reports.

Trumpocalypse: Billionaire Defense Contractor Tapped for No. 2 Job at Pentagon

  • Fox News Staff Say Pete Hegseth Was Often Drunk on-Air, 'Absolutely Wasted' at Parties Wannabe Defense Secretary "Hegseth's wife has joined him in many of the meetings [with Republican Senators this week], a move that some on Capitol Hill say is an attempt to make it more difficult for senators to ask him directly about sexual assault allegations." via NBC News and the Washington Post.
  • Trump's DEA Nominee Withdraws Without Explanation Republicans criticized Hillsborough County Sheriff, Florida Chad Chronister, for arresting a Tampa pastor who violated quarantine orders during the Covid pandemic in 2020, showing "reckless disregard for human life." via Politico.
  • Trump Lawyers Cite Hunter Biden Pardon in Seeking Dismissal of New York Hush Money Conviction "The filing contends another reason the case should be tossed is Trump's 'extraordinary service' to the country," claiming that "Trump's civic and financial contributions to this City and the Nation are too numerous to count." via NBC News.
  • Canadian Ministers Seek Reassure Themselves and the Public That Trump Doesn't Really Want to Annex Their Country "Was it just a joke, though?" a reporter asked Liberal Justice Minister Arif Virani, who responded "Merci. Thank you," and brought the press conference to an end. via Politico.

QUICKEST QUICKIES: Trump Corruption Edition

  • AOC May Run to Take Over House Oversight Committee, Making Her the Face of Opposition to Trump The Squad Rep. from New York may run for the position if the current occupant, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, takes over the Judiciary Committee; if she runs, Ocasio-Cortez could face Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly, Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois and Ro Khanna of California. via Politico.
  • China Bans US Exports of Rare Minerals Used to Make Computer Chips and Military Hardware "The move comes a day after the Biden administration tightened Chinese access to advanced American technology." via the New York Times and the Associated Press.
  • 'Oil-Rich Nations' Sabotage UN Treaty Talks to Cut Plastic Pollution Panamanian delegate Juan Carlos Monterrey Gómez called the collapse of the talks a "moral failure," concluding, "we may have been delayed, but we will not be stopped." via the Washington Post.
  • Biden's Labor Department Proposes Ending Subminimum Wages for Disabled Workers – But Trump May Decide Some disabled workers "are making pennies on the hour" under a Depression-era law, Wage and Hour Division deputy administrator Kristin Garcia says. "This is fundamentally about equity and inclusion." via the Post.

SOME NUMBER

$11 billion

That's how much Vietnamese property and banking tycoon Truong My Lan must repay to avoid the death penalty after being convicted of embezzlement and bribery totaling $12.5 billion, or 3 percent of Vietnam's gross domestic product, a court ruled yesterday. Most of the estimated 122 executions Vietnamese authorities carried out last year were for drug-related offenses, according to Amnesty International.

ON THE SHOW TODAY

11/27: It's Hump Day! Sam and Emma discuss the biggest headlines of the day.

DON'T MISS MR CLIPS‌

Dem Establishment's Addiction to Money in Politics on Full Display

Sam ties it all together with some video from South Korea.

Trump's Fake Populism

This suit-and-tie style billionaire "populism" is really just fascism.

PARTING WORDS

"'President Biden and President-elect Donald Trump now agree on one thing: The Biden Justice Department has been politicized.' Does that sound familiar? I rest my case."

-- Indicted New York City Mayor-Cop Eric Adams, "smiling" as he quoted a New York Times article about Biden's pardon for his son Hunter at a press conference yesterday. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sen.-elect Adam Schiff yesterday criticized the pardon, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Biden should "exercise the high level of compassion he has consistently demonstrated throughout his life, including toward his son, and pardon on a case-by-case basis the working-class Americans in the federal prison system whose lives have been ruined by unjustly aggressive prosecutions for nonviolent offenses."

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