[Opinion] Salmon and Churchill

A politician called himself ‘a salmon’ not long ago. The so-called salmon was none other than Rep. Song Seok-chan of the ruling Millennium Democratic Party. He referred to himself as a salmon some two years ago in a letter to then president Kim Dae-jung as his party arranged four of its members, including Song, for the United Liberal Democrats. He has come back exactly to where he was born.

A few days ago, he called George W. Bush a devil, “Disguised as a guardian of world peace, George W. Bush is destroying one of the mankind’s first civilizations.” He even went on to insist that this country also developed nuclear weapons to deter war in the Korean Peninsula.

In fact, Rep. Song said just the same two days before Bush visited Seoul in February last year. It seems that he wants the world to see him as the nation`s leading anti-American activist. Yet, he should stop slanting the leader of his country`s closest ally. We may tolerate a salmon playing dirty in the river (at home) but really shouldn’t let salmon swim into sea (abroad) without proper restraints. This would only cause shame and totally go against our national interest. We worry if his absurd demand on nuclear weapons might be seen internationally as the ruling party acknowledged North Korea`s nuclear program.

‘Words’ are an important means of persuasion in politics. If politicians fail to live up to certain standards of using words, therefore, politics are bound to go astray. One of the reasons the public turns their back against politics in this country must be due to their irresponsible way of saying things. The fact that lawmakers say absurd things might hardly seem a surprise to people, who have heard their president use some slang expressions such as ‘out of whack’ and ‘heads’. After all these words, who knows the angered public wants to reduce the ‘heads’ of ‘out of whack’ politicians?

What is more important than the way words are delivered is the message they carry. We do not lack eloquently-speaking politicians, but there are few capable of giving a genuine speech that can touch people`s hearts. The great leader Winston Churchill asked his people to shed sweat, blood and tears for their country, instead of complaining that ‘he could not do his job’. Will it be only a dream to wish for a statesman like Churchill in this country, where politicians have the old habit of making irresponsible and lowly remarks like Mr. Song?

songmh@donga.com