This Thanksgiving I was thankful that I have a family that’s there for me. Living such a long time away from home reminded me how I took a loving family for granted. Even though I’m no longer a permanent resident of my house, I didn’t feel any different. I felt exactly the same as I did in high school, just enjoying the break with family and friends. My home computer was taken over, but that’s forgivable when you got a shiny new laptop for college. Besides the good food, I missed the average conversation at the dinner table. I also missed my dog so much. It felt weird saying goodbye to my parents when I’m going to be back in just two weeks. I find it funny that people quickly change their minds as to where they want to be. When you’re at home, you wish you were at college; when you’re in college, you wish you were home.
This Thanksgiving I was thankful of my family, as well as for not living on Yeonpyeong Island. I don’t know what’s scarier, the possibility of a full scale war or living in constant fear of attacks. While I’m pretty sure North Korea doesn’t want a full-on war, I’m not optimistic that the whole situation will end on a happy note. South Korea so far hasn’t taken North Korea’s taunts strongly enough to take it to the next level, but the new President might respond differently. The reluctance of China to condemn North Korea’s actions is too bad. I don’t think it would be in China’s best interest to associate itself with such a country as North Korea. If China wants to grow into a major superpower, it would be beneficial to ally itself with countries that have good reputations. Even though I understand that China doesn’t want to look like its taking orders from the U.S. and South Korea, I think China would gain an improved record for helping tame a problematic neighbor.
I agree with you that it would probably not be a good idea for China to align itself with North Korea. China not condemning North Korea's actions almost makes it seem like China is supporting North Korea's actions, which could make China look like an enemy to other countries (such as the U.S.).
ReplyDeleteLike constructivism advocates, a country's actions forms its identity. China could be creating an identity that, in the eyes of the U.S. and its allies, be more aligned with "enemies" and against the interests of the U.S.