Objecting/Breaking and unjust law

[rppearso]

Im sure your right, I would just prefer to keep myself out of situations like Korea unless I were there to take care of buisness (which will never happen, because we couldent even take care of buissnes in the korean war, the last time we took care of buisness was Japan in WW2 and that will likely never happen again, instead we will send thousands of our own brothers and sisters to be killed by people who are not worth the change in my pocket).

The actions of the Korean government are a result of buisness not being taken care of for to long and as long as everyone wants to tip toe through the tulips it will only get worse. The same oppressive mentality is slowly creeping into the USA.

 

[tocis]

How do you feel about unjust laws? Would you fight to uphold it because it IS a law (as some foreigners are doing)? Would you struggle to dismantle it? Would you break it and hope to avoid the concequences?

That pretty much depends on the circumstances.
A law can be unjust but hot harming anyone significantly. Say, a silly law that says that thou shalt not wear orange socks is unjust (what purpose could it possibly serve?), but if anyone can imagine how someone might be harmed if I wear orange socks anyway, pleeeease tell me!

As for laws that put others at a disadvantage for no plausible reason, I may well break them in some cases. Actually, immediately at least one (German) law comes to mind that totally flies in the face of every concept of justice... but it also forces people to give money to the state, so don't expect it to be brought down anytime soon. I guess that at the very least 80 % of all Germans, including me, routinely don't care about that law at all.
Or, on a road I traveled regularly some years ago, there was a crossroads with a "STOP" sign the necessity of which no one understood. Coming close to this crossroads you could see the crossing street for hundreds of meters in both directions, and it was not within a town or village, so no risk of any pedestrians jumping onto the road or similar. I confess that I routinely ignored this stop sign (though I did slow down of course - I'm no moron ) as long as I could see .

So, these are cases where I admit I don't follow a law slavishly. But in cases where people might get harmed due to violations, consider me keeping the law as good as possible.

 

[Merlin]

This is not a contractual issue. I still have my job. Not only that but my school division appreciates my work (and doesn't even CARE about this) to the point where I have been asked to speak at a conference to Korean teachers.

Well obviously you DON'T know right from wrong because you keep saying vepid and meaningless things without actually raising a salient point nor actually reading what I have wrote.

No, you just don't like my answer.

Did you or did you not agree to work there? It's a simple point.
Either you chose of your own free will, or you were forced.

If you chose of your own free will to go to Korea to teach, then you have an obligation to follow Korean rules.
Corruption of the government is not an issue.
If you were forced or coersed to go there, then seek help from the US government to get you out of there.

If you think it's right that the government of ANY country has the RIGHT to control AND know about ALL the actions of ANYONE residing in the country, you have an INCREDIBLY warped view of right and wrong.

I'm not speaking from a reference point of a US citizen spoiled by the luxury of US law.
It's their country. They can do as they wish.
If I don't agree, then I don't go there.

Again, according to the letter of the law, I am not allowed to travel up to seoul to go shopping; I am not allowed to go shopping for basic sustinence (let alone luxury items); I'm not even allowed to travel within Korea (as that should ACTUALLY be covered by a tourist visa and not my E2 working visa); I'm not allowed to do volunteer work in an orphanage; I'm not allowed to play guitar OUTSIDE of my house (be it in a park or in a bar) regardless of whether or not I get money; I'm not allowed to attend or participate in a poetry reading. I'm not allowed to do ANY of these things unless I tell immigration that I will do them and if I pay 30$ everytime I do it.

Welcome to reality.
It's there country.

So does that seem right, heck....REASONABLE to you?

No. But the OP said:

How do you feel about unjust laws? Would you fight to uphold it because it IS a law (as some foreigners are doing)? Would you struggle to dismantle it? Would you break it and hope to avoid the concequences? If the situation is relative, in which cases would you do what?

As a guest of the country, I would follow their rules or leave.

Who are you to tell them how to run their country?

AS I've said elsewhere, Korea is a country full of nice enough people that is being squelched and made to look like fools by their institutions.

Who are you to tell them how to run their country?

Government officials in Korea ROUTINELY take bribes (part of the gift giving culture); there is an institutionalized bias AGAINST all foreigners (to say nothing of the cultural bias); to the point where foreign publications are considered public property and don't require citations (not that it matters because professors and uni+college deans ROUTINELY plagarize)

So?
Who are you to tell them how to run their country?

If you don't like it, move to a country with more freedom.

 

[rambot]

All you keep saying merlin, again and again and again and again is the whole "It's their country. If you don't like it leave".
I can't help but think you don't understand the main issue here.

As a guest of the country, I would follow their rules or leave.

I can't help but think you are missing the implications of what I am saying. But I'm guessing that that is because you haven't grasped the whole concept of "Rule by Law". I thought I had explained that in my first (or second?) post.

Also, by the logic displayed in the above quote, I am now in a position where I can only stay in my school and teach English. I can't go home and make sweet love to my wife, play with my dog...I can't EAT FOOD or go shopping. I can ONLY teach...I can't even talk to my coworkers (unless it's talking about teaching). Basically, if I were to be following their rules I'd be killing myself by starvation.
And you say, "if you don't like it leave"...but according to the law...I CAN'T!
Is this sinking in?


The issue is not that I don't like Korea....Korea is a fine fine country. I think Korea has the potential to be an amazing place but staying in this antiquated, prejudiced and foreigner hating mindset ain't gonna make it look like an advanced nation. I don't WANT Korea to look like a bunch of hypocritical idiots. I don't want it's people to be represented by it's classless politicians.

I'm not speaking from a reference point of a US citizen spoiled by the luxury of US law.

In truth, I think it's pretty cowardly to take the position that you have. Makes a fella think that you could NEVER be an American because Americans respect freedom and common sense more than that.
You are speaking from a PERFECTLY ignorant position though don't you think? You have NO idea what the law reads: You are basically giving a government carte blanche regardless of the inanity of it all.
If Jorge Bush suddenly decide, "Hey, all you American citizens, y'all have to tell me when you are going to macdonald's before you go or you'll be breaking hte law, am I supposed to believe that you'll say, "Yess sir!" Or am I supposed to believe that you'd be SUCH a coward as to tuck tail and run: You wouldn't FIGHT an unjust law, you'd hunch over, sigh, look sad and walk away?

If you don't like it, move to a country with more freedom.

It's been my experience that people who have never had freedom taken away have NO IDEA what it really is.

*I should also point out that, with the exception of this whole issue, I am a very law abiding resident. I don't make any money illegally, I don't break any criminal law. I never get into fights. Between these three, I would consider myself in better legal stead than at LEAST half of the other foreigners in korea.


That really says something about your character merlin.