I hope we can spend the coming days reflecting on and hopefully embracing the wise words of an American Statesman, Senator John McCain:

"Our great power does not mean we can do whatever we want whenever we want, nor should we assume we have all the wisdom and knowledge to succeed." 
- John McCain

"Nothing in life is more liberating than to fight for a cause larger than yourself, something that encompasses you but is not defined by your existence alone." 
- John McCain

"Our shared values define us more than our differences.  And acknowledging those shared values can see us through our challenges today if we have the wisdom to trust them again." 
- John McCain 

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Perhaps said another way, the Korean people support the democratic process and their republic's checks and balances  and separation of powers.  President Moon should heed the people's wishes.

72% of Koreans see need for ratification of inter-Korean summit declaration

koreaherald.com · by The Korea Herald · August 27, 2018
More than seven out of 10 South Koreans saw the need for parliamentary ratification of the April summit agreement between the leaders of the two Koreas, a poll showed Monday.

In the survey on 1,005 South Koreans, 71.8 percent of the respondents said that the National Assembly needs to ratify the April 27 summit declaration, while 13.6 percent opposed parliamentary approval.


People watch a TV showing a live broadcast of the inter-Korean summit, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, April 27. (Reuters)
The poll was commissioned by the parliamentary speaker's secretariat and conducted by Gallup from Aug. 21-22.

President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held a historic summit in April, which calls for North Korea's complete denuclearization and the recovery of inter-Korean relations. They held the second summit in May and will have another in September.

The survey showed that 73.5 percent of the respondents assessed that the April and May summits fared well, while 14.3 percent gave a negative assessment of the results.

It said that 87 percent think that the National Assembly should play a key role in handling security and foreign affairs.

In late May, rival parties failed to adopt a resolution to support the April summit as they differed on the wording with respect to North Korea's denuclearization. (Yonhap)


De Oppresso Liber,

David Maxwell
Senior Fellow
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Personal Email: david.maxwell161@gmail.com
Web Site: defenddemocracy.org
Twitter: @davidmaxwell161
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FDD is a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.


If you do not read anything else in the 2017 National Security Strategy read this on page 14:

"A democracy is only as resilient as its people. An informed and engaged citizenry is the fundamental requirement for a free and resilient nation. For generations, our society has protected free press, free speech, and free thought. Today, actors such as Russia are using information tools in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of democracies. Adversaries target media, political processes, financial networks, and personal data. The American public and private sectors must recognize this and work together to defend our way of life. No external threat can be allowed to shake our shared commitment to our values, undermine our system of government, or divide our Nation."