Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Patriotic Delusion

Patriotism can be dangerous - as delusion distorts safety & reason.

American exceptionalism is one such case, but other peoples suffer similar befuddlement. South Korea is gradually reevaluating hubris. This week's trigger is Incheon Airport (ICO), Seoul's major gateway, too often uncritically celebrated as "The World's Best Airport" ...


I've used Incheon International Airport 50 times & feel no love - services are often closed; prices are high; the exterior is good-looking, but inside design is ugly and at best unremarkable.

Incheon is located an hour outside Seoul (some 40 miles? distance somewhat fudged), and access is typically by highway bus or taxi operating at high-speed (when possible) along a very scenic mostly waterside route. It's dangerous.

Yesterday at least two people died and dozens were injured in a huge traffic pileup on foggy Yeongjong Bridge (인천 영종대교; "the world's first 3-dimensional self-anchored suspension bridge" - which cost US$1.4 billion). In hindsight, surely traffic control signage was poor, and driving pace typically furious ...   빨리빨리 !   Victims:  Rest in Peace...