June 21, 2010

  As previously mentioned, Choongsan University was almost entirely male. If someone designed a men’s college, would it look like this? Amid this, Ko Ye-eun, dubbed the campus goddess, switched from Food and Nutrition to Microbiology, transferring classes. The male students were visibly glum. Gamamusa clapped to grab their attention. “Alright, everyone! Focus! No need to mope! Ko Ye-eun didn’t fit our class anyway! More women will come, so don’t sweat it! But don’t switch to Microbiology thinking it’ll help! I’ll guarantee your jobs!” The students remained downcast. To cheer them up, Gamamusa decided to share some TMI, as usual.

  He wrote on the blackboard: The Law of Enemy Preservation. Next to it, in English: The Law of Enemy Preservation. The students were puzzled by his rare use of English. “You all know the Law of Energy Conservation. I derived this law from it. Listen up—this explains why humanity wages wars, something you future soldiers are curious about.” The students perked up. Female students pulled out laptops to take notes. Gamamusa pinned a map of Europe to the board, showing Russia, Western Europe, and Ukraine in between.

  “…You probably don’t know the current situation between Europe and Russia. Recently, in Ukraine—a buffer zone—pro-Western and pro-Russian politicians clashed, sparking conflict. It’s tragic. Looks like war might break out in Ukraine soon.” The students were skeptical, unfamiliar with Ukraine. Gamamusa wrote numbers 1 to 3 on the board, followed by: 1. Total War, 2. Peace and Alliance, 3. Overwhelming the Opponent. He turned to them. “These are the attitudes hostile factions can take. Post-Cold War, these three options have defined the divide between the West and Russia.” The students nodded; the choices seemed reasonable.

  He pointed to the first number. “Total war is when two factions clash head-on. In World War II, Germany and the Soviet Union allied to defeat Poland but soon broke their pact. Germany planned to attack the Soviets with Japan, while the Soviets teamed up with the U.S. against Germany. As a result, the Soviets and U.S. split Eurasia.” He marked the Cold War on the map. “In 1945, as the war with Germany ended, Winston Churchill proposed Operation Unthinkable to backstab and invade the Soviets, much like Germany betrayed them after Poland. The U.S. also planned to nuke and invade China during the Korean War. These plans were scrapped. Why didn’t the U.S. and Soviets fight? Simple: Germany and the Soviets saw each other as potential enemies while facing Poland. After dividing Poland, they became enemies. When the Soviets and U.S. defeated Germany, they viewed each other as potential enemies. After Germany fell, they became enemies. But post-Germany, they couldn’t attack each other. Why? Because defeating the other would leave no enemy to fight.”

  The students looked confused. Gamamusa pointed to the second number. “…Peace and alliances were tried by both the West and Russia. NATO wasn’t initially anti-Soviet. They didn’t let West Germany join to curb German rearmament, and in 1954, the Soviets applied to join NATO, which was considered. But it fell through, and when West Germany joined in 1955, the Soviets criticized NATO as an anti-communist bloc, forming the Warsaw Pact to counter it.” He shook his head. “In the 1990s, after the Soviet collapse, Boris Yeltsin considered NATO membership, but China’s opposition blocked it.” He pointed back to the first number. “Russia asked NATO not to expand eastward, but NATO did anyway. It wasn’t total war, but it wasn’t peace either.”

  He pointed to the third number. “None of you think Russia’s weak, right? They’ve got the world’s second-strongest military and the largest nuclear arsenal. But how does their power compare to Western Europe?” He gestured to Western Europe. “Four NATO countries historically invaded Russia: France, Germany, Poland, and Turkey. Plus, Britain outmatched Russia’s navy. NATO Europe’s population is four times Russia’s, and its GDP dwarfs Russia’s. Yet, their military is pathetic.” He tsked. “Sixty percent of NATO’s defense budget comes from the U.S. Western Europe pays less than half. Their armies are tiny compared to Russia’s, and Britain’s navy lags behind Russia’s. And get this—two NATO countries have nukes: Britain and France. France’s De Gaulle once said, ‘Would you sacrifice New York to save Paris?’ and withdrew from NATO’s nuclear program. France has 290 warheads, Britain 225—peanuts compared to the U.S. and Russia’s 5,000-plus. With their economic power, they could’ve built thousands. They rely on the U.S.’s military might, but if NATO invested like Russia or the U.S., they’d crush Russia easily. Yet, they don’t try to overpower Russia.”

  Gamamusa erased the three numbers and words. “If the West or Russia had chosen any of these, history would be different. Peace or total war would’ve unified them, ending wars. If Europe had overwhelmed Russia with nukes, the West wouldn’t fear Russia’s arsenal and could pressure them. But neither chose total war, peace, nor dominance. Observing their actions, only one goal remains.” He wrote on the board: 4. Creating Enemies. “…The West and Russia’s goal is to create enemies—not just any enemies, but ones they can fight on equal terms.”

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