Attack of the Foreign Frogs

When I was in Korea, I laughed at how hopelessly xenophobic Koreans were. One memorable example—memorable enough that I clipped it to make the point--was a newspaper story reporting with alarm that larger foreign frogs were invading Korea. Then a later story reported triumphantly that the brave local frogs, though smaller, were beating up on the evil foreigners.

Then when I returned to Canada, almost the same story showed up almost immediately in a local paper. Large American frogs were invading and wiping out the poor pacifist Canadian frogs.

Canadians, just like Koreans, blame problems on foreigners. Maybe all nations do. The only difference is that Koreans blame all foreigners. Canadians blame America specifically.

In either case, though, it is an ugly practice. It is scapegoating. It is prejudice.