Modern Tractors vs. Traditional Farming: A Farmer's Plea

To the Honorable Ministry of Agriculture,

I write to you today with mud up to my knees, a broken tractor, and two very proud water buffalos.

As you know, our village was fortunate enough to receive one of the new modern tractors. A fine machine, no doubt—painted bright red, with an engine that roars like a beast. But today, like every other week, it sank like a stone into the deep rice paddy mud, refusing to move an inch. And so, like every other week, we turned to our most reliable farmhands—our water buffalos.

With great strength and no complaints, they pulled the mighty machine from its muddy grave. As I stood there, covered in dirt and watching the tractor wobble back onto solid ground, I had a thought: perhaps we were already using the best technology all along?

Now, I have also recently heard of a strange thing called global warming. I do not know exactly what it is, nor do I claim to understand what is happening beyond our rice fields, but if it means what I think it means—that the world is getting too hot—perhaps we should reconsider our methods? Machines burn fuel. Buffalos eat grass. Machines break. Buffalos do not. Machines sink. Buffalos, I can confirm, do not.

So, honorable members of the ministry, I humbly ask: should we not embrace tradition in the name of progress? If nothing else, it would save me from having to wash this tractor yet again.

With great respect and a very sore back,
Park Jin-ho
Farmer, South Hamgyong Province