Athletes comments

Afghan war was longer and costlier than WWII for US. US was more successful in WWII. Back in WWII, US Arm Force were battle hardened even though they did not posses modern military hardware, Back then they fought with Souverigin nations. It was easier because enemy is visible. In Vietnam and Afgan wars, enemy were invisible. They wear civilian clothes. It is easier for pretending as normal residents.

The reason of failure of Vietnam and Afgan wars were (1) Unfamiliar terrains (2) Betrayal or double agent trainees of local soldiers (3) lLocal resentment as invaders and war criminals (4) US force friendly fire for killing each other (5)Talibans are masters in guerrilla warfare (6) Lack of co- operation from Pakistan (7) Iran and Saudi backing Taliban

smithinjapan Feb. 14, 2014 - 09:15AM JST

Yeah, if you want to bow to a Chinese flag.

It should be decided by residents. Not the outsiders. You may be surprise to know that Okinawa natives love to eat pork instead of Sashimi. Many natives have blood link with Fujian or Hokkien ancestors like Taiwan.

It is their ancestor land. It is their decison for which flag they want to bow. It is their business.

Xmas break in Au is the summertime and the time when children are off school. 3 weeks seems not unreasonable provided that is the only long term holiday in Au for the AU

Au legally entitlement for leave is so generous for international standard. No wonder multi natiionals are leaving from that Royal Palace.

4 weeks standard (20 working days) plus 10 paid public holidays. 5 weeks for shift-workers (those regularly rostered across a 7 day week). 2 weeks can be "sold" to employer (cashed-out). Additional Long service leave is also payable after 10 years' service at the same employer, or 7 years in the public service (on average, 1 week leave for every 60 weeks worked - or approximately 8.5 weeks' additional leave for 10 years' service), although some states mandate that LSL is payable pro-rata on termination of employment after 7 years' service

Spanish High Court Judge Ismael Moreno issued arrest orders on Monday for former Chinese President Jiang Zemin, ex-Premier Li Peng and three others. Moreno noted that he was obliged by a separate judicial ruling to order the arrests, which he had declined to issue in April last year.

It is the interesting development for justice. They may be deserved to be charged if there are solid evidence for Genocide.

Abe may be hated by his loose cannon explosion. However he has no blood in his hands like former US President Bush, former UK PM Blair and former PRC leaders. Obama by himself has some blood in his hands for using drone for killing some innocence lives. They were and They are the gangsters too.

The definition of gangster is Criminals team up with fellow criminals for committing crimes.

Spanish high court should issue arrest warrant for those war criminals and fellow deceptive gangsters of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld for prevailing the equal justice too.

Tokyo 2020 President Mori, speaking in Japanese, told reporters.

During the opening and closing Olympic ceremony, Mori needs to be alert, fresh and strong for many hours. The whole world is watching him.

If ceremony goes something wrong because of Mori, it will be embarrassment for Japan and Abe.

It's never time for action, and always time for talks. War is never acceptable, and is a result of people who are too weak to talk it out.

If talks can solve every conflict, Middle East problem has been solved long ago. However all talks have been going nowhere there. US has been mediating them for many decades. On the other hand, US is selling weapons for profits. US Weapons manufacturers will be unemployed if everyone is talking without action. For the sake of that industry, more actions and less talks.

Sensato FEB. 06, 2014 - 03:54PM JST

Abe has also flip flopped former PM apology of 1995. One thing I like to correct as Abe first term started in 2006. Not in 1996 as you mentioned. His first term lasted only a year. He is full of Venom as cobra.

If Japan does not like others interfering their internal affair, Japan should stop demanding removing of comfort women monument from New Jersey. It is none of the business of Japan. It is the internal affair of New Jersey and US. Japan should stop demanding French comic festival exhibiting comfort women art. It is the entirely business of France. Japan should stop demanding removing Korean assassin of J PM monument from PRC. It is not in Japan territory.

Whatever Japan want to implement the policy, it should be done locally. It is so hypocrite for uncivilized intrusion of other national affair. Japan has never been a fan of ICJ. The proof is rejection of Taiwan proposal for settlement of Territory dispute of ICJ back in 2012.

The more Japan deny about the past, the more Japan will cause the embarrassment at present and there is nothing to hide for future.

If my humble memory served me right, AKB48 have called Hitler as Uncle Hitler in one of their songs. Kim has already ripped off his Unwanted Uncle.

There is something inside Kim Junior mind is the replacement of his new Uncle. After all Abe is old enough to be Uncle of Kim. Kim May wish to call Abe as Uncle Hitler Junior. Unlikely Abe will take as offence because his grandpa served in Imperial army which was the ally of Hitler Arm Force.

sfjp330 Feb. 04, 2014 - 09:31AM JST

You have the time period wrong. Subject is about prior to First World War (1914-1918). How many Jews were killed by Germans prior to WWI? The mass killing of the Jews took place after the invasion of Poland in 1939. We all know the land mass, population was much smaller, but just like China of today, Germany had the second largest economy GDP in the world prior to WWI

sfjp330

During the Pre WWI, there was no word of trillions existed. PRC is sitting on more than 1 trillions of foreign reserve now. PRE WWI Germany was more desperate and insecure about the market and resources. PRC individual income per capita and purchasing power are low. However their cost of living are lower too. Germany has no natural resources and raw materials . PRC control the 90% of rare earth in world market. PRC supply the 75% of steel output.

If we concern the inflation and share of world wide market, Germany is still smaller than today PRC. The point is not only PRC has been second largest economy of the world as inerm of GDP. Japan has been second largest economy too. I do not buy the idea of all of the second largest economies will found the Nazi pary and agressive like Germany.

UK and Germany are directly competing for the exports back then . Their exports were overlapped. How many of PRC and Japan exports have been overlapped? ROK and Japan are competing for domination of consumer electronics and car exports. Do they need to fight like UK and Germany? If PRC is similar with Germany back then, PRC needed the nationalist leader like Bismarck.

PRC lacks the technical prowess unlike Germany. For becoming the aggressor, that nation needed more successful innovation and scientific development. Germany is the birth place of Professor Eistein. PRC has no genius like Germany. Current US is more identical with Pre WWI Germany which is awashed with Genius of science and right wing nationalists.

http://alphahistory.com/worldwar1/germany/

sfjp330 FEB. 04, 2014 - 08:21AM JST

To put in plain, despite the advantages of Germany at the time, they created major military alliance against it, and had no useful allies. That sort of sounds like China today. China is doing everything Germany did over a century ago.

Your post is not entirely true. Germany land mass, population and economy is smaller than today PRC. German killed Jews. Chinese did not. There are many Jewish of Chinese citizens are living free as birds in PRC. It has been long time ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_China

PRC is veto power holding UN security council member. Germany was not PRC citizens have no compulsory military service now. Germany had it back then. PRC can afford to lose entire population of US and Japan. Germany could not afford at that time. Cash rich PRC sovereign fund is buying the resource rich region of planet pieces by pieces. Germany could not afford. PRC has ICBMs with MIRVs which can balance the out come of conflict. Germany did not.

PRC may have no military alliance. Germany had Japan and Italy as alliance. However PRC is receiving votes from third world developing nations for not being condemned by US as human rights violations. Germany did not receive any votes from any nation.

I do not buy the idea of Seas are named by body created them. If Japan archipelago submerged under Sea due to volcanic chain eruption, there is no point for calling Japan sea anymore. Creator is no longer existed on the sea. It has been entombed because of tectonic plate violent movement.Creator life span is limited unlike Pacific Ocean. It is also true for East Sea. If there are no more Asia and Japan, there will be no East and West.

It is also true for East China Sea and South China Sea. As far as China still existed on Sea, the name will be valid. If it is not, the name should be changed like Pacific 1, Pacific 2, Pacific 3 etc.. Nothing last forever. However Ocean will last a lot longer than land. Land can not defeat the Ocean. Ocean can sink the land.

If MSDF can not maintain or control the unmanned craft of submersible which is three meters long and two meters wide, how on earth they can conquer and protect the Takeshima, Senkaku and Kuril Islands?

If Japan has already owned nuke ready enriched Plutoniums, for the sake of the world they should be handed back to IAEA. If Bin Laden disciples will steal from MSDF, it will be the end of the world.

“Nothing has been changed in the policy of continuing to uphold this position,” he said,

A lot of things have changed since Abe became a PM. South China sea is warmer and Air temperature is rising. That dispute existed since I was a child. Now I am old and grey and like Abe. Abe is a trouble maker for making inflammable speeches. He is not diplomatic as PM and reviving pre war nationalism.

“I believe you, who live in Japan, can understand this fundamental stance of ours.”

Not all people living in Japan are right wing nationalists. He is a polished politician he will change his tone for the different audience. Former PM Murayama says that this flip-flopping of positions confuses him. Former PM Noda saide"I cannot help feeling that it is pork-barrel spending of Abe". If Murayama and Noda do not understand Abe foreign and economic policy, how on earth others can understand him as prophet of doom and gloom?

http://japandailypress.com/former-japanese-prime-minister-murayama-criticizes-abe-for-wwii-remarks-2129218/

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/10/02/national/noda-slams-abenomics-as-pork/#.UuG8eOVKOMY

Slamdunk

Depends what jobs you are talking about.

**The new arrivals range in class from executives to laborers

It was quoted from

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/22/world/americas/for-migrants-new-land-of-opportunity-is-mexico.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

I don't see Mexican firms pay higher wages than US and Canada (e.g. IT or engineering etc)

Higher wages does not translate as happy ending for all. Japanese wages is many times higher than South America. However many Japanese prefer to move and live in South America. Even Brasil born Japanese descendants are moving back to Brasil. Why do they want to move from high pay nation to low pay nation? One factor is Japan is very expensive. One factor is good old days are over. If Japan is cheaper than South, who will move and live there?

I could be mistaken but Australia is one country that is looking for highly skilled workers and mean what they say.

Japan population is 127 millions. Australia total population is 23 millions. That population of Au is smaller than one of Japanese prefecture or state of US. Employing professionals needs a market which will demand goods and service.

In term of market, Japan is more attractive for professionals. Housing in Australia is second most expensive in the world after Hong Kong. Both Japan and Australia are less attractive to skilled professionals. The reason is expensive for living.

Attracting professionals are nothing to do with government policy. If there are many job opportunities and reasonable cost of living and life style, professionals will go there. Most US and Canada professionals are looking for work in Mexico. Mexico is many times cheaper and having more jobs than US and Canada.

Yuri

Of course you are right. Japan is an lonely planet of Asia. Abe understand that he has no friend near by neighbors except a bit distant land of Philippines. Japan likes Israel living with unwanted neighbors

Abe went to find Africa for getting Genuine friends. As far as Yen is flowing, Africa will never made Japan get Upset.

Don,t believe everything you hear or see

Unfortunately most Japanese back WWII believed that emperor was a living Devine God even they have never heard what he spoke or seen him physically.

Due to that rubbish story, many Japanese Kamikaze pilots killed themselves and others pointlessly. In fact emperor was a normal human.

There are always three sided story.

That world was not only having three nations of China, Japan and Korea during WWII. There are also Myanmar sided story, Philippines sided story, Singapore sided story, Britain sided story, American sided story and Indonesia sided story of Japanese imperial army war crimes and atrocities.

He alleged that the conservative Japanese leader’s visit to Africa was part of what he described as a “China containment policy”.

He has over reacted Abe Charm offensive. As a diplomat, he is unqualified for stupid comment. If he is a private citizen, he has freedom of expression. Surprisingly Abe has no friends with near by neighbors. However he is buying friends with $$$$$. It can be called as Check book diplomacy. However it will make Japan will become like USSR of 1980s sooner than later. No wonder Japan is more and more heavily indebted.

Africa may be large in size and population. However potential for market growth is smaller than Singapore and Switzerland. It will take a long time for making Africa as Asia.

China your international record is disgusting, your environmental record is a atrocious and your human rights record is a disgrace,

US wanted to condemn PRC human rights record in UN for many times. However it has failed many times. Because third world developing nations( mostly from Africa) blocked US move. In fact, US has moral ground for lecturing PRC for human rights. US byself killing babies with drone and high powered semi automatic rifle. The land of free, proud and brave has become the land of killing field even in Cinema. At least PRC did not kill babies with whales and elephant killing weapons.

soon China economy will return to the laughing stock of a joke it was previously and your people will go back to eating what ever scraps they could find.

Many haters or doom and gloom sayers have predicted before. Back in early 1990s, American Chinese Gordon Chang published the book called as "Coming Collapse of China". However he has been old and grey now. His book on library shelf has become old and yellowish too. PRC central bank is sitting more than 3 trillions of foreign reserve. It is slowly buying Africa piece by piece now. Unlikely Gordon Chang may not see his dream come true during his lifetime.

PRC economy is slowing. However PRC domestic market is so large for making GDP sustainability. Therefore they can sustain their growth without depending on oversea. No nation on that earth sustained GDP of more than 9% for more than 35 yrs.

Since the plan kicked off, Japan has nationalised some 99 remote islands with no apparent owner. That figure is separate from the 280 islands featuring in the current survey

280 Islands will be very little for Japan. Japan should extend more EEZ like ADIZ back in 2010. Later on Japan can claim almost all islands with no apparent owner as Japanese assets.

East China Sea and South China Sea should be changed the name as East Japan Sea and South Japan Sea. Japan can claim almost all rocks under Sea as Japanese assets because those remote rocks have no apparent owner.

Protecting the hand allows much harder, deadlier blows. Bare-knuckle boxing (while still primitive) inflicts less damage on the brain because the punch is more painful to the puncher so that the punch is less severe.

It is true for normal boxing ring which will reduce the impact of punch power. However some MMA full body contact ring has steel mesh and poles like tiger cage. If the competitor head hit with barrier with strong force, their brain will be dead within a minute.

In the Ancient time, Myanmar, Thasi, Laotian and Khamar boxed Muay style boxing on the road with open space on soft soil. They even used knee, elbow and round house kicks.There were some deaths from street fight too. However most of them caused by internal injuries and broken bones. There were little deaths with brain hamorrag unlike western style. Unlike western boxing, most of the S E Aisan boxers can still smile and chew after the match.

I wish IOC will ban the boxing from Olympic.

Unlike Japan, Germany is the role model of Europe. It has strong and stable economy. It is helping the recovery of debt ridden and highly unemployed EU nations. It is friendly and tolerate with neighbors. Unlike Japan, It has never white washed history and openly admitted their forefathers Sins and unspoken crimes.

Countless flip-flopping apologies are counter productive and more inflammable.

Instead of Abe saying, comfort women were volunteers, most of the imperial soldiers including his grandpa were rapists is more open, accountable and sincere. Even US admitted about cruelty, injustice and slaughtering of native Americans.

Honesty is more precious thing on that earth.

Okinawa base is a cemetery for helicopters and unknown human bodies. It is secretive and protected by outdated SOFA.

overchan Dec. 18, 2013 - 03:20AM JST

Japan does intercept airline planes. But those are small charter jets that can be anything. Very unlikely jumbobjets carrying hundreds

Eva Airline from Taiwan is Jumbo Jets and carrying more than 200 passengers. They are flying with very large volume of passengers.

http://www.evaair.com/en-us/flying-with-us/fleet-facts/passenger/

Abe San is harrasing the "lives of passengers of commercial Airline". So far, Taiwan, SK, US and Japan miltary planes can fly freely as birds over PRC ADIZ.

During WWII, Zero pilots of Japan performed Kamikaze for hitting their small plane with larger one. Abe San wanted to glorify the imperial air force old memory like his grandpa.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/kyodo-news-international/131202/taiwan-says-civilian-aircraft-intercepted-japan-0

https://malaysiaflyingherald.wordpress.com/2013/12/06/japans-fighters-intercept-taiwans-civil-airliners/

Okinawa is shooting ground for Base. Okinawa is cemetery for helicopters. Environment has been ruined. Pilots have been disabled or rest in peace.It is the same old boring story.

Japan has already extended twice of her ADIZ. According 2010 map the boundary is almost touching North Korea and Taiwan. Both nations have tolerated Japan extension. without noise and confrontation. Japan should tolerate and ike them. If it can extend unilaterally without other consent, it should be expected others to follow her lead.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/japan/images/map-japan-adiz-1.jpg

Tamarama Dec. 04, 2013 - 07:10AM JST

Biden trip is just cooling down the tension. However there is not much more he can do . Japan has increased her AIDZ since 1972. Back in 2010, it has further increased her AIDS further into South China sea despite the protest from Taiwan and South Korea.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/11/27/world/asia/overlapping-airspace-claims.html?ref=asia

Japan is smaller than Montana state of US. Japan AIDS is five times larger than Motana. Posters and media are over reacting thecurrent AIDZ issue. Only extra hassle of PRC AIDS is identifying the plan and route of planes before entering the zone.

Really? Because some sources have this figure at around 1 Billion dollars per year.

You have to differentitate between humanitarian aids and development aids. Development aids has commercial interest as I posted before. It is not free handouts like humanitarian. Let 's say Japan gave soft loan to PRC for building airport. During the construction stage, Japanese firms will dominate the contract. Such as Taisei contractor, Nippon Steel and Japan airport consultant etc. The bucks will go back to Japanese engineers, architects and accountants. When the airport is operational, Japan will share the landing fee. In the long term, Japan is not only getting back the initial investment, It will also get the stable income from oversea assets.

There are many nations which is many times poorer than PRC. They are desperately needed for infrastructure. However they do not get the amount of development aids like PRC from Japan. One thing is clear that they have no growing potential market like PRC. Let's say Japan build the airport at small African nation, how many passengers will fly after the airport is ready in the future? Therefore Japan will not get any return back.

Japan has technology. China has market. When the capital has added, there will be explosive growth. The following is the success story of Japanese car maker.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/business/view/nissan-struggling-to-satisfy-china-growth

EthanWilber Dec. 01, 2013 - 09:08AM JST

Chinese regime can allocate resources for its military machine without going through vigorous validation by its people.

I am not a fan or PRC. I have no J spouse or C spouse. I have no interest in their political tension. Japan has rights to increase her military budget in this current climate. However you are wrong in saying PRC does not support her people. If you research homeless static, suicide rate and social support service, Japan spend less than half amount of PRC for caring her people. In Fukushima, many homeless are not proud for watching their nation latest military hardware. They are depressed and hungry.

http://nuclear-news.net/2013/11/24/japans-mafia-gangs-exploiting-homeless-people-in-fukushima-nuclear-cleanup/

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/297275/pinoyabroad/news/a-new-twist-in-japan-s-decades-old-problem-aging-homeless-people

During my last visit to PRC, many rural villages have transformed as urban cities. All villagers are living in the modern granny flats. It was a surprise for me to know that they followed post war Japanese urbanization model. PRC has been progressing the the largest migration of rural people to urban cities. In Japan homeless army members are hopelessly waiting for public housing. Suicide rate in Japan is incredibly high. Many times more than PRC. Therefore J authority put the national pride ahead of social welfare.

Japan’s politics is generally moderate, although there are vestiges of the radicalism on both left and right that abounded in the 1960s and 1970s.

It is amazing me to hear that Japan politics is generally moderate from that article. If it is true, angles will fly over Okinawa and Santa will descend to Yokota air base with reindeers.

Japan has extreme right wing political group such as current administration. Japan also has extreme left wing political group that thug unionists of Revolutionary Laborers Association Anti-Majority Faction.

However it is doubtful that attack was not involved by residents of Okinawa. There is no other prefectures which have the most anti USA movement. It is reasonable that government want to play down the tension between local and base at the current heated climate. Uncomfortable truth is not all Okinawans want to kiss the boots of service men. Some of them want to kick off them as soon as possible.

I disagree that violence is not the nature of Okinawans. Violence was part of the history of war thorn Okinawa.

Japanese airlines should stop flying to China, period.

Japanese airlines have to say Sayonaya to 1.3 billion consumers. It will be the boom time for Korean aviation industry. Because Seoul is the nearest transit terminal for destination of Japan for PRC tourists. Korean air hostesses are very friendly and polite too.

At the moment, PRC tourists prefer to fly with Japanese airline for shopping in Japan. However no tourist will risk their life for shooting down by their own government.

In my opinion, Korean air and Asiana airlines are safer for PRC tourists who have to travel to Japan. It may take longer for traveling through Seoul to Tokyo or Osaka. However safety is the priority ahead of time.