Posted in: N Korea calls Abe 'Asian Hitler' See in context
Government’s are efficient convincing citizens to support them. Of course, this is really nothing new: Machiavelli suggested 700 years ago that it is possible to unify the people by creating tension among them. Government thrives by making citizens afraid of things: other governments, planetary weather phenomena, ghoulish beasties, and things that go “bump” in the night. This does not surprise me. What does surprise me is that the citizens keep letting them get away with it —I mean, after 700 years ….
2 ( +2 / -0 )
Posted in: Japan upset by S Korean 'comfort women' exhibit at French comic book festival See in context
Someone commented above, “The difference is modern day Germans admit their past mistakes.” The fact is, few people alive today are in any way responsible for what happened 74 years ago, including the citizens of modern Germany who for some reason cannot seem to apologize enough. More than this, Japan has apologized; now it is time to learn something from the past, and get on with life.
5 ( +16 / -11 )
Posted in: Anti-whalers claim aggressive ramming by Japanese fleet See in context
I have seen these programs on television, and I have to say that the behavior of the so-called anti-whalers is at least irresponsible, and at most criminal. Someone above noted “maritime terrorists.” I believe that is an adequate description of them. I am not sympathetic.
0 ( +8 / -8 )
Posted in: 6 arrested in Ecuador over murder of Japanese honeymooner See in context
Statistically, Japan is one of the safest nations on the planet. Yes, there is some violence; there is no preventing such things as mental illness and so forth, but culturally, Japanese society is "civilized." I'm not sure I understand why someone living in paradise would visit Quito on a honeymoon. Why not just swim with sharks?
0 ( +0 / -0 )
Posted in: U.S. to jail Japanese auto execs over price-fixing See in context
How confusing. Obama price fixed health care, so why isn't he in federal prison?
-6 ( +0 / -6 )
Posted in: Virginia becomes hotbed of diplomacy over Sea of Japan name See in context
I have a novel idea: let South Korea call it East Sea, let Japan call it the Sea of Japan, and let Virginia begin to focus more on the fact that their graduating high school students occupy the 35th percentile among the industrialized nations of the world (far below either Japan or South Korea).
4 ( +5 / -1 )
Posted in: China, S Korea, Japan spar at U.N. over Abe's Yasukuni shrine visit See in context
To un-enshrine the war criminals would be to admit that there were any such things in Japan’s past. Certainly, the notion of “war criminal” was a 20th Century invention, since we do not see the term applied to earlier conflicts. Two things about history: it can’t be changed, and it is in the past. Our focus should be living in the present and planning for the future. Meanwhile, China is a threat to peace in the Far East so let us not kid ourselves about what is really going on here.
5 ( +6 / -1 )
Posted in: Innovative bra cannot be unhooked without true love, say makers See in context
Bra opens, NSA is immediately notified, event ends up in the PDB the next morning and the POTUS uses this incident as a talking point in the next SOTU address.
Technology is great, isn't it?
0 ( +0 / -0 )
Refraining from sexual relations seems the best bet at that age.
Posted in: Condoms aren’t a fact of life for young Americans
Posted in: Convenience store FamilyMart to abolish eat-in spaces
Posted in: We want to clearly convey that public drinking is not part of this ward’s culture.
They'll be dragging some form of huge metal detector along the runway shoulders, I guess.
Posted in: Miyazaki Airport to be checked for more unexploded bombs after blast