Europeans back Obama, Asians like McCain
Could Europe be categorized as a U.S. Democratic Party “blue state” and Asia, a Republican Party “red state”?
American presidential elections provide a near perfect test to understand the difference between European and Asian worldviews, even if the two continents are far from united internally.
If you want America to lead by the power of example, you favor Barack Obama; if you want to be reassured by the continuation of America’s power in a traditional security sense, you probably prefer John McCain.
Whereas a majority of Europeans — with the exception of those who for historical and geographic reasons are obsessed with the return of the “Russian bear” — support Obama, a majority of Asians, particularly among the elite, seem to support McCain. This difference stems above all from strategic considerations, but it probably also contains a cultural dimension.
In Asia, Indonesia may look “European” with its Obama craze, but it essentially constitutes an anomaly, easily explainable by Obama’s brief Indonesian upbringing. Otherwise, and for very different reasons, a majority of Asian elites are awaiting the growing possibility of an Obama victory with some bewilderment and even apprehension.
For example, Japanese elites tend to favor continuity over change. In their mind, the hard power of the United States is more important than its soft power, and their vision of an America “bound to lead” is largely unchanged. For them, the U.S. is above all the strategic counterweight needed to balance China. (さらに…)
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A New Interpretation of Article 9
It’s 2008 and Japan has the second strongest military force in Asia, continues to spend 1 percent of its GDP on defense, has acquired some pretty neat military toys (and sells a few using a broad interpretation of “aid”), has redeployed newer fighter aircraft to its base in Okinawa, wants to acquire the F-22 Raptor, and will have a few helicopter “carriers” that will allow the Self-Defense Forces to project their “defense” closer to China.” Click here for more.
Is the writer saying that Japan should never become a normal country and not have the right to collective self-defense? Wouldn’t this help ease the Okinawa mondai (problem)? Maybe provide a since of pride in the fretta (slackers) in Japan. How about stroking the flames of nationalism when World Cup or Olympic fans have nothing to do? Who knows, just inquiring!
I believe that Japan has used Article 9 and the Yoshida Doctrine to slowly and efficiently build up its Self Defense Force while enjoying or tolerating the collective-protectionism of the United States. While some say that the US should leave Japan or get out of Asia entirely, many Asian nations do not want to see the return of “Imperial” Japanese Forces, especially forces that can go nuclear. Yes, there are current territorial disputes, false claims in textbooks, the comfort woman issue, and the huge task that Hello Kitty must take on to promote Japan, Inc. in a manner pleasing to those that fall sway to Japan’s soft power. I just wonder what Japan should do once India and China flex their power in regions strategic to the United States and Japan’s interests? Has anyone noticed the current scramble for better “relations” with Africa by the US, China, Japan, and India? What are the implications?
Is Gaijin a Racist Word or are N*ggers Over Reacting?
There has been much debate on the terms “gaijin” (foreign/outside person) and “nigger” lately in Japan among the foreign community. In a series of articles published in the Japan Times, professor, activist, and coauthor of the “Handbook for Newcomers, Migrants, and Immigrants, Arudou Debito comes out swinging. Here is his latest article: THE CASE FOR “GAIJIN” AS A RACIST WORD: THE SEQUEL – LET’S COME CLEAN ON “GAIJIN” [Published September 2, 2008 as “The ‘gaijin’ debate: Arudou responds”]
Last month’s column (JBC August 5) was on the word “gaijin”. I made the case that it is a racist word, one that reinforces an “us-and-them” rubric towards foreigners and their children in Japan. It generated a lot of debate. Good. Thanks for your time. Now let’s devote 700 more words to some issues raised.
Regarding the arguments about intent, i.e. “People use the word gaijin, but don’t mean it in a derogatory way”. The root issue here is, “Who decides whether a word is bad?” Is it the speaker using the word, or the person being addressed by it?
Ditto for the word gaijin. People like me who have lived here for many years, even assimilated to the point of taking citizenship, don’t want to be called “gaijin” anymore. We can be forgiven for taking umbrage, for not wanting to be pushed back into the pigeonhole. Don’t tell us who we are–we’ll decide for ourselves who we are, especially in our own country, thanks. So stoppit.
Now for the more controversial claim: my linking “gaijin” with “n*gg*r”. Although I was not equating their histories, I was drawing attention to their common effect–stripping societies of diversity.
You can read the rest of the article and numerous comments here.
Here is the response that I (Zurui) sent: (さらに…)
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 2 so far )Obama Picks Biden for Vice President
The secrets out! Joe Biden was critical of Obama at the beginning, stating: “Obama is not ready!” Joe Biden voted for the war in Iraq. Will John McCain focus on these statements. Of course he will. But hey, game on!
Late Friday, CNN reported that Sen. Hillary Clinton had been told she is not the vice presidential choice, Joe Biden will fill the role and the US Secret Service has been dispatched to Senator Biden’s home.
Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Joe Biden has extensive foreign policy experience and would help beef up Obama’s relatively light resume on matters of national security. Biden recently returned from Georgia where he met with leaders to discuss the Russian invasion and the volatile region.
Hillary Clinton was not vetted for the VP spot since she is considered not a good match for the VP ticket and Bill Clinton still carries some negative political baggage. Although Obama calls for Change, Biden is a long time Washington insider but Biden brings experience and know-how (someone who can vouch for Obama) plus the all-important foreign policy experience that McCain claims Obama lacks.
Click here to see Joe Biden’s stance on Civil Rights, Defense, and other issues.
Click here to view Joe Biden’s home page.
BTW, Biden’s son serves in the US Army JAG Corps and is about to deploy to Iraq.
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E-Mobile Pulls Obama Inspired Advertisement
The Guardian and other newspapers have reported that the E-Mobile CM showing a monkey in a suit addressing an election rally was pulled. E-Mobile denies accusations of racism but has decided to pull the advertisement.
E-Mobile stressed it had used the macaque mascot in several other adverts and never intended to insult Obama but had decided to pull the “Change” ad in response to criticism in the blogosphere.
We at Black Tokyo applaud E-Mobile’s decision to remove the culturally insensitive advertisement. No matter what others think, this is not only a Japan issue nor is it an issue that is only important to Black Americans.
Some bloggers strongly disagreed with Black Tokyo’s decision to question E-Mobile’s advertisement. Sites such as Japan Probe believed that the average Japanese viewer could not make a connection between the E-Mobile CM and Senator Barack Obama’s campaign for Change. Instead, it was felt that the Japanese would draw a parallel to the Japanese television drama, Change, starring Kimura Takuya (Kimutaku).
According to UPI Asia Online, “83 percent [of the Japanese] were closely following the election coverage – slightly more than the 80 percent of Americans who took the same survey. Japan’s expat community on a popular blog mirrored the poll’s results: “Interesting how Americans could care less about who’s running for Japanese offices, but Japan is all over American candidates,” wrote one blogger. “America is the focus of attention quite frequently.”
E-Mobile’s chief executive, Sachio Semmoto, told Reuters: “We had no bad intentions, but this is a cross-cultural gap issue and we have to accept it. There are African-Americans in Japan, so we decided to take prompt action and shut down the ad.”
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Black Tokyo Japan 
Clam Magazine interviews Black Tokyo’s Zurui
Posted on 10月 22, 2008. Filed under: Black Resources, BLACK TOKYO NEWS, Commentary, Culture & Society, Fashion, LIFE IN JAPAN, Music & entertainment, Shopping | タグ: black tokyo, CLAM, design, Fashion, music, zurui |
Founded by film producer Andy Okoroafor,CLAM is a unisex magazine whose goal is to promote creativity, concepts and ideas in fashion, architecture, music, design, the arts, free-time, travels and African design…. these different themes are approached in two main areas: Lifestyle and Trends.
Each subject is part of an original and conceptual artistic direction. The concepts are presented through the expression of the artists and creators coming from very different horizons.
The place accorded to the image is central: she wants to be unusual, so as to create constant surprise for the viewer.
Experimentation is one of the characteristics of CLAM which explains its layout: always changing, never fixed. Clam wants to encourage creative reflexion.The presentation is based on ideas and not the seasons.
This concept confers to the magazine a collector’s status.
In the interview, Zurui discusses his background, life in Japan as a US Marine, expat worker, actor; and of course, the Black Tokyo website. You can purchase CLAM online or in: Paris, France; Italy, Sweden, Hong Kong, Japan, the U.K. and in the USA.
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