Comments on: TPR News: Thursday, November 23, 2006 (Happy Thanksgiving to TPR’s American Listeners)

by: travisbickle

Sun, 26 Nov 2006 06:52:47 +0000

Wouldn’t the money to be blown on this fruitless endeavor be better spent on efforts to get the history straight at home?
China needs to find a way to get its people used to the idea of working with Japan and Japan needs to find a way to put wartime issues behind them without just ignoring them.
I’m with you, Ken, I think this is a waste of time. But I do agree that it’s a better political move than doing nothing.

by: DeOrio

Sun, 26 Nov 2006 06:49:31 +0000

Yeah, I’m inclined to agree with that. Not much ever comes of much-hyped summits. It’s one of a series of baby-steps, though. It’s better to set up a series of failed initiatives along these lines than to sit in trenches on either side tossing accusations back and forth. People who are angry will still be angry and I don’t think anyone is going to change anyone’s mind, but I think it could take a little pressure off of both sides to make, say Yasukuni, the number one item on every agenda. They can move on to other things and say, “We’re working on the historical issues.” Whether or not people actually believe that is of secondary importance right now.
It’s something more along the lines of plausible deniability than a real solution, but, as neither side is going to suddenly revamp entrenched stances, don’t you think a little ineffectual motion is better than the status quo?
I do.

by: ken

Sun, 26 Nov 2006 06:39:30 +0000

So, as you just explained it is exactly how people it’s intended to placate will see through it, that’s my point. It’s like the government of Japan is saying, “We’ve set up this special little charade just for you, just to placate you while we do something more important - some business you over-sensitive types with the bruised egos can’t get around to doing. Oops, did we say that out loud?”

They won’t meet more than twice, tops. Nothing will come of this project and the whole thing will be abandoned. Actually, it will just become a bunch of attempts to resuscitate itself.

by: DeOrio

Sun, 26 Nov 2006 05:19:11 +0000

It’s not that it will actually clear up the problems, but that it will give both governments a way to get around them for the time being. By saying that there’s a joint task force studying historical issues, both the Japanese and Chinese leadership can turn their attention to other lesser-known, but more pressing issues, such as trade negotiations. It’s a PR trick.
In Japan, people are upset by China’s perceived hostility towards them, this gives the Japanese government a way to say, “Hey, guys, we’re workng on it. We’re making sure Chinese people understand what’s really going on.”
On the Chinese side, it’s a little more complicated, but I think China has tried to turn anti-Japanese sentiment on and off so many times that the CCP is now stuck with a populace that harbors some real bitterness towards the country’s biggest source of money and trade, which is a problem. The Chinese government needs a way to be able to openly talk business with Japan while still reassuring the public and certain elements of the ruling apparatus that they’re doing something about historical problems.

In short, Japan needs to show its people that it’s working for their safety and China needs to show its people that it is getting the best of Japan. This joint study of history is a way to do that.
That’s why the charade.

by: Ken

Sat, 25 Nov 2006 19:31:23 +0000

DeOrio, I honestly don’t see this clearing up the assumptions you speak of. The general populace will continue to hold them, just like they do elsewhere. Why do they need to study history in order to focus on the future? We know they won’t agree with each other already, so why the charade?

by: DeOrio

Sat, 25 Nov 2006 08:49:57 +0000

Well, with high-level involvement, it might clear up some lingering disputes or at give some validity ot some claims made by each side, so that the assumption in China is not that all Japanese are evil ultra-rightist nuts and the assumption in Japan is not that everyone in China is Japan-bashing criminal.
It could also, more importantly, serve as a way of getting some issues that just aren’t going to be resolved anytime soon out of the way to enable the two governments to focus on more serious problems.

by: John S

Sat, 25 Nov 2006 08:03:56 +0000

In all seriousness, what could come of a joint Japan/China history study? Seems like just a new way to waste money.

by: ken

Thu, 23 Nov 2006 07:17:17 +0000

Further to 1375: I’ve seen comments on some other message boards where people are saying some of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard. Here’s one:

If it goes ahead this illustrates the lengths to which Japan is prepared to go to kowtow to the colonial power. What a total abondonment of sovereignty.

First of all, you can’t spell. But seriously, this isn’t aimed at Japan, or Japanese travelers. The US is attempting to block bad people from elsewhere. Japan is playing a supporting role, and is certainly going to get something in return. An abondonment (sic) of sovereignty? Wow…

by: DeOrio

Thu, 23 Nov 2006 05:28:06 +0000

They don’t? I know they have officials throughout the Caribbean and some in Mexico. If they don’t have officials in Honduras, I’d guess it’s only because the volume of air traffic is relatively low or because the Honduran government doesn’t want them there.

They’re staioned in Amsterdam and Narita because both are big air hubs. A lot of flights for the US originate in other places, but stop in Narita or Amsterdam, so it’s more efficient to place officials at those bottlenecks.

by: Jimmy

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 22:43:44 +0000

Wonder why the US has immigration officials in Japan and the Netherlands, but not Honduras?