Maybe I am getting weaker as my age advances, but for some reason, I don't feel like going to the People's Republic at the moment. Turns out a couple Japanese students in Shanghai took some blows to the head after being approached by some Chinese at a restaraunt. I always kinda felt that Shanghai might be a bit above this kind of thing, as usual the government has covered up any mention of the demonstrations in the media.
BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Japan's ambassador has called on the Chinese government to take stronger measures to protect its citizens as thousands of protesters demand a boycott of Japanese products and shout anti-Japanese slogans.
The protests are aimed at Japan's bid to become a permanent U.N. Security Council member and have been made more emotional by Chinese objections to how Japanese school textbooks recount Japan's 20th century military campaigns.
This is really unfortunate. IThis is really unfortunate. I'm beginning to see more cultural animosity worldwide. Despite an incresingly globalized world, its seems we're as isolated and chauvinistic as I can ever recall people being.
I am not surprisedThis makes sense re: globalization. The competition between nations has never been stronger. And China has the longest history of any country in the world, so naturally they have plenty of stored up animosity.
ThoughtsThe Chinese government is claiming no responsiblity towards the actions of the demonstrators, but I disagree on two parts. First, the Chinese government is responsible for the safety of Japanese people working, studying, traveling or etc. in China. Secondly, if this was going to be an anti-CCP (Chinese Communist Party) rally, the government would have shut down the bulletin boards and other methods through which the rallies were organized in a heartbeat.
It was in the interest of the Chinese government to allow the people to protest against the Japanese, as it would allow the Chinese to let off some steam, some of the frustration of being. . .well Chinese and being in a country that is not quite where the people want it to be. The protesters sent out emails stating that China was the #1 country in Asia, any frustration towards not actually being there could just as easily be directed at the government.
With regards to the Japanese, I just hope that the government would stop allowing text books with bad history to be approved. Not that I believe that self-flagellation is the way to go in education, but, Japan did engage in a war of invasion and conquest over sixty years ago, and Japan did lose. We should be learning from this experience as a country and become stronger (mentally of course), not try to hide from the fact because some people are too weak to want to deal with the fact that Japan did lose in a war and did some rather atrocious things in the process of defeat.
Dice, well put. There shouldDice, well put. There should be concessions on both sides, and work toward greater stability in NE Asia (as if Taiwan and N.Korea weren't polarizing enough). And Dude. Can't we all just get along? Somebody pass the cheeba.