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GOLDSEA |
ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
JAPAN'S IMPACT ON THE ASIAN IMAGE
t has long been seen as the fountainhead of consumer electronics technology. Its cars are consistently among the world's most admired. Its corporations own two major Hollywood studios. Its kiddie culture has all but killed off Mickey Mouse and Barbie. Its $4 trillion GDP is number two behind the U.S. and its workers earn 25% more per head than Americans.
Bravo Castrati!
That's how many Asian Americans see Japan. A nation that should command the stature of a powerhouse -- and elevate the image of all Asians in the process -- possesses the geopolitical profile of, say, Switzerland, a nation a thirtieth its size. Japan's leaders are seen as mere hand puppets in a sad half-century charade of democracy. Its homes are cramped. Its men function as soulless drones whose women fly into the arms of western males. Even its vaunted economy has been on the ropes for ten years and looks ready to go down for the count. What little testosterone it possessed seems to have left with Ichiro.
A nation that should champion the Asian image has only reinforced every insulting stereotype. To many Asian Americans, Japan has done less than its smaller, poorer neightbors. Little Hong Kong exports asskicking action stars. South Corea exports people who take hooey from no one. Taiwan exports tech entrepreneurs to Silicon Valley. Impoverished China, Vietnam and even nutcase North Corea showed balls in standing up to the west. But mighty Japan? Spiritually it seems never to have recovered from its defeat in World War II.
Is Japan carrying its weight or slacking in the Asian image department?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 06:00:46 PM)
common sense,
Like I said before, no one was keeping
records back then. so no one really knows. You say there is proof? Why don't you mention a few with some good documentation to back it up. And like I said before, China as a whole was probably wealthier than Japan. and I'll also concede that it was so also on a per capita basis.
>>"Also, your entire argument rests on alleged personality and character traits. This does not make any sense since China is such a large nation"
Like I said before, there is really no way I can prove all this stuff about
EQ and personality traits. This is just my view as to why Japanese are so successful. Somethings can not be proven or explained rationally. this is one them. I'm not here to convince you, I'm just expressing my views. If you don't buy it, "Don't buy it."
I don't think the Japanese are "GENETICALLY" EQ gifted. Likewise, I don't think koreans are genetically EQ deficient. The reason people are the way they are is because many numerous factors geography, culture, diets, etc....
But I do think that the average Japanese EQ > average Chinese EQ > average Korean EQ.
korean guy
Thursday, October 25, 2001 at 19:31:26 (PDT)
common sense,
Maybe you should use your common sense to realize that the game is forever changed. China's former per capita supremacy went the the way of the abacus. The fact is that by modern standards China will probably never reach Japans per capita income ever EVER!!!.. Why? Because your comparing a nation that has a population 6 times larger and holds on to communist ideas. Your trying make a few thriving cities along the coast represent the entire nation of China. Japan has its ups and downs but Japan is still a well established, 1st world, G7 nation. China is far to large to enjoy blanket prosperity. It is definitely an economic foce on the rise but it still has a long long way to go to compete with Japan.
Fragrent Chu
Thursday, October 25, 2001 at 16:05:58 (PDT)
It's kind of funny listening to "Japan's problems". It's even funnier listening to Japanese talk about how bad Japan is currently. Do they have it that bad?
I hear from my Japanese relatives that Japan's violent crime rate is getting out of control. It is true that they have seen a rise in violent crimes from the younger generation and from increasing immigrant population. Yet, Japan’s national aggregate number of murders per year is still similar to a single medium sized city in America. Murder-rate per year in Japan is still almost infinitely less than the United States.
When I visited Japan few months ago, people still put their belongings in open overhead bins in crowded trains, and never lay their eyes on their belongings until they get off. Women and children still walk alone at night. How bad the crimes be in Japan?
I hear from my Japanese relatives that their economy is in shambles. Yet Japan’s “super high” unemployment rate is about 6% (according to my Japanese relative). Although, the US have been enjoying super low unemployment for a while, 6% in America is not bad at all. It’s only been several years since American economists believed 6% is too low to maintain for the long run.
For the last few years, the media headlines have been full of articles about major layoffs in many of the Japanese companies. Yet overall layoffs in Japan are miniscule compared to American layoffs, even though American economy is faring much better.
Most Japanese car owners still buy (exchange) new cars more frequently than typical Americans (just an observation). I see many with luxury cars when cars (especially luxury cars) are much more expensive to buy and maintain in Japan.
If you look at what the Japanese wear, it almost seems like they don’t want to be caught dead without expensive brand names. I’ve heard from a lot of well-traveled people that the Japanese are still the most well dressed people in the world.
There is no doubt that some things in Japan are changing. Many of the changes are perceived as negative. However, I look at what they are complaining about, and I think they’ve had it too good for too long. It is not likely that they will regain their super economic expansion again. However, when they realize that they don’t have it that bad, I think Japan will regain it’s confidence and economy will grow again (with it’s share of economic slumps just like any other modern economies).
Is Japan that bad?
Thursday, October 25, 2001 at 05:14:19 (PDT)
Korean guy,
sorry but I'm not buying it.
For your information, China was quite obviously FAR richer than Japan on a per-capita basis for most of human history. There is too much overwhelming proof of this, which can be easily measured by the amenities and technologies employed, and access to modernities of the average households during those periods. There is no comparison, China was many ages ahead of Japan, which survived by constantly following whatever trend and technology appeared in China, often decades later.
Also, your entire argument rests on alleged personality and character traits. This does not make any sense since China is such a large nation. Do you mean the traits of the Cantonese? Shanghainese? Northerners? Sichuanese? Gansunese? Which type of Chinese? There are such a wide variety of regional variation, China is not easy to stereotype like Japan and Korea.
Theories like yours have too many loopholes and basically do not make sense. They only reflect contemporary trends, and are designed exactly to fit those trends. And please explain why the Nordic peoples were historically barbarians and savages compared to the Southern Europeans? You can't explain it, because the facts and history is sinking your boat.
common sense
Wednesday, October 24, 2001 at 22:49:55 (PDT)
to FOP
>>"your comment on Nordic people being superior to other whites is an unqualitative stat(e)ment."
How is that statement unqualitative?
Things can only be qualitative or quantitive. They lie on the same spectrum, but on opposite ends.
a statement like "1 + 1 = 2" or "Bill gates makes more money than me" are very
quantitative. If you ask 100 people on the street as to validity of the two previous statement, all would agree.
a statement like "the show 'Friends' is great" or "surfing is best sport" are very qualitative. If you ask 100 people on the street, some would agree with you, but some would not.
now go back up and read what I said about nordic people. Is that an unqualitative statement which would imply that it is quantitive in nature?Or is it qualitative?
>>"did you forget about the Jews?"
I will not deny that the Jews are very successful. you will get no argument from me on this point.
>>"Also, back in the Roman Empire's era, Nordic people were barbarians in the eyes of the Romans and Greeks."
I'm sure you are correct. Nordics didn't have much going for them back then. The climate was alot colder in northern europe which hindered their progress.
Let me say one last thing. I've stated
previously that nordic people were
superior to other whites because of their EQ. I don't believe EQ is largely determined by genetics. But I do believe it is hereditary. Who knows?
Maybe back in the roman era the average
southern european had greater EQ than nordics?
korean guy
Wednesday, October 24, 2001 at 20:31:23 (PDT)
Korean Guy
I'd rather live in India then Luxembourg. At least there would be something to do there. Like hike through jungles, ride a caravan through the Thar desert or take a train up the Himalayans to Darjeeling. I could have a half dozen servants for a few hundred bucks a month etc. etc. etc. I drove through Luxembrough once.... Took 20 minutes. That was 20 minutes of the most boring scenery and banal existence I have ever seen.
Yawning Korean
Wednesday, October 24, 2001 at 11:47:18 (PDT)
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