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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, 06:00:35 PM)
First off I want to clarify that the USA has a huge R&D industry that sells off the rights of their technology to anyone in the free market.
Second off Asia has a huge market for buying these R&D results.
So in the modern age no one is stealing ideas. Ideas are bought and sold by multinationals.
huu76,
You are correct the first internal conbustion engine automobile was created by Karl Benz. That internal conbustion engine was invented by a Dutchmen. Henry Ford (USA) is credited for sucessfully implementing the assembly line.
TSJ,
Most computer scientist will concede the first computer was the abacus. In reality all computers are over qualified calculators.
Okay Undercover Brother could have a point. It is the man keeping us down. Now I just need a 'fro and platform shoes to enter the revolution.
Planes...assisted flight goes all the way back to the Greek myths, wax wings. Or Chinese lightweight Kungfu. You can go back to Leonardo Da Vinci for the blue prints and Banulli (spelling) for the theory. The point being Wright Brothers stood on other people discoveries before they could suceed.
Everytime you use a consumer electronic good. That is Japanese innovation. The idea of packaging, reliability, value, and functionality all in one product is distinctly Japanese.
For a reliable car get a Toyota. That was the brand that kicked our butts from the beginning of the 70's.
I just compare the recall rates of cars to make judgements. Go to any car website and compare Ford (USA most reliable) with Toyota (Japan most reliable), you'll see why I have my opinion on this matter.
AC Dropout
Thursday, July 18, 2002 at 09:34:37 (PDT)
innovation vs. inventiveness
telsa vs. edison
alternating current vs. direct current
japan vs. united states
see a pattern here? I think the mistake is that following an invention, people stick to their guns, stick to what they know best and close themselves off from anything different.
Despite the inventive spark that americans may have, how could we even imagine a world without japanese products? Unless you're one of them hardcore nostalgia nuts or something. and would anyone wanna go back?
not to mention what america would have ended up as, without being prodded by the japanese to some extent (i.e. quality control and such). i guess america wouldn't have had nukes as early as it did, hehe, kidding : )
we don't live in a bubble
Thursday, July 18, 2002 at 04:23:37 (PDT)
M.I.T. is regarded as the premiere think tank on the planet.
'nuff said.
TSJ,
I disagree with you knocking Japanse cars. It takes more brains to get 240hp from a 2.0litre 4-cytlinder engine than it does to get 200hp from a 3.8litre V6.
My brother owns a 2001 Celica, and it is put together way better than any of the 3 other American cars we own (Jeep Grand Cherekee, Mercury Grand Marquis and Pontiac Sunfire).
huu76
Wednesday, July 17, 2002 at 22:11:57 (PDT)
Piracy schmiracy. ideas are free for the taking. Just as land was at one time for certain 'people'. It's payback time.
And on a side note: Wouldn't the germans be the first to go to space... I mean after all, half of the german rocket scientists were taken by America and the other half by Russia as "war prizes" following WWII. American achievements indeed, whattaloadocrock.
"Have you flown a wright bros. piece of junk... lately?" doot dodo dobi dobi do.
goodbye USA
Wednesday, July 17, 2002 at 21:10:12 (PDT)
And who invents everything in America? Society's throw-aways, unwanteds, and as far as rest of America is concerned: scum. Wow, That's some real incentive to invent anything these days.
Even machine tools were prohibited in the former US colonies by bloody old england, did they show any inventive spirit then, or just take what they needed? Gratitude indeed. A bunch of "free land" and its resources pro'bly didn't hurt either. And the fact that America was relatively unscathed by war in the 20th century. Europe? Asia? Korea, Vietnam, Japan, can you say the same?
Since westerners seem eager and busy at forgetting their dirty deeds, I thought I'd help out and forget the good ones too. *poof*. done. Another 200 years and America's accomplishments then? forgotten. That is if america hasn't nuked every country on the planet to stay on top, which I'm suuuuuuure wouldn't happen, wink wink.
goodbye USA
Wednesday, July 17, 2002 at 18:38:24 (PDT)
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