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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)
I'm pretty sure the S2000 is naturally aspirated. If now, how about the RSX Type S?
The Toyota Avalon has a V6 that makes 200+ horsepower and it's just as fuel efficient as our Sunfire with a 2.2L and only 115hp.
huu76
Saturday, July 20, 2002 at 23:29:57 (PDT)
"Planes...assisted flight goes all the way back to the Greek myths, wax wings. Or Chinese lightweight Kungfu."
Are you talking about Icarus? Didn't his wax wings melt in the sun? That doesn't really count. That's just some guy who made some wings to be like a bird. That's not machinery.
"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."
Which car gets 240 hp out of 2 litres? S2000, the highest output per litre engine, I believe only gets 225. 4 banger DOHC engines are no more high tech than V8 pushrods. Both were created many years ago. Superchargers, turbos, and all have been around almost as long as the engine itself also. Japanese are doing more V8's nowadays anyways. Lexus uses them, as well as the new NSX. Many Japanese supercars (Skyline, Fairlady, STi, EVO, GTO, RX-7) rely on turbos too much. Other than the new Cobra, American manufacturers don't favor turbos.
Besides, these days, the automotive market is so competitive, you can't go wrong with any car. I wasn't really bashing Japanese cars, but defending American manufacturers from years of harsh, and often unwarranted criticism.
I have a little Ford ZX2, which is based on the Escort. It's one of the most enjoyable and reliable cars I have driven. It handles like no other. The only comparable vehicle I have tested with better grip is the ITR.
If you look up Consumer Reports, the Escort has gotten high ratings for many years, on line with the Honda Civic, which is perceived by the general public to be a better car. Public perception is not always right.
Furthermore, there is also a blur as to which cars are from which country. For instance, one of the most American cars you can think of, Ford Taurus, actually has a Japanese Yamaha engine. Ford has stake in Mazda, and the Escort and Protege have shared platforms and engines for years. Focuses (or is it Foci?) also use similar engines. Honda makes engines for Lotus. There are also claims that BMW and Honda are the same company. Look at the technology. Vanos is too similar to VTEC to be ignored.
TSJ
Eric@KristinKreuk.net
Friday, July 19, 2002 at 00:44:56 (PDT)
Bubble boy.
Ouch! Kick in the nuts.
huu76
Thursday, July 18, 2002 at 21:00:39 (PDT)
AC Dropout, Nobody is keeping us down, haha =) Lemme get my bongo and korea-centric tribal hat and protest.
I'm just stressing that no-one should make a big damn deal about where the inventing goes on, and who owns what intellectual property.
You want your magic pill for inventiveness...
Europe (back in the day): Most people couldn't count, and much of the intellectual activities revolved around churches and royal interests of one sort or another. At the expense of the population at large they were able to focus on a few individuals to pursue their intellectual ambitions. Also europian cultures tended to focus on individuality (less conforming).
Asia (back in the day): I think more focus was on stability and maintaining a beaucracy to manage a large empire (china). But otherwise, not well adapted to have the kind of innovation or inventiveness as seen in the west (No churchs to draw an enormous amount of wealth upon a few). There wasn't the kind of resources given to a handful of individuals to pursue the kind of interests that led to many of the discoveries/inventions/innovations as in the west. Asian cultures also tend to more comforming, with less emphasis on individuality (the nail that sticks up gets hammered down). But otherwise a few inventions here and there. The short-sightedness of benefitting asian societies as a whole by avoiding too much inequality (at least in theory), came at the expense of what such innovations could bring. But such "short-sightness" appears to be of benefit to us now at a social level, me thinks. Gotta love them ghettos in America, hahahahaha.
And on a side note... too much sunshine = no innovation, no reason for it =) at least back in the day.
So my point is maybe we shouldn't make to much of a damn deal over western achievements. And there should be some slack given to ideas that could've easily be developed elsewhere, like Asia.
And yes, I believe the number one and two countries that purchase rights for intellectual property are japan and korea, respectively (I didn't check lately). But should we put as much emphasis on this "intellectual property" rights as we do? I have a feeling japan/korea are staying above the board on such matters, in order to profit from them in the future (that is, so we can in turn sell our own intellectual property back to the US/Europe and not be seen as "rogue nations" to be ignored). After all, who better to know our own capabilities than ourselves? It is better for japan/korea in the long run, by taking the moral high ground which we can hold others to. We're moving away from the tinker-toy stages of innovation led by individuals and perhaps moving into areas that maybe asians are better suited for. Why would westerners care if it weren't the case? Do you think anyone gives a rat's a$$ what intellectual property gets stolen by countries outside of asia?
undercover brother? lol :-)
Thursday, July 18, 2002 at 20:47:19 (PDT)
huu76,
MIT is fully of American asians and Asian National, it is not even funny.
With that assumption the biggest think tank on the planet is Asian run. With Asian companies getting commerical sucess with their results.
AC Dropout
Thursday, July 18, 2002 at 13:25:17 (PDT)
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