China calls PM Abe & Co., 'Lord Voldemort'

[yanpa]

Versailles, esp the land grabbing, contributed that's for sure.

FWIW, I find the UK far more overtly militarised and far more prone to glamourising war than Japan or Germany. No County Fair is complete without a Tank or Multiple Rocket Launcher proudly on display.

Seriously, the last fair I went to had a MRL and they were encouraging small boys to climb up and explore it.

"Borderline infantile" is how I'd put it. All "Keep calm and carry on reminiscing how the Spitfires beat the Bosch over the White Cliffs of Dover while we painted on fake nylons using powdered egg" and all that, while completely missing the wider context.

[matsuki]

An American (I hope you can forgive me for assuming you're an American judging from your snotty and condescending tone regarding things European) telling us we should stop treating our citizens of color like "third class citizens".

For the record, SDH is Australian and otherwise a fine chap, I'm just not sure why he has such a bee in his butt about Germany (and if my memory is correct his primary exposure to all things German involve exposure to German scat porn at an early age and second-hand hearsay from an acquaintance who talked to a guy in a pub in Germany).

You're severely underestimating the trauma inflicted by German scat porn...that's what they really should be apologizing to the world for.

[Taro Toporific]

For the second time, Ambassador Lewd Ming of China calls Japan 'Lord Voldemort'...

"...this is choice between peace and war---between right and wrong---Light and Dark.
So, that is why I can make the comparison with Lord Voldemort..."
http://youtu.be...14s

slimey-ambASSador.jpg

full 20min interview

[Isle of View]

Mao Tse Tung made Lord Voldemort look like an inept amateur.

[wuchan]

I'm rubber, you're glue...?

Japan’s ambassador to the U.K. dispensed with diplomatic niceties in a Sunday op-ed in The Telegraph that warned China not to play the role of “Voldemort,” the noseless wicked wizard of Harry Potter fame....

http://world.time.com/2014/01/06/japane ... voldemort/

[Yokohammer]

Nice mature diplomacy, innit.

[Coligny]

Nice mature diplomacy, innit.

"Shaddap, will you shaddap !!!!"

It's ok, I think these idiots will get along together just fine...

[kurogane]

I'm rubber, you're glue...?

Are Not Either!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Excuse my pop culture ignorance, but isn't Lord Voldemort an inane villain from that interminable childrens' book and movie series Hairy Pooper????

How do 60 year old monolingual, coddled East Asian elites even know what a Voldemort is!!????

Perhaps MacArthur's old racist quip about nations of 12 year olds wasn't so far off the mark.

[matsuki]

I'm rubber, you're glue...?

Are Not Either!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Excuse my pop culture ignorance, but isn't Lord Voldemort an inane villain from that interminable childrens' book and movie series Hairy Pooper????

How do 60 year old monolingual, coddled East Asian elites even know what a Voldemort is!!????

Whether it be pirated copies in China or overpriced theaters in Japan, the old farts probably have grandchildren.

Nice mature diplomacy, innit.

Perhaps MacArthur's old racist quip about nations of 12 year olds wasn't so far off the mark.

THIS

[IparryU]

I thought he spoke quite well about the situation and backed up his view of the situation. He also made sure to mention that Japan also did stuff to brit soldiers as well. a real crowd winner this guy.

I am not saying that I agree with all the shit that spewed out of his mouth, but based on how he did, he won a lot of dumbasses' minds.

[matsuki]

The battle beween light and dark! Hahahaha

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

An American (I hope you can forgive me for assuming you're an American judging from your snotty and condescending tone regarding things European) telling us we should stop treating our citizens of color like "third class citizens".

For the record, SDH is Australian and otherwise a fine chap, I'm just not sure why he has such a bee in his butt about Germany (and if my memory is correct his primary exposure to all things German involve exposure to German scat porn at an early age and second-hand hearsay from an acquaintance who talked to a guy in a pub in Germany).

Right on all accounts. But you should also add a dual citizen with Irish nationality and a fairly internationalist, humanist, anarchosyndicalist background. I'm not particularly anti-German per se. Indeed, I'm quite fond of many German cultural activities like fausting, scheise porn, lederhosen, chocolate cakes and Krautrock. I'm anti-imperialist, so you don't really want to get me started on Brits or Merkins. Personally, I feel all the imperialist powers should be working toward retribution for those cuntries they have exploited. I strongly object to the idea that any former imperial European cuntry has made real amends for past misdeeds.
I realize this is somewhat left-field, but I make no claims to being particularly sound.

Edit: Came across this pic today and thought it ironically good timing, but couldn't think of anywhere else to post it so am putting it here. No wonder I'm so scared of the Teutonic whordes. (Quote ironic how Australia has largely ignored/forgotten how the main deterrent from a German attack on the home front in World War I was largely Japan, then a formal ally of the British Empire. Even the largely lauded ANZACs went to Gallipoli escorted by Japanese warships.) As our Dutch friends will probably already know, Australia had already finished its stint as New Holland by the time this poster came out.

[Russell]

This thing started because Germany commented on Japan's behavior.

I am pretty glad that they did, because Germany serves as a kind of example to the Japanese in my impression. So, when Germany criticizes them, Japan will hopefully be more inclined to listen (I don't hold my breath though).

Anyway, just 2 Eurocents worth of opinion from a member of the Germanic tribes...

[kurogane]

How do 60 year old monolingual, coddled East Asian elites even know what a Voldemort is!!????

Whether it be pirated copies in China or overpriced theaters in Japan, the old farts probably have grandchildren.

Right. I have been told rather matter of factly by adults that should know better that Hairy Pooper isn't 'merely' childrens' lit, though they do like the Yogi Berra-ism. I almost shat a monkey when I heard they play a ball game called something dangerously close to Queef-itch.

Still, though: can you remember Truman, Ike, Reagan ot their Soviet counterparts referring to their rivals as The Child Catcher, or Augustus Gloop!!?????

Perhaps MacArthur's old racist quip about nations of 12 year olds wasn't so far off the mark.

THIS

Sadly, yes. The more this progresses, the more I think the ole crypto-fascist might have been a better sociologist than his various tongue farts suggest. It makes Kruschev's shoe hammer look rather sophisticated. I am all for the Japanese side in this, but they aren't doing themselves any favours by pandering to the dog munchers.

What they need to do is tell them all to FO and announce the matter is closed due to lack of interest by anybody with a working IQ. The Treaty of San Francisco is as close as they will ever get to an apology for the war itself, Yasukuni is a legitimate national war memorial, and the huge sums of monies paid out were an East Asian Apology, and both groups of dog breaths know that. It it time to treat it for what it is: childish Sino-Korean nincompooptitude.

I fully agree with SDH's last post, and Russell's summation, mind. Germany has apologised well, though its pursuit of war criminals was only about a C+, and Japan would be a better nation if they stopped trying to quibble so much about it, even though they are fully correct about the shocking hypocrisy of the legacy of victor's justice, as SDH's post suggested. Any Western power saying anything about Japan's colonial legacy is like this VaginalWart character accusing The Wicked Witch of the East(the one under Dorothy's house) of being the Child Catcher himself. In comparison, Japanese colonial barbarism was a passing windstorm. The real problem is this schoolyard mindset: rare is the day when I meet a Japanese that distinguishes between the invasion of East Asia and the Pacific War itself. All they seem to be able to do is quibble and squirm like an unrepentant choirboy caught blowing the vicar for candy.

Sadness.

[Yokohammer]

I've tried bringing this up before, but the out-of-context "nation of 12-year-olds" comment really has taken on a life of its own and refuses to be seen in the spirit in which it was original intended. MacArthur never actually said "a nation of 12-year-olds.," and he was in fact defending the Japanese and their ability to adapt and grow.

So, once more, in context:

The "nation of 12-year-olds" idea came from a 3-day hearing before a joint committee in the US Senate. MacArthur was comparing Japan to Germany, responding to being questioned as to whether the Japanese would be able to defend the freedoms that had gained under the occupation. The Japanese were offended, probably misunderstanding the intent. Here's the relevant bit:

General Douglas MacArthur actually said:

"Well, the German problem is a completely and entirely different one from the Japanese problem. The German people were a mature race.
If the Anglo-Saxon was say 45 years of age in his development, in the sciences, the arts, divinity, culture, the Germans were quite as mature. The Japanese, however, in spite of their antiquity measured by time, were in a very tuitionary condition. Measured by the standards of modern civilization, they would be like a boy of twelve as compared with our development of 45 years.
Like any tuitionary period, they were susceptible to following new models, new ideas. You can implant basic concepts there. They were still close enough to origin to be elastic and acceptable to new concepts.
The German was quite as mature as we were. Whatever the German did in dereliction of the standards of modern morality, the international standards, he did deliberately. He didn't do it because of a lack of knowledge of the world. He didn't do it because he stumbled into it to some extent as the Japanese did. He did it as a considered policy in which he believed in his own military might, in which he believed that its application would be a shortcut to the power and economic domination that he desired …
But the Japanese were entirely different. There is no similarity. One of the great mistakes that was made was to try to apply the same policies which were so successful in Japan to Germany, where they were not quite so successful, to say the least. They were working on a different level."

[kurogane]

Nice clarification, and fair enough. It really has all taken on a disjointed life of its own, as you said.

It is still a shockingly racist or ethnocentric statement, though that view is certainly open to charges of anachronisticism given the Social Darwinism of his time. The Japanese behaved the way they did because they are or were different, not because they were untutored, and there is a strong hint of his recogniton of that in the middle paragraph there. I actually quite admire the old iron britches, but I am so dogmatically anti-imperialist it is a difficult thing to fully embrace him.

As an example of an essential difference in values or attitudes, their barbaric treatment of POWs and non-combatants, and the converse shock and often hysterical conversion of Japanese POWs at the largely humane treatment they received can serve to indicate or illuminate that. Somebody used that contrast to great effect, but I cannot remember who or where. Benedict, perhaps????

Still, Great White Dinosaur that he was, his respect for and understanding of the Japanese (and Asians in general) is evident, so a polite salute to Duggy and a hats off to you for bringing it up.

On a side note, was anyone aware that the targeted killing of Admiral Yamamoto is discussed as a war crime? I just read some convoluted shiite that suggested it was. HTF does that work??????????

I get that it is one of the coolest F'in things the USAF has ever done, but a war crime????

[Coligny]

Measured by the standards of modern civilization, they would be like a boy of twelve as compared with our development of 45 years

That still read a bit like... "Them japs be a nation of retard"

Instead of the usual "Japan is a nation of childish people"

Unless the big bang happened later in Japan...

[gaijinpunch]

All this talk of the past is so boring. Where's the WWIII thread where we can talk about epithets of our current day?

[kurogane]

All this talk of the past is so boring. Where's the WWIII thread where we can talk about epithets of our current day?

You mean like:

Sticks and Stones will break your bones................because that's all we'll have left......................



with appropriate apologies to Einstein, of course.

[Yokohammer]

As Churchill famously said:

Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

And even that was probably a quote from Santayana*, who in 1905 wrote:

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

And quite possibly someone else said it in a different way even early, but I can't remember ...

* No, no, no! It was most emphatically not Carlos Santana!

[kurogane]

................ but I can't remember ...

Isn't that what you said last time you brought this up!!????

ba dum bum

[matsuki]

Measured by the standards of modern civilization, they would be like a boy of twelve as compared with our development of 45 years

That still read a bit like... "Them japs be a nation of retard"

Instead of the usual "Japan is a nation of childish people"

Unless the big bang happened later in Japan...

Well, it's western standards he's holding them to and by them he's pretty spot on.

Back to the current poo tossing contest, does anyone take either official seriously after these kinds of statements? They could benefit from some shaming by their peers...

[kurogane]

That still read a bit like... "Them japs be a nation of retard"

Instead of the usual "Japan is a nation of childish people.

Well, it's western standards he's holding them to and by them he's pretty spot on.

Which would certainly help prove the racism/ethnocentrism charges, even allowing for anachronisms. The part I do enjoy is how well mirrored that sort of insult is in normal Japanese comments on 'Americans' (i.e. me and most on here included)

But yeah, BOT:

Back to the current poo tossing contest, does anyone take either official seriously after these kinds of statements? They could benefit from some shaming by their peers...

This really has descended to a level usually only visited by non-government or non-caucus rightwing wingnuts in the UK or Canada. I'm getting sort of a whiff of Norman Tebbits meets an Albertan Reform Party MP with a pinch of Rush Limbaugh or that ultra tall retard on FOX News.

[matsuki]

That still read a bit like... "Them japs be a nation of retard"

Instead of the usual "Japan is a nation of childish people.

Well, it's western standards he's holding them to and by them he's pretty spot on.

Which would certainly help prove the racism/ethnocentrism charges, even allowing for anachronisms. The part I do enjoy is how well mirrored that sort of insult is in normal Japanese comments on 'Americans' (i.e. me and most on here included)

Do I get a free pass for playing hockey?

But yeah, BOT:

Back to the current poo tossing contest, does anyone take either official seriously after these kinds of statements? They could benefit from some shaming by their peers...

This really has descended to a level usually only visited by non-government or non-caucus rightwing wingnuts in the UK or Canada. I'm getting sort of a whiff of Norman Tebbits meets an Albertan Reform Party MP with a pinch of Rush Limbaugh or that ultra tall retard on FOX News.

Before the development of modern communications, ambassadors were entrusted with extensive powers; they have since been reduced to spokespeople for their foreign offices.

So their only power left is that of head shit talker?

[kurogane]

Even knowing about hockey gets you a lifetime supply of those goofy maple leaf badges for your backpack........

And do gird your loins to accept the silver in February...................

Seriously, though: these guys are ambassadorial level!!??? I suppose that would be no worse than a senior Foreign Affairs spokesman spouting childish crap. What really worries me is that they're doing it in a childish frame of reference. To reiterate, WTF is anybody over the age of 12 doing using references from a childrens' book!!?????????????

I give up. McArthur wins.

[matsuki]

Even knowing about hockey gets you a lifetime supply of those goofy maple leaf badges for your backpack........

Already got those, always seems to help when travelling to say "I'm Canadian eh" (Technichally I'm 25% French-Canadian....but don't hold that against me, they escaped to the US long before I was born)

And do gird your loins to accept the silver in February...................

While it's cool when the US wins, I got no problem with it if Canada does...just keep it in North America. (Fack yoo Sweden and Czechoslovakia!!) BTW, How does Japan continue to suck with so many players?? Looooook at this shit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey ... by_country　Can't possibly be their finesse over body approach?

Seriously, though: these guys are ambassadorial level!!??? I suppose that would be no worse than a senior Foreign Affairs spokesman spouting childish crap. What really worries me is that they're doing it in a childish frame of reference. To reiterate, WTF is anybody over the age of 12 doing using references from a childrens' book!!?????????????

I give up. McArthur wins.

アンバサダープロ～～～～～～～

[kurogane]

Coises. McArthur wins again.

Anyways, from what I have seen, even elite level Japanese players just have no real ice or game sense, for want of a better term. They seem to be playing checkers when they should be playing chess. I played fairly high level adult soccer there, and it often looked the same. The individual skill levels are often there, but there seems to be very little organic teamwork, and they won't shoot from outside the box.

How do you find the level and style compared to playing back home? Kinda cool that you get to play at all, mind. I really enjoyed playing soccer in Japan. Probably helped keep me just this side of sane more than once.

[matsuki]

Coises. McArthur wins again.

Anyways, from what I have seen, even elite level Japanese players just have no real ice or game sense, for want of a better term. They seem to be playing checkers when they should be playing chess. I played fairly high level adult soccer there, and it often looked the same. The individual skill levels are often there, but there seems to be very little organic teamwork, and they won't shoot from outside the box.

How do you find the level and style compared to playing back home? Kinda cool that you get to play at all, mind. I really enjoyed playing soccer in Japan. Probably helped keep me just this side of sane more than once.

I find it the exact opposite...at least with my team of numb nuts. From practice to games, they over complicate everything. In practice we're doing drills that take longer to explain than do...and I don't see how any of them actually improve team play or skill. During games, we make some amazing plays but often times (even on power plays) they're so focused on trying to get the perfect shot that when they're rotating, noone is in front of the fucking net. Last year this happened during a crucial game and I got fed up, jumped up in there (I play DF) to the tune of out bench screaming "naniatteruno?!!" Sure enough, one of our FW's looked up, gave me a perfect pass, and with nobody at all (not even the other fucking team!!) besides me in the slot, I put it over their keepers shoulder. Of course everyone rejoiced and was happy but every game I still see soo many lost chances because there simply isn't someone there in front of the net. Fucking basic shit.

Besides all that, I see them getting out-muscled. (beat down) With zero focus on checking or taking the body in practice...so during games against teams that actually hit, half the team is in stunned mode from all the contact. Besides me, there are literally only 3 guys on the whole team that make hits...the rest of them (even the big fuckers) never take any opportunity to make a hit. They totally fail to realize that even when fucking up an opposing player isn't necessary to the play, it sends a psychological message that they'll have to pay every time they touch the puck. (which is hilariously effective here and why many of our opponents run from me ) I haven't seen too many Japan vs. non-Asian hockey team games but I just imagine the Japanese players getting rag dolled and run over by gaijin on ice.

[Russell]

Now we're talking ice hockey, do you know Hwangbo?

I found her story a bit fascinating.

[yanpa]

Anyways, from what I have seen, even elite level Japanese players just have no real ice or game sense, for want of a better term. They seem to be playing checkers when they should be playing chess. I played fairly high level adult soccer there, and it often looked the same. The individual skill levels are often there, but there seems to be very little organic teamwork, and they won't shoot from outside the box.

I don't play any contact sports apart from Subway Platform Scrimmage, but it sounds like you just described the entire fucking Japanese IT industry. Choko too.