BRICs or briCs: perspective

One of these things is not like others.




China is larger than the other three "BRICs" countries put together.

Can we please just put China in a catagory of its own. It is just not like anything else.

Anecdote: Only in Japan, I hope.

In Japan, where marriage itself is an institution under threat, a new phenomenon of actors taking the place bridesmaids, best-men, friends and family in wedding ceremonies is increasing.

The demand is great enough that some companies specialize in providing actors to stand in at Wedding. One such company “Wedding Assist”, said every year sees more demand. It already has 30 actors as members of staff. Another “freelancer” took over one hundred jobs as a stand-in friend last year.

These actors are often given quite specific instructions, such details of how they met the wife (it is normally women who request actors) and what to say. In some cases, actors requested to give a speech, to bless the marriage. In one case, the company was asked to provide actor to play the parents, brothers and sisters of one woman – the whole family.

Often the actors are hired by one party (the bride) without the knowledge of the husband. One woman confessed that she had hired actors because she could not fill her quota of friends for the wedding ceremony. She felt so embarrassed that she could not tell her husband, and instead hired actors. She had changed jobs so many times that she had lost all connection to her friends. Another woman said that after she quit Uni her friends circle had collapsed.

These women had no time for a hobby, or religious service, and no social network outside of work or Uni. But in a society under economic pressure those networks are failing. A society on the edge, the isolation of Tokyo and other big cities in Japan is truly turning out some strange social phenomena.

This was inspired from the late night news story about marriage in Japan. Not normally an area I care much about, but it chimed with my experiences of Japan. The story was called “Muen Shakai”, perhaps translated best as “A Society Without Social Bonds (Friends).”

Haiti Earthquake, China and Japan

The recent and terrible earthquake in Haiti has revealed an interesting development in Japan's reporting of China.

On NHK TV News, the role of China in the international rescue effort is attracting more attention than that of Japan's own. The use of words such as "China arrived first and quickly put up its national flag" is unnecessarily evocative - creating the image of China stretching out its power world-wide. Japan it seems, really has China on the mind.

Of course, to an extend that is justifiable. China's role in Haiti is probably larger than Japan's. In fact, China had (before the quake) over one thousand riot police in Haiti to assist the UN Peacekeeping Operation (MINUSTAH) compared to Japan's presence of zero boots on ground. In fact, some of the Chinese PKO police (4 apparently) are currently missing - and are likely dead.

Japan has offered a cheque to Haiti (worth $5 mil.) and a S&R team.

Any wonder the Japanese are feeling in awe of China?

Brother Leader Qathafi: King of Kings (of Africa)

Today, Col. Qathafi of Libya gave a speech at Meiji University over satellite link-up.

It was madness.

I will briefly discuss three different madness's. The Madness of Qathafi (as expected), the Madness of the Japanese (less expected), and a bit of personal Madness.

Qathafi started the satellite lecture by looking bored and reading a report without making eye contact or acknowledging the audience...despite having previously requested (or demanded) "thunderous applause" upon entering the chamber (his personal library). He completely blanked the Prof. Fukuda (more later) during the greeting.

His lecture began by lecturing at the Japanese. Specifically, he queried why does Japan continue to be friends with the US - a country which used nuclear weapons on Japanese nationals not to long ago. Apart from the hypocrisy of his recent reproachment with the US, Libyia's own previous designs on acquiring nuclear weapons ought to have given the audience pause for thought.

But no. The Japanese were also mad, sycophantically so. Prof. Fukuda said "It is great, and so true. America has killed many thousands of Japanese with the nuclear weapon, why are we interested in being friends with them?" Oh dear.

Qudafi continued by presenting his "the future map of the world." Peter Katzenstein's, "A world of regions" ought to include this map for truly - the world had been divided up into five regions; EU, Africa, North America, South America, Russia Plus and a then a scattered few others. It is a well known fact that Quthafi loves regionalism, but even he projected that Japan, China and Korea would remain independent even his future map of the world. If Col Qathafi sees a lack of political regionalism in East Asia - why does Hatoyama proclaim it?

Qathafi also proposed a new country be formed by merging Israel and Palastine. It would be called Isratine. Madness.

Then it was time for questions. Insanely, these questions from the floor were not vetted. Here was a prefect opportunity for a Japanese to ask about nuclear weapons, or Iraq or Afghanistan. Instead we got questions about education, Obama as a Muslim, and from a Malaysian exchange student "why is not the Israel-Palastine problem solved when Africa/Arab Zone has all the oil and manpower?" (Qathadi said, have you considered the role of the US?)

The soft-pitching of questions is unforgivable enough, but as if to make even clearer who was top dog, the Japanese were told to greet the Col. with "Leader Qathadi." Firstly, English is neither the first language of either Libya or Japan so why "Leader"? Secondly, the Japanese put their addresses after the name, meaning that Col. Qathafi was greeted rather cutely as "Qathafi-ReeDaa."

Oh, And then the Japanese at Meiji invited Qathafi to come in person to give a lecture, and offered to set-up an Col. Qathafi Chair at the Peace and Disarmament Center. This was said with straight face. Prof. Fukuda thanked Qathafi for his great words of wisdom and it was over.

The last bit of madness was personal. I really wanted to ask Col. Qathadi a question, a really difficult question. I wonder why, sort of like mountain climbing I guess. In the end, I found watching others much more interesting.

Japan-Thai FTA: "Movement of natural persons"

Earlier today in a bookshop I picked a glossy magazine of conservative news type, it may have been "Will", but in honesty I have forgotten.

One of the stories focused on the "vice industry", prostitution in particular, in Japan being controlled by foreigners. A suggestion was made that the Japan-Thailand FTA had made this easier. Dismissing it as conservatism hype, I put the magazine down and moved, but according to more respectable sources - sex workers may indeed find it easier to move (or be moved) to Japan post-FTA (read here).

Then just now, I thought I would read the text of the Japan-Thailand FTA. Sure enough under the "movement of natural persons" is liberalisation of visa requirement for "Spa services." Apparently there is some traditional Thai Spa services for which only a Thai trained and licenced person will do.

But is this for real? It does not take a lot of imagination to see how this could be abused, a massage parlor would simply notify immigration that they had hired a "Thai Spa service provider" to provide "spa services" and then get the visa. In fact it is almost as if the door was left open on purpose. Odd things, these FTAs.

Social Constructivists are right.

Theoretical debates in International Relations are interesting, but too often the so-called "great debates" are pathetic spectacles in which each sides advances differing views of human nature. As much as it pains the idealists, the in-group/out-group dichotomy (identity) is a necessary insight into how human in fact behave.

However, getting to these valuable insights requires an inter-disciplinary approach, and a certain adventurousness of the mind. And IR scholars are simply going back to the same material.

I stumbled across this nugget in a neuro-science journal. It establishes that empathic feelings (of pain) are stronger within the same ethnic group, and much weaker across groups. It perhaps provides the best explaination as why a liberal, democratic country such as America would remain in Vietnam, and perhaps now Iraq, for so much longer than expected .

To whit, ethnic out-group apathy in International Relations theory. Social Constructivists got it right.

English in Japan

A while ago I heard Eisaku Sakakibara talk about why Japan needs to improve its english competence. I was not totally persuaded because I felt at the top there was enough language competence. But behold the response to Novel Influence! On the GOJ homepage no less!

I hope more serious matters get better proofing.

Japanese university students and the election; some thoughts channeled.

Being in Japan during this election is an opportunity to write about more than just what is in the papers. Instead, I would like to write about what my Japanese university friends are thinking and feeling about this election. May it be of interest, if not use.

Upfront the results are, DPJ 7, LDP 3, Undecided 3. Survey results not to be extrapolated from as Meiji Uni is noted as left leaning, and disproportionate number surveyed are men (10) and non-scientific methods were used in collection of data (some subjects spoke in the proximity of alcohol). I will talk first about the post-grads, with whom I have more contact and more interesting observations.

Firstly, most post-grads are voting for the DPJ. But despite the fact that most are voting for the DPJ, as expected of young urbanites, none of them are really happy it. Their support for the DPJ is based more on a rejection of the ruling LDP rather than support for the DPJ itself.

This can be seen in how many of them project the outcome of the election. Although recent polling suggests that the DPJ might take as many as 300 of the 480 seats thereby establishing single party government, all post-grad students projected that the DPJ would have to form a coalition. Even those most emotionally interested in the DPJ winning an absolute majority said they could not believe that it would actually occur; this student projecting 220-230 seats for the DPJ. Those declaring an intention to vote for the LDP agreed, believing that the DPJ would win government but fall short of an absolute majority.

I asked what would happen if the DPJ failed to win single party government, one student responded ominously, “if the DPJ forms coalition with the Social Democrats they are finished. If the DPJ forms coalition with the Communists, they are finished. If the DPJ forms coalition with the Kokumin Shin Tou, they are finished. And if they are foolish enough to form coalition with either the LDP or Komeito, then they are finished for good.”

This unhappiness with either the LDP or DPJ is at least a little troubling. It suggests that this, the next generation of voters, have neither loyalty to the LDP or to any other party. I asked some of the post-grads if they are not loyal to party, what are they politically loyal to (ideas? money?) - and got mostly uncomfortable silence. One answered honestly that her vote depended mostly on her parents, and that their decision was in turn based mostly on which of the two parties would provide more for them financially (answer: LDP). Another LDP inclined voter, although extremely unhappy about it, noted that he thought that the DPJ would be even more disorderly that the LDP and in particular their ideas about national defense were idealistic (he means, dangerous). He said he valued stability. That seems to be word which came up often as well.

On the other hand, another of the post-grads told me that he will vote for the DPJ just s to see the mythic seiken kotai, he believed that otherwise the two parties were as bad as each other. Another declared DPJ voter was more firm about in his reasons, stating that while the DPJ is a little idealistic, idealism is what Japan needs now. Most others were vague in the reasons for their support of the DPJ, it is possible they may be being influenced by a zeitgeist of change coming from the US. Indeed, DPJ Hatoyama has deliberately used this English word in order I suspect foment such a mood. The point again to be underlined is that the support for the DPJ is fragile, even among this demographic which ought to be supporting them.

The undergraduates that I have talked were also undecided on the whole about which of the two parties to support (none of them mentioned any of the smaller parties). For these undergraduates, this was their first election and making a decision about which party to support was proving difficult. Although they read the newspaper and knew a few things about the parties, they were less informed (as expected) than the older (more mature?) post grad cohort. I asked why had not they decided, and the answer seems to be that they feel that they just do not “know” which is better. One of them reflected that his parents had not decided yet, so how could he. Most agreed that they would decide on the day.

Interestingly, levels of awareness of the two parties policy platforms (manifestos) is unbalanced. Most are aware (and not enthusiastic) about the DPJ’s policies, but they are not so aware of the LDP’s policy – strange given that the LDP ought be considered the default base from which one compares alternate policies. This probably can be chalked up to the media, which has focused on some of the less well thought out DPJ policies. In particular, problems over funding their child support and highway policies while not at the same time raising the consumption tax. This means that for some of the DPJ they are comparing the policies they know that DPJ is promoting with “nothing.” This stand in contrast with the post-grads who were comparing the two parties manifestoes.

In conclusion, talking to the university students has me a little concerned. A lot of newspapers are already calling the election for the DPJ. Some are suggesting a landslide victory the DPJ propelling them into single party government. But my friends and colleagues at university are less sure. This election holds the promise of change, no doubt, but it also holds the potential wreck Japanese self-confidence if the DPJ unable to do anything either due to its own failings or because they are forced into coalition.