JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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- Corporate Business English Trainers
- ACT Systems, Inc.（株式会社アクト・システムズ）, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥269,500 ~ ¥280,000 / Month
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- English Instructor (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe)
- Berlitz Japan, Inc. (ベルリッツ・ジャパン株式会社), Kansai
- Salary: ¥125,000 ~ ¥250,000 / Month
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- FT English Teachers for Kids - Osaka
- Kohgakusha Co., Ltd. （株式会社興学社）, Osaka
- Salary: ¥255,000 ~ ¥275,000 / Month Travel Expenses, Encouragement of Japanese learning*
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DanManjt
Which I cannot understand.
Posted in: Obama slams McCain, Bush on economy, gasoline prices
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DanManjt
Super Lib
"I'll let the ridiculous comments from the Republicans speak to the quality of the American public school system."
Posted in: Anti-Americanism at record levels worldwide, report shows
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DanManjt
isthistheend
Sorry to burst your bubble, but that was Churchill.
Oops.
Just as you are wrong about everyone in the world wanting to come to live in the US.
Posted in: Anti-Americanism at record levels worldwide, report shows
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DanManjt
SuperLib
Then your line should be
"I'll let the hostile comments from the anti-Americans speak to the anti-American bias in the world." A statement which, of course, I agree with entirely and in no way provides support or defense of US policy.
Even if we assume, as you do, that legitimate criticism of the US is somewhere between what the US government takes responsibility for and what the radical anti-Americans accuse us of doing.
Which, it is not.
Judging warranted criticism of US policy s not the same as a jury of peers sitting in verdict, where the lawyers for each side present blurred their versions of events, and the jury by super-imposing the two images, one focused two short and the other two far, the blurred images overlap and form a fairly accurate image of the truth. In principle. Judging warranted criticism is different because a court of law has a whole bunch of rules governing how each side can present their version of events; rules which are designed to ensure as much as possible that no untruths are injected into the process. In the court of public opinion of international affairs, there are no such guidelines. Thus the two images you are comparing are not based in version of events, but versions of the truth. All those involved, from governments to blogger are under no onus to distinguish between their role as advocate and judge.
And one cannot be both advocate and judge and do both fairly.
Posted in: Anti-Americanism at record levels worldwide, report shows
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DanManjt
SuperLib
I'll let the hostile comments from the anti-Americans make our defense for us.
That is a tenuous position. It is predicated on two related faulty notions.
The first questionable assumption is that falling US approval rates since 2002 equates with anti-Americanism. No one has bothered to demonstrate a one to one correlation between the two. Eg Just because you do not Japan as much as you may have last year does not mean that you are any more or less anti-Japanese, if anti-Japanese at all. It means you do not like Japan as much.
The second specious presumption is all criticism of America comes solely from America haters. Since all criticism of the US is unwarranted, an argument for US policy is unwarranted.
But this is not so.
Some criticism of US policy is motivated purely by hate, But not all.
For these two reasons, your position is tenuous. Your conclusions, in fact, are your assumptions. That is called circular reasoning.
I think the US, in order to be strong, we must lead. I think leadership requires a lot more than what you have offered here.
Posted in: Anti-Americanism at record levels worldwide, report shows
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DanManjt
I don't think Hubbel was lying. He may have been mistaken, but the notion that there is a limited supply of a resource is hardly an Area 51 idea.
Something you may consider: although oil reserves may be more, much more, than what many believe, there is the cost-efficiency problem. A lot of the world's oil may be much more expensive to get to than currently used fields.
But I am wondering one thing: why doesn't Bush release our strategic oil reserve....?
Posted in: Obama slams McCain, Bush on economy, gasoline prices
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DanManjt
Anti-Americanism at record levels worldwide, report shows
Hmm, according to the article, the report cites that America's standing in the polls is at record lows. That is the not same thing as the report showing that anti-Americanism is at record highs.
Be that as it may, I think it quite obvious that American prestige and legitimacy have taken hits since Bush came to power. This is so because:
By definition, prestige the perception of a nation's power. Meaning, prestige is based on the successful use of power. Iraq has not been a successful use of American power. Ergo, American prestige has fallen.
By definition, legitimacy is the degree to which nation's accept and abide by the rules that the powerful nations use run the international system. These rules have carrots-and-sticks to control and motivate nations to go along. Bush intentionally set out to destroy the Cold War rules of the games and replace it with the War on Terror.
The War on Terror has been embraced by few of our allies. Obviously, it has no tracktion in Latin America and the Arab world. I believe because the War on Terror was based on too much stick and not enough carrot, it is perceived by many as a War on Terra. Bush's you are either with us or against us can only work if America possess the power compel nations through the use and threat of force to believe what the would not otherwise believe.
The US does not possess that power.
Posted in: Anti-Americanism at record levels worldwide, report shows
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DanManjt
As for a world petroleum supplies, you can read all about it here:
http://www.dani2989.com/matiere1/hubbertpeakoilgb.htm
Posted in: Obama slams McCain, Bush on economy, gasoline prices
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DanManjt
In the end it doesn't matter why oil/gas prices have increased. Americans are not happy about paying more than $4.00. gallon.
And they will take it out on Bush's party this November.
Posted in: Obama slams McCain, Bush on economy, gasoline prices
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DanManjt
TheGeneral
People who live in glass houses shouldn't mind spot searches...?
Posted in: Police search
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DanManjt
Nessie,
Thanks,
Posted in: Police search
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DanManjt
And I think safer and more just world is well worth a little moral discomfit.
Posted in: Ahmadinejad: 'Wicked' Bush's term is at an end
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DanManjt
"torqued at the hypocracy of it all."
Hypocrisy is like alcohol. A little serves as an important social lubricant; too much makes you an unbearable blowhard."
Posted in: Ahmadinejad: 'Wicked' Bush's term is at an end
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DanManjt
woops
I suppose given all this that you in the end you, as an American, must decide how you feel about whether the US's pursuit of power also brings with it a spreading of US values and institutions.
Posted in: Ahmadinejad: 'Wicked' Bush's term is at an end
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DanManjt
adaydream
Under that thinking, to protect themselves all nations either build nukes, cut a deal with a nuclear power, counter-balance nuclear states. Or suffer. Which is exactly what goes on.
And yes, it makes perfect sense from Iran's perspective to build nukes. Consider her current security environment: The US has invaded and 'regime changed' two of her neighbors, and another of her neighbors, Pakistan, has been flexing her nuclear muscle. They are justified from a realpolitik point of view. Which is what chagrins me so much about all the nonsense about how Iran is run by a bunch of madmen. They are behaving almost text book realists, whereas the Bush League has allowed their conceit and ideology to blind them into blunders that have only decreased US interests and increased Iran's position.
But back to your point: yes, Iran is behaving as one would expect. And by the same logic of realism that supports Iran's attempt to go nuke, it is in the interests of the US to try to block Iran, or any non-nuclear state, from joining the nuclear club. The US wants to limit the numbers of players on the nuclear playground.
I suppose given all this that you in the end you, as an American, feel about whether the US's pursuit of power also brings with it a spreading of US values and institutions. And what the alternative to US dominance would look like. Personally, I think the US acts like a typical top dog, does a lot of crappy and harmful things. And beyond that has been and is a force for good in the world beyond simply providing stability and public goods in the international system.
You are not the first to suggest that all nations should get nukes, because there detterent value would make war a thing of the past. I am not so sure about that. I do know that the current situation where a few powerful nations, and a few not so powerfull nations maintain a nuclear monopoly has meant no hegemonic wars and no nuclear attacks. This is a very good thing. This in historically unprecedented on both counts.
Posted in: Ahmadinejad: 'Wicked' Bush's term is at an end
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DanManjt
I agree with you. Only I'd say, If *BUSH had responded differently to 9-11....*
Bingo!
Posted in: Scanners that see through clothing installed in U.S. airports
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DanManjt
adaydream
Your position may sound nice to you, but its a soothing fantasy that in the end offers nothing for a safer or more just world. In fact, it makes the world less safe and therfore less just.
Imagine if all nations were to supposedly ban the bomb. OK. Now what? How do we know that our neighbor and/or rival doesn't have a few. Y'know, just in case. How can we be sure? We can't. And what are the consequences if they do have nukes? Disastrous. The consequences of not taking counter-measures to the possibility that our neighbor and/or rival is not forthwright with their capability to inflict harm on you are too great to not counter-measures. Thus, nations build defensive capabilites. And any increase in defense on our part increases the threat to our neighbors and/or rivals. That is the nature of power. This is the classic "security dilemma," of power politics. So until we can figure out a way to take the power out of politics, that is until the whole world is ruled by one government, it would be incredibly irresponsible for our -- or any government -- not to take the necessary steps to protect us -- or their people.
And since the only possible defense against nukes are other nukes (MAD), we must have a nuclear stockpile.
Indeed, were the US and the other nations pretend to disarm their nuclear arsenal, the world would become a much more dangerous place. The hightened uncertainty of all nations military potential is a profound destabalizer. What's more: nukes prevent the kind of knock-down, drag out battle for world dominance that was WWII. MAD kept the Cold War from going hot. Nukes have kept the international system more stable, more secure, and ultimately more just.
In times of great instability and insecurity - such as WWI through WWII -- matters of justice become less important. 50 million dead in Europe alone.
To offer soothing fantasies about the way the world should work, and attempt to take the moral highground from that essentially indefensible position that only increases instability, war, and injustice. Now that's hypocrisy.
Posted in: Ahmadinejad: 'Wicked' Bush's term is at an end
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DanManjt
If you include me in "you guys" then you are wrong.
Posted in: Ahmadinejad: 'Wicked' Bush's term is at an end
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DanManjt
Madverts
President Mohammad Khatami said on 23 December 2002 that Iran was committed to its obligations and had no intention to develop nuclear weapons. He said that Iran's willingness to send spent fuel back to Russia showed that it did not want to use it for weapons, since the nuclear waste from Bushire plant would be taken to Russia for safekeeping.
Taken to Russia for 'safekeeping.' I love it...Neocons now trusting the Ruskies to protect US interests in the mid-East and non-proliferation. Its a mad mad world.
According to Paul Leventhal of the Nuclear Control Institute, if Iran were to withdraw from the Nonproliferation Treaty and renounce the agreement with Russia, the Bushehr reactor could produce a quarter ton of plutonium per year, which Leventhal says is enough for at least 30 atomic bombs. See also Plutonium from Light Water Reactors as Nuclear Material, Harmon W.Hubbard, April 2003.
---- http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/iran/bushehr.htm
Good to know Iran "probably won't ever have nukes."
Probably won't ever....hmmmm, reminds me of
"We know where they are. They’re in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat."
Posted in: Ahmadinejad: 'Wicked' Bush's term is at an end
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DanManjt
Madverts
I'd much rather keep my freedom and dignity whilst running the million to one chance of getting blown up.
I sentiment I concur with. I think the trouble arises for many when we consider the million to one chance of our children getting blown up. Yes, its irrational, but there you are.
Posted in: Scanners that see through clothing installed in U.S. airports