Graham DeShazo's past comments

  • 2

    Graham DeShazo

    I think that Virtuoso absolutely nailed it. The people of Osaka wanted a doer and Hashimoto got things done on a local level. But the national level is, as they say, the big leagues. And he is clearly not ready for prime time. Nor will he ever be.

    I would like to add that while I am very sympathetic to the issue of Burakumin and the non-sensical discrimination that they continue to face, I think in this case, Mr. H got a pass because of his background. His career as an advisor to Yakked-up lending companies that ensnared the week, the stupid and the desperate, was never really covered by the mass media (In my opinion because of his background). Likewise, did we really not see that a man with 5 (7? I cant remember) children who spent lots of time and money in a sex club might not be able to see the difference between ambivelance to an existant sex industry (the U.S. in Vietnam et al.) and organized, systemic sexual slavery (The Japanese Army everywhere it went.) I think we are now seeing the true Hashimoto.

    My prediction, he will think that he can talk/bully his way out of this. He will be wrong. If anything good comes of this, it will be two-fold. First, liabling S. Koreans in Japan will be come as unacceptable as gay bashing in my home nation the U.S. Second, even Ishi may have to disown him now which would force him to shut up on these issues for the forseeable future. Not likely, but hey, a man can dream.....

    Posted in: Hashimoto's party 'faces extinction,' some media say

  • 1

    Graham DeShazo

    I'm from Kansas and I would never buy a house without a basement. But I was unaware that the water table was that high in Oklahoma.

    Posted in: At least 91 dead in Oklahoma City tornado

  • 0

    Graham DeShazo

    I loved the part when Beiber tried to hush the obvious booing by thanking Jesus Christ,....while wearing sunglasses.

    Ms. Swift has made herself radioactive on the dating scene, so... cry us a river.

    As for Madonna... Where to start? Oh yeah, clothes.

    Prince gives the biggest diss of all to this institutionalized narcissism by playing but refusing to talk.

    Remember when it was the music first, everything else second? Yeah, that was nice....

    Posted in: Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift big winners at Billboard Awards

  • 14

    Graham DeShazo

    He has hit rock bottom, so he rented some drilling equip.

    Posted in: Hashimoto hits back at polls showing majority disagree with his comments

  • 1

    Graham DeShazo

    If nobody has quietly "advised" Abe to stay on-side and not get too far out in front of his security partners, they will very soon.

    Posted in: Abe vows to seek talks with N Korea over abduction issue

  • 9

    Graham DeShazo

    If Abe can pull this off, it would be HUGE! Allowing competition? In a Capitalist country? Who would have thought of it? Seriously though, this would provide large benefits to society in efficiency savings as well as being the log that undoes the jam of resistance to reform.

    Like many people here, I am not fond of Mr. Abe's nationalist tendencies, but this is a very good idea and if he can get it done, he will be the most influential Prime Minister since Nakasone.

    Posted in: Gov't takes aim at electricity monopolies

  • 1

    Graham DeShazo

    One cannot know for sure, but it SOUNDS like Iijima held the U.S., South, Japan line and presented a strong front. If this is actually the case, it is quite helpful. The North will realize it cannot pick off the low-hanging fruit and will be "more" likely (as opposed to likely) to engage in real talks.

    Posted in: Abe's envoy returns from North Korea

  • 31

    Graham DeShazo

    A difficult issue to be sure. I hate gropers for the obvious reasons, but I have seen many examples of people falsely accused because they were on a crowded train, the woman was having a bad day and did not like the look of the guy, or in one case pure extortion of a stanger for money.

    Where in the law, does it say that the burden of proof rests on the defendant to prove the unprovable - a negative? This is ridiculous and flys in the face of Japanese law and common sense (I have lived here a long time, so I stopped saying that a while ago, but this is so bad, I cannot help myself.).

    And why would it be necessary to incarcerate a non-violent suspect for 10-23 days? To prevent them from destroying evidence or intimidating witnesses? Give me a break. It is obviously to force a confession by threatening the lose of employment etc. The police and prosecutors, once engaged, cannot risk their precious conviction rate and will do whatever is necessary to win a conviction, including inappropriate detention.

    I am going to say what I have never said before. This lawyer is correct. Run! I have always been a rule-of-law person. When accused, you face the charges and avail yourself of the rights granted by the law. In this case, however, the rule-of-law does nothing to protect the accused and if accused, one is totally screwed. Escape is the number one option.

    The accuser, the station employee and the "guard" in the ill-fitting, police-wannabe uniform have no right (and if one is sufficiently motivated, no capability) to detain you. Run, switch trains, lines, whatever. Just get away. In the absence of physical violence, I highly doubt that the police wil find it worth their time to come looking.

    Posted in: Guilty and never proven innocent – every male train rider's nightmare in Japan

  • 0

    Graham DeShazo

    Thanks Abe. Way to leave your partners (U.S. and S. Korea, on this issue anyway) hanging. The absolute key to pressuring the North is through absolute unity among the partner nations so that the North cannot play one off of the other.

    If the Japanese do a side-deal that undercuts sanctions, the U.S. is going to be really angry with very good cause.

    Posted in: Abe says he may meet with North Korean leader

  • 0

    Graham DeShazo

    Sorry I meant keeping their commitments. Autocorrect ....

    Posted in: Abe says he may meet with North Korean leader

  • -2

    Graham DeShazo

    The nort breached the declaration by not lowering their commitments and generally being pathological liars ..

    Posted in: Abe says he may meet with North Korean leader

  • 9

    Graham DeShazo

    Mikihouse, in this case the victor also happens to the morally right party. Japan started the war, behaved horribly towards both prisoners and civilians, and brought about its own destruction.

    I have lived here for 18 of the last 23 years and have learned to appreciate the suffering of civilians and the various shades of grey that come with war, but on this I have never varied: Japan started the war and committed crimes worthy of war crimes trials. This is another example of know-nothing's trying to conveniently sweep away the past and I find it personally offensive. I am glad to see that I am not the only one.

    Posted in: Filipino director takes new look at Bataan Death March

  • -4

    Graham DeShazo

    I'm American. I hate French movies too. And it's no surprise that a fox viewer would miss Bush. Both appeal to the lowest common denominator.

    Posted in: Jack Bauer is back: TV thriller '24' to return in 2014

  • 16

    Graham DeShazo

    Mikihouse, where to begin?.....

    First of all, you assume that their treatment would have been more humane had they surrendered. Where is your evidence to support this supposition? Nanjing perhaps?

    Secondly, one might note that no lage-scale war crimes-worthy behavior was documented by other victorious powers upon their defeated for, so what does that say about the imperial army?

    Finally, your premise that this was punishment for fighting too hard is an admission that japan violated the laws of war to which Japan was a signatory.

    You are defending the indefensible. And please spare us the tired moral-equivalence argument. You can see how well that has worked for Hashimoto.

    Posted in: Filipino director takes new look at Bataan Death March

  • -5

    Graham DeShazo

    Yeah because the American public's appetite for simple-minded plots with up-standing protagonists who will "bend" the rules (this means torture) to save freedom never ends.

    24 represents all that was idiotic and patronizing about the Bush-Chaney-Rhumsfeld years. Unlike Bush, however, Jack doesn't have the grace to crawl away and leave us be. Fox must really be desperate for ratings.

    Note to producers: keep Kiefer away from the booze. He has a rep as a nasty drunk.

    Posted in: Jack Bauer is back: TV thriller '24' to return in 2014

  • 1

    Graham DeShazo

    Moby, you nailed it. She was not much more than a prostitute herself and has lived off that "glory" ever since. The shows where she features her home are an abomination. Her house is one step down from a cheap bordello.

    Posted in: Women have the knives out for their celebrity sisters

  • 0

    Graham DeShazo

    Karazai is a human train-wreck. Prone to self-pity, totally unhesitant to throw his ultimate guarantour under the bus to save his own skin. He is the living-breathing example of why the U.S. should support processes over people.

    "As long as certain conditions are met, I am ready to sign the accord" Translation: As long as the CIA keeps delivering sacks of cash and no questions asked.

    Alas, I think that the West has had enough of the Afgan "govt." its total corruption and unwillingness to embrace governance on anything beyond a warlord mentality. We are going to "turn over" responsibility for security (in other words, leave them to their fate), and watch as the Taliban spread like an unstoppable cancer. In the end, Karazai will beg for us to come back, then scream "why has the world abandoned us" when we don't. Gosh, why indeed, Hamid.

    Posted in: U.S. wants to keep nine bases in Afghanistan: Karzai

  • 3

    Graham DeShazo

    I walk the dog, precisely BECAUSE I don't want it going in the house. My dog is not some yappy rat-dog. It is about 20 kg and there isn't a pee pad in existence that would absorb all that. As for the bag, well you get used to it just like you get used to changing your kids diapers.

    Posted in: City's poop patrol making slow progress against negligent dog owners

  • 4

    Graham DeShazo

    Every year, I hope and pray that all these people will magically find jobs "back home" and stay there, but alas.....return they do....

    Too bad. Tokyo is really actually pretty liveable with half the population gone.

    Posted in: Golden Week return rush peaks

  • 30

    Graham DeShazo

    You know, I understand the irritation, but there are just too few places to park bicycles in Tokyo. This is a mode of transport that the govt. should be encouraging as it is totally green and healthy as well. However, everywhere you go, all you see/hear is "not here."

    I know that near most stations there are bike garrages, and when I commute out of my train station I do use them. It would be rude to dump one's bike all day on the street like that. But What about a quick stop to shop or eat? Do the rule-makers really think it's reasonable to have to hump ones bike into (and out of) the basement as well as to have to pay for the priviledge of doing so? I don't so when I go shopping, I don't use them.

    If the govt, really wants to get a handle on this, it would spend some of its seemingly limitless capital works budget not on dams, but on large, convient, parking sturctures near the high-traffic areas with grace periods of about 4 hours before fee charges apply. THEN they can start to complain about bikes on the streets.

    Posted in: Rules are made to be broken

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