JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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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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- Translator
- ZAIHON, Inc. (日本財務翻訳株式会社), Tokyo
- Salary: ¥6.0M / Year Negotiable
1
Triumvere
Madverts,
See, here's the thing: I've never been raped. I'm going to take a risk and say that a lot of people posting here haven't been either. A lot of critics of rape allegation base their criticism on what they a imagine that a "reasonable person" would "logically" do in such a situation. Only problem is, they don't really know what they are talking about. People react to psycological trauma in very different ways, and while you can imagine you might do X or Y under extreme stress, you can't really know until it happens. I think the chances of you behaving "illogically" are pretty high, based on what we know about actual rape (and other types of assault) victims.
Basically, I am saying that Banon's behavior may seem obviously suspect to you, I see nothing contradictory in it. She was a young woman (if we take her story at face value) traumatized by an attack by a very powerful man. She was pressured by society and - grossly - by her own mother to keep it quiet. She struggled for with it for many years, gradually mustering enough courage to semi-publicly tell the story. Then when DSK was arrested, she finally felt she was able to speak out and be taken seriously.
I imagine it may. Therefore, it would take courage to speak out, no? And your last question is the very easiest to answer: rape trials are horrific experiences for genuine rape victims (even attempted victims, I'd imagine). If this goes to trial, she's going to go through all sorts of hell - not the least of which is being forced to re-live her attack. Even if she's gotten over that, she's going to have to face a society which largely believes DSK to be innocent. There's all kinds of pressure here. Banon believed that the New York case might bring DSK to justice wthout her having to go through all this herself. Now that it looks like it would fail, she feels she has to take action. Otherwise he'll get away with it. Again. (and again, and again, and...)
Now, none of this means her story is true. But I think it is entirely plausable.
Now this, on the otherhand, is a very good question. How does one prove rape several decades after the fact?
Posted in: Strauss-Kahn faces new sexual assault complaint from French writer
2
Triumvere
We've been over this:
1) Her mother, a politician in DSK's party, told her to shut-up as it might hurt her political career. 2) She was afraid that, given DSK's status, no one would take her seriously. 3) She was inspired to go public now after DSK was arrested in New York.
A further note, she has accused him before, privately and pseudo-publicly (such as on that TV show, though they bleeped out DSK's name; its only that now she is formally accusing him.)
Posted in: Strauss-Kahn faces new sexual assault complaint from French writer
0
Triumvere
Harkins,
You aren't the only one thinking this; put "Yingluck Shinawatra" into Google and the first autocomplete suggestion that comes up is "Yingluck Shinawatra hot."
Posted in: Thaksin's sister seeks unity after winning election in Thailand
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Triumvere
Red Shirts (illiberal democrats) vs. Yellow Shirts (enlightened autocrats): Everyone loses.
Posted in: Thaksin's sister seeks unity after winning election in Thailand
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Triumvere
The entirety of France, for one. Myself for another.
Posted in: In Strauss-Kahn case, DA weighs limited options
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Triumvere
NOTHING is even remotely clear about this case, and it's your own bias talking if you think it is.
Well, nothing save that the prosecution is going to have a hell of a time with the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard. Methinks this case is sunk.
Posted in: Ex-IMF boss Strauss-Kahn returns to NYC townhouse
0
Triumvere
chewitup,
Sorry, I got the impression from another site that the she lied before the Grand Jury. If that is incorrect, then things look slightly more favorable. Still, if this is the case where a traumatized victim initially misreported details (a common occurance) of her assault, it would have been much better if she had corrected the inaccuracy, rather than stuck to it.
I will have to go back an re-read the articles in question. I may have been mistaken.
Posted in: Ex-IMF chief freed without bail; rape charges stand
2
Triumvere
Looking bad for the prosecution.
While a lot of this stuff is more prejudicial than anything else, the fact that she lied about the events following the alleged rape is lethal to her credibility. Even if we consider the lie itself to be understandable (I think some feminist websites make a good case for this), you can't lie to a Grand Jury like that and expect to be believed.
The only way this case proceeds is if the forensic evidence is air-tight. Even then, it will be an uphill battle.
Posted in: Ex-IMF chief freed without bail; rape charges stand
0
Triumvere
sfjp330,
Just so everyone is clear, the first two quotes sfjp330 sites aren't mine, even though the second has my name on it for some reason. The last two quotes are mine.
Now that we have that out of the way....
I'm not seeing your point here. There is no contradiction in anything I have said. The "response" you list was to the silly speculation that was being posted, fantasizing all sorts of convoluted examples. We know sex took place, the only question is whether or not it was consentual.
Personally, I believe that Mr. Straus-Kahn is guilty. However, I am not on the jury nor have all the facts. As such, I reserve final judgement for the outcome of a trial. It is entirely possible that I am wrong and DSK is innocent. If that is the case, as I have said, I hope that the Justice system does its job and clears him. If, as may be the case, the charges are dropped or reduced, then I hope that DSK is able to reintigrate himself back into the French political scene. (Though dropped charges do not automatically mean he is innocent, mind you.) I'm not sure where you imagine there are any contradictions these sentiments.
Posted in: Strauss-Kahn rape case 'near collapse'
0
Triumvere
Well, this is rather vague and contradictory.
One part of the article claims that there is no issue with the charges, only with her background, and that the "proof against him is substancial." The other part is saying that they are considering dropping the charges.
The first is from the ADA. The second from an "anonymous source."
If Mr. Straus-Kahn is innocent I hope the system will return the appropriate verdict. Likewise if he is guilty. Til then, I am inclined to ignore anything anonymous sources have to say about the matter.
Posted in: Strauss-Kahn rape case 'near collapse'
3
Triumvere
Hello, ladies.
Is this necessary? Every time one of these pictures comes up someone feels the need to dump all over the girls in it. How you manage to determine someone's level of intelligence from a picture of that person holding a handbag is beyond me.
Posted in: Samantha Muse All-Stars
0
Triumvere
Tahoochi,
While I agree that Japan often gets the short end of the stick around these parts, in this case I think the criticism is justified. It shouldn't surprise anyone that there are more child porn domains in the US; It's got 3x the population of Japan for one, and was the birthplace of the internet for another. The point is not that sexual violence in pornography or games is unique to Japan (Custer's Revenge, anyone?). Rather, it is the pervasiveness, that makes it so galling. In the US this sort of stuff is by in large underground. In contrast, I can walk in any conbini and come out again with stacks of sexually violent manga. I can walk in any game shop or video rental place and find a wall of such materials hidden behind the curtain in the back. I don't beleive in censorship, so I don't oppose the "right" to produce or consume such items, but the level of cultural acceptence for them strikes me as distincly unhealthy.
Posted in: U.S. Supreme Court overturns ban on video game sales to kids
2
Triumvere
Interesting choice to play Suu Kyi. Not that Ms. Yeoh can't do the job... I'm just getting images of Suu Kyi serving the generals a martial-arts beat down.
Posted in: Myanmar deports Michelle Yeoh after Suu Kyi movie
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Triumvere
Man, Taka, are you out of the loop.
Take a wild guess at which country is the world leader in rape-based dating sims.
Posted in: U.S. Supreme Court overturns ban on video game sales to kids
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Triumvere
I guess there isn't a water shortage in Portland. Still, dumb.
Posted in: Portland flushes 8 mil gallons after man urinates in city reservoir
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Triumvere
Brave, brave men. I would have been looking over my shoulder the entire time...
Posted in: Syrian opposition meet in Damascus
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Triumvere
Hurrah! Down with censorship! Up with Parental Responsibility!
Posted in: U.S. Supreme Court overturns ban on video game sales to kids
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Triumvere
Bye bye, Blago. Send the man and his lego hair to jail.
Posted in: Jury convicts former Illinois governor in retrial
1
Triumvere
Too damn lazy.
Posted in: Why doesn't the U.S. adopt the metric system?
0
Triumvere
Horrific.
Posted in: 6 dead in Nevada Amtrak crash