Stay in touch with the latest and widest range of Japan News with JapanToday's News Alert newsletter.
Up to the moment news in your inbox everyday. Subscribe now!
Already a JapanToday registered user?
Login to update your settings to subscribe to News Alert.
*Required
while its a nice gesture, I think the stadium will be empty of spectators...
Posted in: JFA plans to hold Under-20 Women's World Cup match in Fukushima
Governments need to keep secrets from the people to avoid panic yes. BUT when the government…
Posted in: Official defends secrecy over worst-case nuclear disaster scenario
Israel blames Iran for series of blasts of course they do - simply looking for reasons…
Posted in: Israel blames Iran for series of blasts
The entire country is a seismic hazard. Japan has extremely limited natural resources and nuclear energy…
Posted in: Fukushima faces increased quake risk, scientists say
> sfjp330FEB. 09, 2012 - 08:08AM JST Article states: I’ve been in Japan for 3 1/2…
Posted in: Why do Japanese change their attitude when they communicate with foreigners?
1
Triumvere
Say what now?
Germany, industrial powerhouse, has been the chief beneficiary of the Euro, allowing it to export its goods much easier than it would have been otherwise.
Posted in: Merkel, Sarkozy say EU treaty needed to save euro
0
Triumvere
idiots
Posted in: Speeding blamed for pileup involving 8 Ferraris, 1 Lamborghini
0
Triumvere
Interestingly, we may see an aliance between the Muslim Brotherhood (~30%) and the liberals (~20%) against the Salafists (~20%). (Numbers based on current projections.)
Posted in: Egypt Brotherhood says it won't impose Islamic values
0
Triumvere
...and now the three-ring circus is complete.
Posted in: Trump to moderate Republican presidential debate
0
Triumvere
....
I see what you did there.
Posted in: Fine bodywork
1
Triumvere
Conceded. (I may indeed be too optimistic for my own good.) However, I put to you the same question I put to WilliB: How would you have had us act otherwise?
Posted in: Islamists claim lead in Egypt vote count
2
Triumvere
WilliB,
What would you have Obama done, exactly? Should he have shored up Mubarak? Not taken part in the Lybia conflict? Should we try to save Assad from his impending doom?
I don't see any other way forward for the region than the one that was taken, to be honest. At best you might have been able to prop up a few autocrats for a couple of years, supporting a status quo which was bad for us and bad for them - the root cause of terrorism & extremism in my esitmation - only to be on the wrong side of history when the whole thing inevitably came crashing down. I don't see how that would help anyone.
Islam itself, I would argue, has long been coopted by discontented groups looking for a weapon. Political change offers a new (and potentially more effective) avenue where were previously only extremism and terrorism. Perhaps Islam will be allowed to grow in new directions now. Iliberal democracy dominated by Islamists may be the price we have to pay for that in the short term, but I am optimistic about the long term potential.
Posted in: Islamists claim lead in Egypt vote count
1
Triumvere
A follow-up:
That is not to say we shouldn't be apprehensive about Islamist parties or Shariah base law. Certainly, these developments are considerably more worring from a human rights perspective than, say, would have developments based on humanism and liberal democratic principles. What I object to, however, is the idea that Islamic influence automatically translates into human rights abuses and that continued despotism would have been superior.
So, basically. keep your eye on the post-revolution Middle East, but don't write it off yet. (Also, be prepared for set backs, trade-offs, and slow progress. Remember: we are in this for the long haul.)
Posted in: Islamists claim lead in Egypt vote count
1
Triumvere
WilliB,
You consistantly refuse to believe that "Shariah" is open to interpretation, despite copious evidence to the contrary. Egypt's pre-revolution laws were proportedly "based on Shariah." Lybia's new gov't wants laws to be based on "Shariah," but is open to certain forms of interest which are techically banned in the Koran. The Koran, much like the Bible, is full of internal inconsitancies and, in practice, open interpretation and cherry-picking. And many of the more unplesant practices often assosciated with Islamic law often turn out to be tribal practices that have no basis in the Koran.
The point is, you do not know what "Shariah" based law will ultimately look like in these countries.
Posted in: Islamists claim lead in Egypt vote count
1
Triumvere
Islamic parties across the middle east are benefiting from the arab spring, tis true. But that "Islamism" does not automatically make one a terrorist. Many of these parties are described as "moderate" and have pledged to respect plauralism, and the rights of minorities. Hell, even the Muslim Brotherhood seems to have mellowed out quite a bit. Yet posters like WilliB would have you believe this is some sort of triumph for Al Qaeda + Friends.
This is a necessary step. The previous authoritarianism which whas the root cause of so much of the Middle East (and thus the world's) problems (including terrorism) could not continue. Perhaps now the these parties, the region, and even Islam itself can evolve in a positive direction.
Posted in: Islamists claim lead in Egypt vote count
0
Triumvere
Huh. Lot of highly regarded films have come out of Korea in the last few years (certainly many more than from Japan). I suppose you feel these do not accurately represent the majority of films...
Posted in: Korean drama backlash
1
Triumvere
Piracy,
I'm sorry if my post was offensive. I interperated your original post to indicate you thought that believing the Iranian government was behind the embassy take-over to be foolish - a position I, in turn, felt was foolish. Thus the tone of the post, which was perhaps ill considered.
I in no way meant to indicate you were a proponant of the Iranian government. Likewise, I doubt there are many here that truly want war with Iran, despite the occasionaly belicose language on display.
Yuri, Still not sure where we are in disagreement... it is possible, I believe, to expel and ambassador, but to still retain a low level diplomatic pressence at an embassy. I'm not sure if Iran originally ordered out the entire British delegation or just the ambassador. Clearly, after the crisis, the entire British delegation has been evacuated. In any case (whether the siege was orchastrated or not), Iran's failure to protect the embassy was deemed grounds to expel the Iranian delegation from Britian.
Are you refering here to the original Iranian gov't decision to expel British diplomats, the seige of the embassy, or Britian's decision to send the Iranian diplomats home in response?
Posted in: Britain evacuates embassy staff from Iran
-1
Triumvere
They are upset over foreign television programming?
Man, these people are going to soil themselves when population decline and the comming financial crisis wrench the borders open.
Posted in: Korean drama backlash
0
Triumvere
I'm not sure I grasp your objection, Yuri. I was simply pointing out that the British ambassador was already in the process of being formally expelled when the incident occured.
Posted in: Britain evacuates embassy staff from Iran
0
Triumvere
Actually, the Iranians had already made the decision to expell the ambassador prior to this fiasco: he (she?) had been given two weeks to leave.
Posted in: Britain evacuates embassy staff from Iran
0
Triumvere
It's customary to expel the ambassador of a country that has done the same to yours. Whether the whole embassy will go or not...
Posted in: Britain evacuates embassy staff from Iran
0
Triumvere
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/11/29/iranian-riots-at-british-embassy-portend-troubling-isolationism.html
Not conclusive proof, mind you, but good evidence that this event being backed by the gov't is not merely possible, but has a pretty good chance of being true (and not just some far out theory).
Posted in: Britain evacuates embassy staff from Iran
0
Triumvere
Right back at you.
You are acting like Iran doesn't do stuff like this all the time: set up rallies, pay protesters to attent, use the Basij to forment conflict and then pretend that the gov't doesn't have a hand in it. Hell, that is what the Basij exist for. This isn't some sort of coked-out tinfoil-hat fantasy. It's entirely consistant with Iran's past behavior.
Yet because you don't like the political implications...
Posted in: Britain evacuates embassy staff from Iran
-2
Triumvere
Well, there is certainly precident.
Posted in: Prince Akishino says there needs to be discussion on retirement age for emperor
-1
Triumvere
You are incredibly naïve.
Posted in: Britain evacuates embassy staff from Iran