JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
-
1
To be healthy, live in the big city
-
2
Japan's nuclear safety standards flawed, says commission chief
-
3
Why do Japanese change their attitude when they communicate with foreigners?
-
4
Teacher nabbed for using miror to peek up girl's skirt
-
5
From carnivores to herbivores: how men are defined in Japan
-
- 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
-
- 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*
-
- Translator
- ZAIHON, Inc. (日本財務翻訳株式会社), Tokyo
- Salary: ¥6.0M / Year Negotiable
0
inkjet
i agree with you. i would prefer a more consistent message too. ironically that was one of the things that i found attractive with the neo-cons.
but in this case i'm certainly not trying to make out bush was perfect or that obama is all wrong.
my point is obama seems to have gone into office with a political agenda or chip on his shoulder. it's as if he can't stop running his campaign, trying to prove he's better than bush. i think it would have been more productive to find areas of agreement to focus on. areas that were in our countries and the world's best interest.
there are many examples of this besides the rhetoric he used with the military tribunals. there was the example of the photos from abu ghraib. he wanted them to be released until it eventually became clear it served no positive purpose except to make bush look bad. instead it simply undermined our troops and gave fodder for the extremist to whip up some fresh anger. besides the obvious damage that would do to the troops it could also wind up hurting him politically. he woke up and changed his policy. same with the whole nancy pelosi thing. she tried to accuse the CIA of lying. that sort of thing was fine while bush was in office. but how does it help the dems to have congress accusing the CIA of lying? so she got no back up there. in the bush days there would have been a parade of dems denouncing the CIA. the examples can go on and on. do i make the picture clear?
i think many on the left thought if you purged bush from the equation everything would just fall into place. we could all sit down a discuss things like rational adults. bush was at the root of all problems. a very naive thought. unfortunately in my opinion obama has been running his foreign policy this way.
eventually he will no longer be able to lay his problems at bush's feet. that time is coming very quickly.
Posted in: Republicans call Obama timid on Iran
0
inkjet
i think the election, the results and the riots have very little do do with either bush or obama. i wouldn't give bush or obama credit for what is happening in iran. but it's clear america can't sit back and not try to 'impose' our values there. the reality is obama should have known that. he should not have painted himself into a corner by saying he would not interfere. it looks amateur.
it's like when you call military tribunals a violation of human rights then turn around and continue the practice. the press will give obama a free pass on this stuff for a while. but eventually it will burn him. sorry but that is my humble opinion.
Posted in: Republicans call Obama timid on Iran
0
inkjet
look obama just got back from his historic trip/speech in cairo. he made a big show in front of the muslim world that america was not going to impose it's values on them.
what is this resolution but an attempt to impose our values? if he wants to be true to his convictions he should veto it.
of course the liberals will say he was only speaking about invasion. you know we won't invade you like the last guy did. but they have that view because, like obama, they are looking at international affairs through the 'we hate bush and we want to show everyone how bad he was' colored glasses.
in fact obama pledged to not impose our values on muslims, not to demand they share our values. if they want to deny women rights, that's their culture. if they want to have a secular dictatorship that's their culture. if they want to defy the world community and continue their nuclear program while always threatening to destroy israel, it's their country. we won't demand they be like us.
that sounds good when you're obssesed with making bush look bad.
with so many issues, one by one the 'inexcusable' positions bush had are being taken by obama. you'd think someone on that side would be embarrassed. now that reality has reared it's ugly face obama doesn't look so cocky, does he?
Posted in: Republicans call Obama timid on Iran
0
inkjet
this is a good article on the state of the medical profession.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123993462778328019.html
my brother is one of the best doctors in our area. he was forced to opt out of medicaid and medicare. he couldn't survive.
he now runs what they call a boutique practice. his patients must pay an annual fee of $1,500 . in return he gives them his private number and spends as much time during visits as they feel they need.
often when people see my name they ask if i'm his brother. then they gush about how great a doctor he is. now i get people lamenting his new practice. many don't want to pay the fee. i say 'want to' because these are well off people. i see them driving their new BMWs and mercedes while my brother drives his old honda. they just think they shouldn't have to pay for medicine.
maybe now that obama owns GM they will be expecting free cars too.
Posted in: Republicans accuse Obama of socialism
0
inkjet
i had basic insurance back in the states. yet i had access to more tests there than i do here. the doctor here simply told me even though the tests are effective (and needed here) the government chooses not to include them...to save money.
don't be so sure you will be getting better treatment if the government is your provider. i actually have no idea why you would think that.
Posted in: Republicans accuse Obama of socialism
0
inkjet
i think as a member of the opposition you can be open critical. you even have an obligation to be critical. but it should be done in a responsible way. that doesn't mean accusing american troops of acting like nazis from the senate floor, stuff like that. and we heard an awful lot of that from the dems over the last several years.
obama should be prepared for a little honest, responsible criticism. can he handle it? so far he has had a pass.
Posted in: Republicans call Obama timid on Iran
0
inkjet
it's sad to see the left are still on their crying jag. you would think after winning congress and the white house they might find a way to pull themselves together. sadly no. the hysterical hissy fits continue unchecked.
i'm really concerned what will happen once the moderates fully wake up to their mistake and turn their back on the messiah.
we can already see the tide turning. the pendulum is swinging. you better duck.
"The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows that 32% of the nation's voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-four percent (34%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -2. That’s the President’s lowest rating to date and the first time the Presidential Approval Index has fallen below zero for Obama"
Posted in: Iran accuses U.S. of meddling after disputed vote
0
inkjet
joe sit down this may come as shock. it's not in the constitution. i hope you haven't spent to much time looking for it there. i wish i had seen your question sooner. you are obviously beside yourself trying to find the answer.
well it's your lucky day. i have the answer for you. it's just commonly accepted, that's all. i hope that settles it for you.
good day sir!
Posted in: Republicans call Obama timid on Iran
0
inkjet
"We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people," Obama said in a written statement. "The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights."
oh dear. it sounds as if he wants to impose our values on the iranians. what gives? didn't he just make a big deal about abandoning that strategy?
Posted in: Republicans call Obama timid on Iran
0
inkjet
i respect the fact you are doing something about. i really do.
but i'm curious though, has your whiteness been forgiven. or is that a stigma you will carry to the grave?
Posted in: Senate apologizes for slavery, segregation in U.S.
0
inkjet
yadda yadda yadda
why not show us you really mean business and lead by example. there are plenty of places you can send your check.
of course complaining that no one else is doing anything will buy you plenty of brownie points with your liberal comrades. that may help you feel good about yourself but it just won't help the victims of your whiteness very much.
Posted in: Senate apologizes for slavery, segregation in U.S.
0
inkjet
funny the doctors don't agree with you. did you ever wonder why?
Posted in: Republicans accuse Obama of socialism
0
inkjet
before i came to japan with our two young kids my wife gave me a book to read about what i might expect. sorry to say i can't remember the name of the book or it's author.
the writer had been in japan since the war. his main occupation over the years seems to have been helping foreign companies prepare their employees for life in japan.
in any case he opened his book with an anecdote from his first trip to japan. a group of japanese were speaking to him while their children were off playing in the background. they were running along a concrete wall with a tremendous drop on the other side. one slip meant instant death. no one seemed to care at all. he was shocked. that first impression was reinforced over and over for the rest of his life in japan.
his conclusion was the japanese people are extremely fatalistic. that deep seated world vision was formed during the samurai era. i won't go into the whole analysis but something has to explain it.
Posted in: What's your impression of parental supervision of children in Japan?
0
inkjet
what struck me when i visited the memorial in hiroshima was the lack of context they provide. the fact is the bombing ended a long bitter war that killed 10's of millions of people. the bombing is treated as an isolated incident.
it certainly was not.
of course you as an american you feel many things there. but i was surprised i actually felt frustration bordering on anger at the japanese because they chose to minimize their own role in the war. let's face it if imperial japan got the bomb first they would have used it on us. and they probably would have used it on a lot more nations as well.
Posted in: How do you feel about the decision not to have the emperor and empress visit Pearl Harbor during their visit to Hawaii next month?
0
inkjet
what's stopping you?
Posted in: Senate apologizes for slavery, segregation in U.S.
0
inkjet
well i should have known you'd like to cap everyone's salary. my picture of you becomes more clear.
but in the mean time you'll keep up the fight for the slip and fall lawyers. now that is a noble cause.
screw the doctors.
Posted in: Republicans accuse Obama of socialism
0
inkjet
another confused liberal. maybe we could keep a tally.
Posted in: Senator Ensign resigns from GOP leadership after affair
0
inkjet
that's right. the trial lawyers are getting rich and the general practitioner is getting poor.
read the article about obama's personal physician. obviosly one of the top doctors in chicago saw his income shrink to $22 hour before he retired.
how many trial lawyers make $22 an hour? what a joke. you liberals really ought to shake yourselves out of your partisan trance and look at what is going on.
my brother is a top doctor in our area in new york. besides his 60 hours a week his wife works full time so they can send their kids through college.
many areas in america already can't attract enough doctors. and you guys just want to make it worse for them. weird.
Posted in: Republicans accuse Obama of socialism
0
inkjet
and the government will be more efficient? or will they be using volunteers?
you are implying the government will be much more receptive to accepting claims. just say yes we can! how exactly will that reign in costs?
Posted in: Democrats' stumbling health care plan keeps moving
0
inkjet
the us has, and provides more advanced and costly tests and treatments than other countries for starters.
we also we have way more and expensive law suits. that leads to astronomical insurance costs. it also leads to unnecessary testing (doctors have to be overly defensive). it's estimated by some doctor groups that medical costs would drop in half with tort reform. but obama has ruled it out.
there has not been one defense of that position made on any of the threads. just a lot of partisan yammering.
of course this is not a one issue problem. but tort reform is a huge missing piece of the debate. obama has a chance to do something historic here. shame on him if he can't go against his special interest buddies in favor of society as a whole.
Posted in: Democrats' stumbling health care plan keeps moving