Wednesday February 15, 2012

skyguym42's past comments

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    skyguym42

    Wow, Kwatt, I'm impressed with your knowledge of aircraft design! Aircraft have many parts that are not necessary for flight, but are there for other purposes. Inspection panels, sealing strips, al sorts of things. It's not like some evil American engineer purposely designed things to fall off and hit Japanese houses.

    If the mirror or a piece of trim or a door handle falls off your car, does it stop working?

    Posted in: Minister cautions U.S. military after part falls from U.S. Navy jet, hitting house

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    skyguym42

    Cue the protests in three, two, one....

    Posted in: Minister cautions U.S. military after part falls from U.S. Navy jet, hitting house

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    skyguym42

    ---I do not like your attitude and you should not use such insults in referring to the people of Okinawa! ---

    I was referring to Japan's unwillingness to defend itself, not Okinawans in particular.

    The PM is trying to keep his hired army in the most convenient spot for Tokyo politicians.....away from the mainland where there are more voters. He cares about the people of Okinawa as much as any PM...only during speeches about the bases, with no action following.

    I doubt your attitude is liked by many on this board either!

    Posted in: Hatoyama says he'll start from scratch on Futenma relocation plan

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    skyguym42

    YuriOtani, the distance would allow for defensive prep before missiles arrived...warning is good. I said nothing about defense.

    And as I said, we have the same goals; You want us out, so do I. The fact that our reasons are different should not matter. I want you worthless cowards to be on your own, you want us stinky gaijin out, but we both want the US to close the bases. Why are you arguing with me? We should be working together to remove the bases.

    Posted in: Hatoyama says he'll start from scratch on Futenma relocation plan

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    skyguym42

    ---Yes, because being a few thousand miles further from a threat is always a good idea?--

    Not always, but sometimes, especially in the age of missiles. Having the bases further from potentially hostile launch sites can give you more warning of an attack. If you have good long-range systems (which we do), distance can be good.

    Also, would Japan be in as much danger of attack if the US bases were not there? It seems to me that the US bases drag Japan into US squabbles as much as defend against them.

    Posted in: Hatoyama says he'll start from scratch on Futenma relocation plan

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    skyguym42

    It may be naive to think there would ever be a referendum, but I think the US should be listening to the people most directly affected, not Tokyo. If we are not welcome in Okinawa, we should tell Tokyo they need to be moved to the mainland or we will move them to Guam. But we should no longer be complicit in forcing these bases on Okinawa just because the Old Boys wnat to continue outsourcing their national defense.

    Posted in: Hatoyama says he'll start from scratch on Futenma relocation plan

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    skyguym42

    No, it's not North Korea, (you said that, not me)...the lifestyle and freedoms here are still going to be better than 90% of the world even if the economy and politics don't change.

    Hopeless to me does not mean that Japan is doomed to be a horrible place to live or anything, just that the politics and govt corruption here are unlikely to improve anytime soon. Japan's potential will never be realized, which is sad.

    Posted in: Is Ozawa heading for the slammer?

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    skyguym42

    drtoro, give me a reason to think it's not hopeless....the most radical change in Japanese politics in decades has only given us crooks who are less competent than the last batch.

    When young people I know say "Why bother to vote, they're all the same, and all the real action happens behind closed doors anyway", I have very little to respond with, because they are right. The Old Boys of the status quo (regardless of the party) have such strong machines on the ground, and the Japanese are so loathe to go against authority and peer pressure that change is effectively impossible. The political and societal cultures here coopt, weaken, sideline and ultimately defeat any attempt at real change before it starts.

    Enjoy Japan as it is, but don't expect it to change. Or expect the change to be glacial and only skin deep.

    Whether Ozawa goes to jail or not, Japan will be run exactly the way it has been for at least the last 55 years, and largely by the same families. Get used to it.

    Posted in: Is Ozawa heading for the slammer?

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    skyguym42

    I'd be stunned if contingency planning for a mass removal of the bases is not underway now. Japan is not a serious security partner, and there is no real reason to stay and defend them. Hold a referendum, and if the bases lose, the US should get out regardless of what Tokyo says. What happens after we leave is not our problem once they ask us to leave.

    We no longer need these bases as we have no legitimate security interests in Asia that cannot be handled from Guam (Korea can handle its own defense now). The US sun is setting, and the new regional power is China. Japan had better be either thinking of how to cut the best deal it can or building a serious defense force. They can afford to defend themselves, but prefer hiring a military to building one.

    The US should not be attempting to hang onto its bases where they are not wanted, and Japan should stop depending on others and become a real country worthy of respect.

    Posted in: Hatoyama says he'll start from scratch on Futenma relocation plan

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    skyguym42

    Even if he resigns he will just change titles and continue to run the party and the PM from behind the scenes...anyone who thinks this will change Japans' politics (or even thinks there is a remote possibility that Japan's politics will change) is a fool. Japanese people are ultimately is fine with the corruption because it would be impolite and troublesome to try and fix it. They bitch and then vote the same class of crooks every time. They get what they deserve, and will get the likes of Ozawa or his like in the LDP for the next 100 years.

    Posted in: Is Ozawa heading for the slammer?

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    skyguym42

    tkoind2 is right, the problems are obvious, as is the fact that Japan is permanently and utterly incapable of fixing it. The cultural inertia here is simply too overpowering, the lack of initiative and willingness to stand up for oneself pathetic and irreversible. Japan is a dead country walking.

    The Japanese are sitting on the tracks and watching the train coming, noting the color of the train, how many cars it has, whether or not it's on time, lamenting the fact that the driver is not doing his job. They are remembering with teary eyes how they used to ride that train with their friends, being sad that they know it's not going to stop, and that they could get up and out of the way if they wanted to, but that no one actually told them to escape, so maybe it's not ok to move, but look at that cartoon character painted on the train, kawaiiii....SPLAT. No sense beating your head against a wall here, folks, Japan will not change a damn thing until absolute disaster hits. And then they will blame it on foreigners.

    Posted in: Where are all the babies?

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    skyguym42

    "What a hell of a bush inspired mess he has to clear up now."

    So after all the talk of change and how different he was and how he was so special and unique......his future failures have already been blamed on Bush...yappari.

    No. Full stop. He knew what he was getting into and he's promised to fix it all, change all the bad to good, give hope where there was none, etc. He either delivers or he just another politician lying to get elected.

    If he really is "all that", he'll be able to improve things dramatically DESPITE the challenges. Remember, he has singlehandedly made the rest of the world love us, right? I saw the fawning adoring news coverage from around the globe as well as you.

    The Dems have complete control, no checks or balances left. They don't need the Republicans for anything. Now either put up or shut up.

    I'll be praying every day that Obama is a success....but I won't be accepting any excuses if he's not.

    Posted in: Now comes hard part for Obama: governing

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    skyguym42

    This is likely the only nice thing I'll say about Japanese police this year, but the cops did fine....and were quite restrained. They didn't shoot, taser or hit him with a stick, although he tried to whack them a few times. Try running naked on the lawn of the White House and see if they take an hour to get you in custody.

    Apparently the best-trained cops are around the palace!

    And yeah, 50 cops is not out of line....this was the Palace after all, and no telling where he'd try to get out and run. After Akihabara, they aren't going to let apparently crazy people run free.

    Posted in: Naked Briton detained after swimming in Imperial Palace moat

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    skyguym42

    It's not that they won't take it seriously, or that they won't go in with good intentions; it's that most Japanese ALWAYS follow what they are told is "best" by whatever authority figure happens to be nearby. The average citizen here is utterly incapable of going against a group of "experts" who are in highly-feared positions of power.

    This is not out of malice on the jurors' part. In a few years when the first railroadee is freed after having been damned to a decade of misery, we'll hear genuine contrition and regret from the juror who was certain they were innocent, but wouldn't rock the boat. .

    And I'm sure they will carefully "deselect" anyone with a history of independent thought. Union membership, political activism, blogging or petition-signing will likely keep you off a jury. Can't have "troublemakers" making the past system look bad by suddenly releasing more defendants.

    ase.

    Posted in: Jury system poster

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    skyguym42

    The Japanese system has now put itself on a par with Saudi Arabia's in immunity from change....for 50 years they will be hailing this as a massive improvement. And it will be, they will be able to convict 99.9% of defendants with the cover of a useless jury system.

    Imagine the scene....

    "So, Mrs Housewife, you've heard the opinions of the 3 experienced judges, and the 32 policemen with a total of 145 years service to the public, and they all think the big stinky foreigner did it. Don't you agree? Now remember that if you have your own opinion, you're legally allowed to embarrass yourself and your husband by disagreeing....(oh, and we helpfully told his boss that you are on the jury and how happy he should be that someone connected with his company is going to help put away this scum)

    Posted in: Jury system poster

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    skyguym42

    Services? No, that would lessen Narita's real mission. Narita is carefully designed to be unwelcoming so as to make foreigners want to stay AWAY from Japan.

    It's far from Tokyo, and it's hot, dirty and boring so you have nothing to do but wonder how much contraband is being stuffed into your luggage by the Customs Thugs. Every time I go through Narita I'm reminded of why I don't live in Japan year-round.

    Posted in: Relaxing at the airport when you're delayed

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