From: underdog@leland.Stanford.EDU (Dwight Joe)
Subject: Re: brainwashed
Organization: Miners for a Heart of Gold
Date: Sun, 27 Dec 92 22:38:54 GMT

In article <BzwC06.8rM@CAM.ORG> cheung@CAM.ORG (Shirley Cheung) writes:
>Dear all,
>First of all, I am not Japanese.  It was the American article called
>"sexism in Japan" that sparked me to search more info about this country.
>I have posted several articles regarding to the "sexism" in Japan as well
>as following to the articles posted in soc.culture.japan.
>Today, I can come up with a final conclusion of how REAL Japanese are:
>1. They are extremely narrow-minded in terms of racial, sexual, linguistic
>issues.

I don't understand the "linguistic" issue; if that is in reference to
the fact that the Japanese-cu (Japanese in the cultural sense) language
is the official language in Japan, then I support that aspect of Japanese
society.

>2. Their "social" mentality is at least 20-30 years behind North America

I agree.

>3. They have been EXTREMELY "damaged" by the evil act of their own
>TRADITION of  "brainwashing". 

If Ms. Cheung is referring to cultural chauvinism, then I only partially
agree.  However, Japanese-cu culture is far less pernicious than Chinese-cu
culture, which is truly disgusting.

>4. HOPE?--> ONLY now that telecommunication has brought them "somewhat"
>closer to the rest of the world.

Actually, the first "sign" of hope was the sale of the Japanese-edition
of "Newsweek" magazine several years ago.  That sale (and its ensuing success)
spurred the creation of "Aera".  "Aera" concentrates on international issues.

What these events will do is to expose Japanese society, at large, to
a view of the Western mind and society that most Japanese people have
never known.  Before these magazines, the only printed source of information
about the West seems to have come from Japanese newspapers and magazines
that warp the image of the West (mainly the USA) into a society of
druggies, rapists, racists, and other unsavory characters.  The USA is
painted as a dangerous unhappy place created by the unleashing of
"subsersive" social forces like "the women's movement", "the civil rights
movement", blah blah.

Maybe, now, the Japanese will get a better balanced picture of America.
Of course, most Japanese who've actually lived in the USA for an extended
period know that the info from Japanese newspapers (in the previous
paragraph) is just crock.

>THE JAPANESE TRADITION HAS MADE ME VERY ANGRY, SAD, AND FRUSTRATED FOR FEW
>DAYS AND I AM EXTREMELY LUCKY THAT I AM "NOT" PART OF THIS CULTURE.

Again, Chinese-cu culture is far worse than this.  If we assume that
American social thinking is 100.0, the benchmark, then Japanese-cu
thinking is 75.0.

Chinese-cu thinking is -100.0.  (That's _minus_ one hundred point zero.)

Chinese-cu society has rampant sexism, racism, and domestic cruelty 
(cruelty in the home).  The things that go on in that society--I mean,
the sheer brutality--would knock your socks off.  I'm surprised that more
Chinese-cu children haven't committed suicide.

>SHIRLEY

Have a nice day.

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