From: fester@island.COM (Mike Fester)
Subject: Re: Recommend History Books/Authors?
Organization: /usr/local/rn/organization
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 23:36:34 GMT

In article <36341@twics.co.jp> dcroz@twics.co.jp (David Crosslin) writes:
 
>Keis Ohtsuka writes:
 
>=}I am afraid you're off the mark about the Japanese fans' reactions. . .very
>=}few would interpret it as a dent in their "racial pride". . .I would argue
>=}further that sharing a common interest in the sport, such as baseball,
>=}contribute overcoming narrow mindedness and bigotry despite cultural and
>=}linguistic gaps that lies between the baseball fans of the two nations.
>=}[Strike Two!]
> 
>     Sorry, but the *huge* body of evidence in Japanese newspapers, magazines,
>and TV (including the man-on-the-street interviews) proves conclusively that it
>is *you* who are off the mark.  I can support my remarks with hard evidence;
>you demand that everyone accept your word.  People will decide for themselves.

Hmm, perhaps this isn't what you had in mind, but when THE PEOPLE WHO DO THESE
SORTS OF THINGS take public opinion polls, they generally find that the nations
with the most patriotic people, the people most likely to take great pride in 
their nation's international accomplishments, etc, are either the Swiss or the
US Americans. Last time I read this was in the SF Chronicle about 8 months ago.
Japanese tended to have lower opinions of their country, felt less of an 
attachment to their native soil, etc. 

Also, a recent survey in Japan found that less than 25% of the Japanese say
they would defend Japan if it were attacked by another nation. (Recently
reported both in the Chronicle and on NHK News and Today's Japan.)

>=}In my opinion, anyone watches the Olympic games for the affirmation of
>=}"racial pride" needs an immediate psychiatric help.
> 
>     I suspect you didn't take in much Olympic coverage in the Japanese
>vernacular media.  Either that, or your remarks are intended to mislead those
>who either didn't see any or don't speak Japanese.
> 
>=}It's a game not a war. [Strike! And David, you're out!!]
> 
>     Like I said, I've got the evidence; you've got only your denials.  The
>only question is, are you deliberately prevaricating, or just out to lunch?

How 'bout another data point? I was in Japan at the time of the Seoul Olympics,
and in all honesty, I didn't see very much in the way of nationalism, racial
chauvanism, etc. In fact, there was considerably less media coverage of 
victorious Japanese athletes there, than US coverage of American atheletes here
in the US. I remember being somewhat surprised at the relatively little 
coverage. Here in the US, we had several pay package options, countless 
analysts going over every little event, etc. And you obviously missed the 
hysteria surrounding our "Dream Team". (And for those of us who lived in LA
during the '84 Olympics, NOTHING will come close to the media gushing that 
went on there in the local press.)

In short, there was FAR more chauvanistic reporting here than in Japan. But, 
in any event, what's wrong with all that? What, really, is wrong with either
country boosting the 'home team', or getting a bit carried away with it? So
one side has a "we're the best" attitude? It's only athletic competition, and
hardly proves anything about the relative merits of one nation vs another 
(unless you're willing to concede that the Russians and combined East/West
Germans were the better people for having beaten us in the previous Olympic
medal tallies).

Mike
-- 
Disclaimer - These opinions are not so much opinions, as pearls of wisdom. Any-
one disagreeing is obviously either a) a snivelling, whining, mentally-
deficient, weak-willed, inconsequential, namby-pamby tool of some vague but
conveniently defined conspiracy, or b) my wife.