Whoi knew a bunch of Japanese textbook could cause such trouble?

[DaShi]

Originally posted by Tingkai
The big question is why has Japan been so intent on provoking S. Korea and China in the past couple of months?

Consider that Japan has:

- declared Taiwan a common strategic objective

Contrary to the Chinese, some see Taiwan as an independent nation that does play a stategic role in that area of the Pacific. How is that provoking?

- made claims for tiny islands owned by S. Korea

These are debatable claims, so why are S. Koreans protesting and not debating? How is that provoking?

- approved textbooks that Japan knew would piss off SK and China

They say mimicking is the sincerest form of flattery. But in fairness, this is insensitive of the Japanese. I wonder why the Chinese didn't try to press this issue in the late '60s and early '70s. Best to nip these things in the bud.

- Blocked China's entry into the intra-American development bank

Only after China began attempting to block Japan's entrance to the UNSC. If neither side is willing to extend a hand. . .

- approved gas exploration in an area claimed by China

China has the largest claimed territorial waters of any nation in the world, but that doesn't make it true.

- announced plans to change its constitution to a less pacificist document.

Given the recent behavior of N. Korea and China, can you blame them for feeling threatened? And doesn't every nation have the sovereign right to decide what level of defense it needs?

You may begin slinging insults at me now.

[Drake Tungsten]

I wonder what the message on this poster really means...

[DinoDoc]

It doesn't really say Kill Japanese. You're just taking it out of context. He's really saying I love puppies!

[Drake Tungsten]

- approved textbooks that Japan knew would piss off SK and China

They say mimicking is the sincerest form of flattery. But in fairness, this is insensitive of the Japanese.

The Japanese government didn't really have a choice in approving the book. There's nothing demonstrably false in the textbook from what I've read; its sins are those of omission and presenting history from a nationalist viewpoint. Distasteful? Yes. Worthy of censorship in a free society? No...

[DaShi]

Ah, so they're not like the Chinese books at all, which just make stuff up.

[Drake Tungsten]

I've tried to avoid the issue of Chinese textbooks as I don't believe having problems of your own precludes you from commenting on the problems of others. That being said, it is particularly ironic to hear the Chinese of all people criticizing another nation for its biased portrayal of history.

[Alexander's Horse]

I'm sure chinese textbooks give a balanced view of history (not)

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Crazy man with nukes who the South Koreans have a pathological need to appease might have something to do with that one.

The Japanese have faced bigger threats before.

The question isn't why. It's why all of this now?

It suggests that the Japanese are being deliberately provocative, possibly pressuring China and SK to push NK.

[Dinner]

Why now? HELLO, it hasn't changed the basic texts are the standard Japanese line for the last half century. Get over it already. The only thing that's happening now is that the Chinese Government is deciding to beat this dead horse now and stage fake protests in order to distract people from what's going on at home.

Do you remember the Chinese villagers who rioted and throw out corrupt CCP officials last month? Do you remember the big international press coverage about tens of thousands of Chinese peasants having their water poisoned because some party official's son built a chemical factory up stream where he dumps waste chemicals into peoples' drinking water? How about a million other things? People were getting pissed off with the all invasive corruption and nepotism of the CCP and so the CCP has decided to fan the flames of nationalism and try to focus people's attention on stuff Japan did 60 years ago instead of on what the CCP is doing today.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Why now? HELLO, it hasn't changed the basic texts are the standard Japanese line for the last half century. Get over it already.

No, the Japanese government just approved NEW books. It did so knowing full well that it would piss off its neighbors.

And get over it? I suppose you think that Jewish people are just a bunch of whiners because they want people to remember the horrors of the Holocaust.

[Drake Tungsten]

No, the Japanese government just approved NEW books.

No, they didn't. It's the latest revision of a history textbook that is already in use. They revise history books every 4 years.

And get over it? I suppose you think that Jewish people are just a bunch of whiners because they want people to remember the horrors of the Holocaust.

China has found its Jews

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

No, the Japanese government just approved NEW books.

No, they didn't. It's the latest revision of a history textbook that is already in use. They revise history books every 4 years.

The books have been changed, therefore they are a NEW edition with NEW lies and a NEW government-approved attempt to teach Japanese children that Japan was the victim in WWII.

Yes, the Japanese government has cover up atrocities in the past, but that doesn't change the fact that this is a new attempt to re-write history.

It still comes back to the fact that the Japanese government knew full well that approving these new textbooks would piss of China and S. Korea.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten


China has found its Jews

Next you'll be saying the Chinese started the war.

[Drake Tungsten]

It still comes back to the fact that the Japanese government knew full well that approving these new textbooks would piss of China and S. Korea.

Again, they had little choice. Japan is a free country, unlike China, and censorship doesn't fly there.

Next you'll be saying the Chinese started the war.

No, but it's looking increasingly likely that they'll start the next one...

[DaShi]

Originally posted by Tingkai


No, the Japanese government just approved NEW books. It did so knowing full well that it would piss off its neighbors.

For more mindreading fun. . .

And get over it? I suppose you think that Jewish people are just a bunch of whiners because they want people to remember the horrors of the Holocaust.

They normally don't whine about it or stage protests, even in response to the deniers, which include quite a few Chinese.

The Japanese have faced bigger threats before.

Not without a military force, they haven't.

The question isn't why. It's why all of this now?

And it's not getting any better. With NK claiming nukes and China's ever expanding territorial claim (along with threats to use military force in some instances), Japan has ever right to feel nervous. Personally, the best thing they should do is suck it up and apologize. But whether they do or not, they have every right to defend themselves.

It suggests that the Japanese are being deliberately provocative, possibly pressuring China and SK to push NK.

I don't see how you can reach that conclusion. Provoking China and SK is not going to pressure them to control NK. In fact, I don't see any deliberate attempts to provoke. This is politics as normal for Japan over the last fifty years. In fact, it's normal politics for many countries. China's just trying to play the victim card to gain political advantage.