Nippon!

Kayoubi: Tuesday 1/12/10

2010-01-13T06:26:00.000-08:00

After catching a train at nearly 6 in the morning, we follow a bustling crowd, all armed with wicker baskets, through the intersections of Tsukiji to the fish market.

From 5 to 6:30 fishermen auction off their catches to local vendors. After that, the primary selling items are produce. Almost any kind of food is found in these busy markets, but the fish is overwhelming. The Tsukiji fish market supplies Tokyo with all of its fish. After a quick stop at wikipedia, I can confirm that it is in fact the largest fish market in the world.

Constant mopeds, tractors, and cars are speeding by, so you have to constantly be moving. Everyone in the market moved with such intent, it was hard not to feel in the way. We stopped at a small restaurant for what was, needless to say, the freshest sushi breakfast I have ever had.

We walked the Hamarikyuteien park while we waited for a shuttle to Asakusa.

The shuttle provided us with a beautiful view of some of the more metropolitan areas of Asakusa.

We began walking deeper into Asakusa, visiting some of the ancient shrines the area is known for. The roads were lined with vendors, where I was able to practice my Japanese and buy a much needed umbrella as the weather took a turn for the worst.

The most famous in Asakusa is, of course, Asakusa shrine. The large complex has multiple temples surrounding its courtyard.

After succumbing to rain and poor sense of direction, we hopped in a cab and came over to Ueno park. After a turn at these orange arches, we stopped at a traditional Japanese lunch house. The experience was jarringly sophisticated and different from our own. Every step in the meal was made blindly and with caution. I can't help but think the waitress was amused by our efforts.

Despite the bad weather, the park, a sight of street performers, university campuses, and museums, was a beautiful walk with plenty of more shrines along the way.

Getsuyoubi: Monday 1/11/10

2010-01-12T14:21:00.000-08:00

We woke up to get our first glimpses of the view at daylight. What was just outside our window was fairly indicative of the rest of the city. The old and new architecture seem to exist harmoniously and every inch of space is efficiently used.

The area we are staying in is Akasaka. It is a bit quieter than most other areas of Tokyo, with its main attraction being the Tokyo Broadcasting System building. Where Shibuya is a Time Square, the TBS center is a Rockefeller Center, ice-skating rink and all. We caught a subway and headed over to our first sight of the day, the Imperial Palace.

The Imperial Gardens exist as an ocean of gravel and grass within the city. We did a full walk of the historic areas, dating back to when this land was the Edo Castle. The Imperial Grounds are off limits to civilians on all but two days. New Years, and the Emperor's Birthday (December 23rd.)

By far the most beautiful view was of one of the guarded bridges leading to the Imperial Castle. After a quick visit to the Tokyo Museum of Modern Art, we caught another train to Ryogoku to catch day 2 of the January Sumo Tournament

We had lunch at a restaurant attached to the Edo-Tokyo Museum (which we would return to later), only a few feet from the Sumo Stadium. I also had my first opportunity to test out my hiragana here. When you walk into the restaurant, you have to write your name on a sheet of paper to reserve your spot. After a moment of panic, I wrote the closest thing to my father's name that I could. When they called us, we stepped forward, slightly shocked that it even worked. The waiter immediately began speaking to us in Japanese. After only a moment with our mouths open and faces stunned, he said "Upstairs?"

The Sumo Stadium was already packed. It was only 2:30 and the highest ranked bouts didn't start until 4:00.

After struggling to find our seats, we watched a few of the earlier fights, then decided to head back to the Edo-Tokyo museum until the big fights started.

The intensity in the stadium was incredible. Fan were cheering loudly as their favorite wrestlers circled up around the ring before the next stage of fights. Each match had higher ranked sumo fighters than the last. Hakuho ended up being unbeaten in his 38th straight match. The stakes are high, there are almost eight hours of fight, and each fighter only gets one fight a day, lasting as short as ten seconds. With the highest ranking wrestlers, they will approach the starting line, step back to their corner, and approach the line again at least five times before starting the bout. They will grab salt and throw it into the ring as a sign of good luck. After a train back from Ryogoku, we were still jet-lagged, and ended up falling asleep right away. Plus, we needed to wake up early for the Tsujiki fish market tomorrow morning.

Nichiyoubi: Sunday 1/10/10

2010-01-10T02:13:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are! Finally in the hotel room. It's small, but already feels like home. We left early in the morning, bags packed and ready. I was very excited to use my new suitcase, only to be rejected by a TSA officer. She made me put my bag into a metal case to prove it's dimensions. It fit, but it was still too tall apparently. No huge deal, we checked the bag and got on our connecting flight to Atlanta. We were on the waitlist for the flight, and after a close call, managed to get on as the last people for the flight. We ended up flying business class since we were using passes (courtesy of my uncle, a Delta Pilot), and these were the only seats open. Well worth the luxury in my book. Alas, when we landed, it seems that my luggage didn't make it off the waitlist with me. It only had my clothes thankfully, nothing I really needed immediately, and we should have it back tomorrow. Still, can't help but think back about that one TSA agent who wouldn't cut me a break.

After filling out the necessary paper work for my missing bag and stopping at a few information centers, we got on the Narita Express train to Tokyo. Aside from a minute of confusion when using my first restroom (buttons to open the door?), this was my first cultural faux pas. The Narita Express has assigned seats, something I somehow didn't catch from my ticket which was completely in Japanese. A Japanese man politely told us we were in his seat. I wish I could have seen the look on both of our faces as we stood in the aisle looking at our tickets confused and embarrassed. The same man took a quick look at our tickets and pointed to the aisle across from him. It's always nice to have the kindness of strangers, especially in a foreign country. The train ride was a nice look into some of the more rural areas of Japan. The small towns we passed appeared strangely familiar, most likely though various Japanese tv shows, movies, and video games. Or maybe it was the Vicodin sinking in for my tooth pain. Fairly quickly though, the quaint houses and pine trees, became neon-sign and fluorescent apartments. We got to the Tokyo Station and exited into the city. A taxi brought us to our hotel, the "b akasaka," giving us a glimpse of the city at night. So far, I am ecstatic. I can tell this will be a trip to remember. Things are different, and even easy things will be difficult. I think that's part of the enjoyment. Out to dinner now. More photos can be found on my Picasa account through my profile. Konbanwa to sayounara!

Death and Life of Languages

2010-01-08T00:08:00.000-08:00

I will not be posting tomorrow since I will be packing and preparing for Japan! I leave on Sunday and will post each day there one, exclusively on Japan. I have some good post ideas for the future. For now, excerpts of a Q&A found in the New York Times with french linguist Claude Hagege, the author of "On the Death and Life of Languages."

Who says English is going to dominate forever? Last I checked, India and China are ascendant and the US is in decline … – Brian Bailey

Hindi (the most spoken language in India) and Mandarin Chinese might replace English as dominant languages some day. But two reasons at least lead one to think that the process could be long:
(i) Hindi is not widespread outside Asia, and there is presently no special effort to promote it worldwide. As for Mandarin Chinese, it is true that a great number of Confucius Institutes are scheduled to be built by China in various countries, but we cannot know today the result of this decision;
(ii) The publications (books, internet, etc.) in English cover all domains of knowledge, let alone the presence of English in all other activities. These traces of the worldwide spread of English will not disappear.

What’s your take on whether distinct dialects (say, of widely-used languages such as Chinese or Arabic) will survive increasing globalization and a limited number of dialects of those languages being taught to nonnative speakers? Also, what languages native to the Americas still survive today, and in what capacities? Do these tongues have a future? – Allison.

Increasing globalization concerns international commercial relationships rather than private communication. It is unlikely that Arabian dialects, which are constantly used in oral exchange, will be ousted by literary Arabic, which is not spoken as a common conversation language in any Arabian country. The same can be said of Chinese dialects, let alone Chinese languages other than Mandarin, like Cantonese. Despite the spread of standard Chinese, which is taught in schools, languages and dialects spoken in China are not threatened by globalization. The forms which are taught to nonnative speakers are not dialects whose number would be dwindling, but standard forms. Furthermore, nonnatives are a minority if compared to the masses which use a variety of dialects.

As far as languages native to the Americas are concerned, the pressure of Spanish in Central and South America and English in North America has certainly brought about, from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries, a decrease in the number of languages (the problem, here, is different from that of dialects of widespread languages like Arabic or Chinese mentioned above). However a number of Indian communities are striving to revive their vernacular languages, or to foster its widest possible use, and to preserve it against the perspective of extinction. In the US and Canada Athabaskan languages such as Chipewyan and, especially, Navaho are strongly supported by teaching and maintenance in everyday life, and the same is true of some Algonquian languages. In Mexico, Nahuatl (Aztecan) and Quiche (Mayan) are also backed by maintenance efforts, and widely used. In Peru and Bolivia, the same applies to Quechua. In Chile the Mapuches have so far resisted the pressure of Spanish, and succeeded in preserving a wide use of their language. Paraguay has even gone as far as making Guarani an official language on the same level as Spanish.

The future of these tongues depends on the will of their speakers to maintain their use. Judging by the strength of their identity feeling, which commands this will, it seems that some, at least, of the languages that coexist with widespread international languages might survive for some time.

I am an American studying Arabic and often ask myself this question: How can we reconcile (1) preserving world languages, their beauty and history, with (2) the increasing need for foreign language speakers to know English if they plan to succeed in many cases? I’ve had many debates on the importance of Arabic in the Arab world but some have responded to my support of fusha by saying “are you going to make them study that in the classroom when English could give someone a better life?” It is a huge question which has numerous subquestions but I would like to hear your thoughts. – Dot

Teaching English as a language which can more easily provide a better life and a profession does not prevent foreign language speakers from remaining faithful to their vernacular language as the only one able to express their most personal thoughts and feelings. It does not seem that the two are difficult to reconcile, since the domains of use of the two languages, say Arabic fusha (Classical or “pure” language) and English, are quite different, as are the circumstances, in peoples’ lives, in which one or the other is used

My guess is the languages most likely to go into disuse are those in localities where a prominent language of commerce is taking over extensively and few people feel the need to continue using the “old” language. As when a language in a jungle or mountain hinterland gives way to Spanish or Portugese in Latin America, e.g. Languages that are spoken only, and not written, which have no national function, but more of a tribal local function, yet are still surviving, I’m thinking, are likely to remain extant if in a remote enough region that it’s not so much influenced by commerce and the power of a nation. Are these at least some of the factors that send a language into disuse? – Michael Dennis Mooney, Albany, NY

It is quite true that languages that are exposed to the pressure of prominent languages of commerce are most likely to go into disuse, and even more so when they are spoken only and not written, and have a tribal local, rather than national, function. Nevertheless, those, among them, that are spoken in a remote enough region, far from the influence of commerce and power, are much better preserved. Other factors also prevent a language from falling into disuse, especially the following two: (i) an identity feeling rooted in deep ethnic consciousness and (ii) a culture rooted in an old, and constantly recalled, tradition. Examples are Kamsra, Andoke, and several Cariban and Arawak languages spoken in north-western Brazil and south-eastern Colombia, where Spanish and Portuguese are dominant, or Hinukh, spoken in north-eastern Caucasus, where Russian is strongly present.

So, the reason I picked these questions, out of the multiple ones on syntax and vocabulary and translatable concepts, is that I think these questions, along with Mr. Hagege's insightful answers, give us a glimpse into a constant and subconscious war. Language's naturally divide, it is their nature. The existence of an Indo-European language thousands of thousands of years ago, mother to languages from Sanskrit, to all the Romances, to Yiddish, to Lithuanian, is proof of this.

And in the blue corner, the fighting inevitability of globalization! Globalization and Language Diversity seem to be two inevitable forces in struggle against one another. The language barrier is inherently an obstacle in globalization. Communication is key. As Mr. Hagege notes in the article, China views English as its way onto the global scene. A country with a rich and proud history is now one of the largest producers of English second language speakers. English has become increasingly a global language simply by U.S political and economic hegemony. Frankly, is it that easy? Not to sound coy, but if your country is the number one super-power, hundreds of millions of people will spend countless hours learning your language for a step-up in society? The last time I can think of a language spread on this scale would be the spread of Islam through North Africa and the Middle EAst and the establishment of the Islamic Empire, centered around Arabic. Even that is globalism.

Mr. Hege seems to be a little more optimistic to the cause of language, mostly on its intrinsic value to culture. Also, as a linguist, he is most likely a little more than biased. However, this is a major complaint against globalization. One things for sure, both forces will keep acting on each other. My personal thought is that nobody "wins." My case is, one could argue globalization has facilitated immigration into the U.S. In the southwestern United States, it is expected that within the next two-hundred years a hybrid language of Spanish and English could exist. Spanglish anyone?

The Dangers of South Asia

2010-01-07T00:02:00.000-08:00

The Middle East has had national attention as a trouble spot (to say the least) for thousands of years. It is a cross-roads between three continents and the home of our three major world religions. From the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia, to Alexander the Great, to the Umayyad dynasty, to the Ottoman Empire, to the inception of the state of Israel, it has been heavily contested, even more so with our growing dependence on oil.

However, with a great number of troops moving from Iraq to Afghanistan, is our geo-political focus shifting? As Al Qaeda operatives began moving across the southern border, Pakistan has come into focus, argued by some like Newsweek columnist Fareed Zakaria to be of utmost importance in U.S foreign policy. The U.S Government has been executing drone bombing in Pakistan, which has already resulted in civilian casualties. The Pakistani government insists it is on our side, but with internal population issues, government inefficiencies, and an unfolding military coup d'etat (one that is Al Qaeda friendly), it is difficult for them to execute the job we need them to. Militants moving in from Afghanistan in the regions of Swat and South Waziristan have caused the Pakistani Army to intervene, displacing more than 2 million families from the region, only adding to the turmoil.
Pictured above is a mob of displaced men rioting over not receiving food and supply rations. (A note: I do not own this photo, it belongs to Reuters.) It increasingly seems that our attention will once again be shifting, this time from Central Asia (Afghanistan for those geographically challenged) to South Asia. The Kenny-Lugar Bill was already passed in October of 2009, giving Pakistan 7.5 billion dollars in aid over the next five years.

However, Foreign Policy columnist Barbara Crossette argues that the real pain in South Asia, no, in all of Asia, is India. Yes, India. The rising global power with 15% of the world's population, "Gandi, Bollywood, and chicken tikka." Crossette outlines five major areas in which India is defying international standards and refuses cooperation in her article.

1) Nuclear Testing & Proliferation: India has tested nuclear weapons and yet has rejected the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, originally provisioned in 1968. Their own testing has raised tensions with their neighbor "fr-enemy" Pakistan, who then also began its own testing after India's second round in 1998, essentially starting an arms race. This was only two-years after they both rejected the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. To quote the article's own quotation:

"...defense analyst Matthew Hoey recently wrote in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, "India's behavior has been comparable to other defiant nuclear states [and] will undoubtedly contribute to a deteriorating security environment in Asia." "

This is evidence of the realist tenet of international anarchy, that there is no globl accountability. India, just like N. Korea, openly defies treaty provisions with no international consequences.

2) Trade: In 2008, India single-handedly foiled global trade talks that would have benefited the developing nations of the world.

3) Environmentalism: Five months before the G20 UN Climate summit in Copenhagen, India's Environment Minister stated that his country, one of the fastest-growing producers of greenhouse gases would not accept binding emissions targets. The lack of such targets is considered by many to be a failure of the summit. Yet again, another realist sign of a lack of international accountability.

4) Corruption: The Indian government worked behind the scenes to prevent Paul Wolfowitz from becoming World Bank president due to his plans to expose Indian corruption. The country had diverted $600 million dollars on World Bank relief funds for the millions of people suffering from HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB, etc. Former bank employee Steve Berkamn states the level of corruption is no different from that in some countries in Africa.

5) Human Rights: Although the people of India do enjoy some freedoms, it is by no means a liberal democracy. India limits assistance to non-governmental organizations and education institutes, refuses visas for human rights activists (including Irene Kahn, the head of Amnesty International.) It restricts the work of foreign scholars and journalists and bans books. There are also no restrictions on police search and seizure. Within the U.N General Assembly and the U.S Human Rights Council, India tends to vote on the sides of human rights violators and enemies of democracy.

The article concludes discussing India's desire for a permanent seat on the Security Council and the concern their rising power raises. If anything, this is indeed a proven case for realism. We have set in place international institutions that attempt to apply standards. In fact, in all five cases we have established an international organization to try and improve conditions in their field. In all five cases is an example where India has defied international authority. In all five cases, to little or no consequences. The realist asserts that the state is the principle actor in the internal world, not any organization. If emissions standards would hurt India's rising industry, which it would, they would act against it for their own self-preservation. An idealist would call this wrong. A realist would call this instinctive. Maybe this next decade will be the period of international institutions. Maybe one day we can hold nations accountable for their actions and set an international standard. Mhmmm...what a comforting thought. For now, I'll stick with my realism.

Trafford Publishing Presents: 'Globalization from Genesis to Geneva'

2010-01-05T20:02:00.000-08:00

Trafford Publishing Presents: 'Globalization from Genesis to Geneva' -- GENEVA, Jan. 5

The opening quote of of this article I think speaks a lot about the current issues in globalization.

"...arguing against globalization is like arguing against the laws of gravity." - Kofi Annan

More effort needs to be put into understanding globalization and using its forces for the greater good instead of hopelessly trying to resist. Ray Woodcock's new book "Globalization from Genesis to Geneva: A Confluence of Humanity" acknowledges this. In fact, our current globalization is actually considered a period of "new globalization." We observe the changes in technology around us a rapidly revolutionizing our world. However, the period just prior to WWI had the most rapid period of globalization ever seen.

Early 20th Century Globalization

1) Trade: During this time period, there was a gold standard, effectively serving as an international currency. Also, trade restrictions were much lower during this time period than today.

2) Immigration: The movement of people, particularly into the United States, was much higher, meaning cultures were coming into contact and living together, or at least at a faster rate.

3) Communication: Surely the innovations of the internet (like this blog!) have radically transformed the way we communicate. In matters of the speed, not at all. The spread of the telephone allowed people to communicate thousands of times times faster, where messages used to be delivered by post. As telephone wires spread, communication across countries became much easier. The radio also brought about the first for of mass communication.

4) Transportation: The rapid spread of railroads, facilitated by government programs in all countries except for Britain, made mass transportation between cities and even countries easier and faster than ever. This is only to be trumped by the invention of the airplane, completely revolutionizing international travel as the world knew it.

It's because of these reasons, just as Woodcock argues, that globalization is not a new trend but an inevitable force. I couldn't help but be disappointed with the comments of Yukio Hatoyama, president of the Democratic Party of Japan, this last August.

Yukio expresses a desire to "shake-off US-style globalization." One particular paragraph emphasizes this concern

"The recent worldwide economic crisis resulted from a way of thinking based on the principle that American-style free-market economics represents a universal and ideal economic order – and that all countries should modify the traditions and regulations governing their own economy in order to reform the structure of their economic society in line with global standards (or rather American standards)."

I ended up commenting- "There is (whether you like it or not) a diminishing distinction between “Western culture” and “global culture.” The homogenization that globalization entails is primarily driven by the West." As this blog hopes to prove, I would like to see Japan, an thriving example of a country who was able to adapt their own culture with industrialization to become a global power. "Nippon!" is about how the rising nations of Asia can take this example and enter the world scene.

Thankfully, I think I can boil this down to the rhetoric of a Japanese politician. As blogger Shisaku wrote," It seems that the Christian Science Monitor did not read the memorandum explaining the rule that one never, ever, ever, ever, ever translates an article a Japanese politician has published in a domestic monthly magazine -- because to do so would reveal the glib, facile, repetitive, overgeneralized, vote-begging pablum even the most aristocratic members of the political classes will peddle as close approximations of their way of thinking upon a matter of any importance." As the article points out, Yukio had also previously argued for a free-trade agreement with the U.S. If Japan can begin to set an international standard for globalization, other countries can hopefully begin to understand the forces of globalization and apply them to their own benefit while still protecting their cultures.

Technorati Claim Token

2010-01-05T11:49:00.000-08:00

QG9VQJHMR73K

This is posted here temporarily until I can confirm my Technorati account.

Skype and Globalization

2010-01-05T01:29:00.001-08:00

Skype will now have a presence in the living room

If this isn't a world flattening force then I don't know what is. For those of you who haven't read Thomas Friedman's "The World is Flat", you should. Friedman, an innovator of globalization, argues that certain forces, 10 to be particular, are flattening the world, or making it more accessible. These forces are

1)The Collapse of the Berlin Wall
2) Netscape
3) Workflow Software
4) Open Sources
5) Outsourcing
6) Offshoring
7) Supply-chainging
8) Insourcing
9) In-forming
10) "The Steroids" (cellphones, iPods, IMing, Facebook, etc)

I'm guessing Skype would fall into the category of a steroid, but this may even flatten a flattener. I'll make sense in a bit.

My politics professor Steven David described studying abroad in Israel for many months, and only making one very limited , very complex, and very expensive phone call home. He then said his daughters could now Skype him whenever they wanted to from across the world while they studied abroad. While Skype is indeed an incredible software, and it has started to pick up the pace in popularity, it hasn't reached Facebook status, even though the majority of people would rather be able to see and talk to their loved ones and not just read about their new status updates. When I first heard of Skype, it was through friends in a summer program in Oxford. It was popular because it allowed you to speak with people like with a phone from other countries for free. With the prominence of webcams now, it's now primarily used for video chatting.

However, as this New York Times article announces, Panasonic and LG Electronics are initiating partnerships with Skype. This means, Skype will now be able to use the internet to directly connect through television sets. I hope the analogy is okay, but like nuclear proliferation, technology can spread vertically and horizontally, meaning more advanced technology can be available to the technological elite or basic technology will be available and accessible to more people. This horizontality is what makes this such a powerful flattener. More and more people will have access to the wonderful technology of Skype, increasing our interconnectedness through global media. Thirty years ago, this was stuff out of Sci-fi novels. I mean, everyone has a TV, so could it be possible that the TV will one day replace the telephone? Will they combine into one super-device? Some globalizing food for thought.

Realism in Indochina

2010-01-05T00:42:00.000-08:00

This is an excerpt of a paper I wrote on Realism and the French Colonization of Indochina for my Contemporary International Politics class.

The realist interpretation of imperialism is that the urge to dominate is intrinsic in human nature and politics. Powerful nations tend to be imperialistic by their nature, and the system of international anarchy permits them to do so. This human drive means that the struggle for power is the essence of politics. This was in observed France’s use of power in West Africa and is seen here again in Indochina. In both cases France used its military might, using soldiers to expand eastward from West Africa, just as they presented the Siamese with two options at the Mekong Banks, surrender Laos or be destroyed. England’s holding in India and Burma were largely unthreatened through the 1880s, with Siam separating them from French holdings in Vietnam. Siam was naturally drawn into this bi-polar conflict for the sole reason that it stood between France and England; if France didn’t move in first, England would.

France was able to pursue these policies in both Africa and Southeast Asia because of a general system of international anarchy. Just as nobody defended the enslaved Africans under French control, there was no one to protect Indochina from French Expansion. The French quickly broke their agreement with Ho Chi Minh, provoking a war and suffering no direct consequences.

However, unlike the African empire, Indochina did prove quite as economically productive. Between 1924 and 1930, 2,870 million Francs were invested in Indochina, compared with 492 million between 1888 and 1918. Investment from the French and new large corporations such as the Bank of Indochina helped build canals and drain deltas to increase agricultural productivity. Rice exports increased by over 500% in the sixty-year period of French occupation. French investments infrastructure and communications helped make Indochina an important center of trade for the Empire and in East Asia.
This does not, however, mean that Indochina was not used out of self-interested for the state. While Africa was used for political reasons, it was unrealistic for it to be as economically efficient as Indochina, which had an abundance of fertile soil and natural sea-ports. As Britain gained power economically through their victory in the Opium War with China, France needed to establish an Asian empire in order to inhibit Britain’s relative gain.

Another key point in which African colonization and Indochinese colonization differ is in the applied exit strategy. After World War II, France began to give power concessions to West Africa, while in the Pacific, they fought for control, eventually leading to the French Indochina War. In both situations, although pursuing two opposite colonial policies, France was acting in its own intent for power. If France wanted to retain any international power after World War II, it first needed a great deal of economic recovery. Attempts to integrate Africans in French society had already been made, and now when they could serve as cheap labor, this policy was pursued more aggressively. Geopolitically, this was nearly impossible in Southeast Asia. Instead, France needed to keep the economic miracle of their Indochinese empire afloat for as long as possible. In both instances, France acted out of self-interest to help facilitate an economic recovery and their own preservation.

The fact that the realist approach to these two events is well justified, despite their differences, proves its timeless flexibility. Like the reality of a situation’s place and time, the realistic analysis of rational action changes. Where one course of action was rational in Africa, such as the abandonment of its territories, it was irrational in Vietnam, even though a provisional government was in place and it would lead to inevitable war. Unlike idealism, it does not grasp to a single concept on the hope of it being true, despite realities. However, in the traits that French African colonization and Indochinese colonization share, it can be attributed to the few eternal tenets of realism, that human nature is flawed and governs the actions of men, and that states strive for interest defined in terms of power. The French competed with the English on two different continents for colonial power; where one showed progress, the other needed to compensate. Despite being across the planet, a British gain in Southeast Asia, according to the realist principle of relative gain, was as much a loss of power for France. The liberal explanation is too morally rooted to provide a rational justification of France’s actions, and doesn’t explain such aggressive and self-interested policies. Only the harsh world of realism, with man’s will to dominate, commitment to self-interest and power, and absence of moral code in the world of international anarchy, can imperialism be fully explained and understood.

Realism and the Northwest Flight 253 to Detroit

2010-01-05T00:26:00.000-08:00

President Obama, in his intelligence meeting on Tuesday, should recognize that our system of multiple intelligence agencies is a bureaucratic mess. Interagency rivalry is inevitable. In turn, the natural consequence is a lack of effective intercommunication.

The web of quasi-autonomous agencies should be radically simplified. There should be a single intelligence agency whose head reports directly to the president. This agency head should maintain a unified file of suspect names, and all intelligence related to a name should be attached to the name. This would automatically “connect the dots.”

If such a structure had been in place, the knowledge in one agency about the Nigerian’s stay in Yemen would have been in the common file. It would have been available to those who compile the watch list and those who control visas.

Herbert Fingarette
Berkeley, Calif., Jan. 3, 2010

You correctly demand a “clearheaded, nonpoliticized assessment of what went wrong” in the Christmas Day terrorism plot and “nonhysterical remedies” to prevent another attack. You should have added that the C.I.A.’s Office of the Inspector General prepared such an authoritative report after 9/11 that has never been fully released to the public, and that President Obama’s failure to appoint a statutory inspector general virtually ensures that such a report will not be prepared this time.

The inspector general responsible for the 9/11 accountability report announced his retirement nearly 11 months ago; Senator Dianne Feinstein, the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has been derelict in not demanding that the Obama administration name a successor.

Melvin A. Goodman
Bethesda, Md., Jan. 2, 2010

The writer was a C.I.A. analyst from 1966 to 1990.

These are letters to the New York Times. Concerned letters, and rightly so. Behind all the environmentalism, and civil liberties, and even behind morality, lies the primary and sole concern of the security of the state. Or so a realist would say. For those of you not familiar with "Realism" it is an ideology in International Studies, outlined with 6 major tenets by Hans Morgenthau.

1) Political realism believes that politics is governed by objective laws with roots in human nature.

2)The main signpost of political realism is the concept of interest defined in terms of power which infuses rational order into the subject matter of politics, and thus makes the theoretical understanding of politics possible.

3) Realism assumes that interest defined as power is an objective category which is universally valid but not with a meaning that is fixed once and for all. Power is the control of man over man.

4) Political realism is aware of the moral significance of political action. It is also aware of the tension between the moral command and the requirements of successful political action. Realism maintains that universal moral principles cannot be applied to the actions of states in their abstract universal formulation, but that they must be filtered through the concrete circumstances of time and place.

5) Political realism refuses to identify the moral aspirations of a particular nation with the moral laws that govern the universe. It is the concept of interest defined in terms of power that saves us from moral excess and political folly.

6) The political realist maintains the autonomy of the political sphere; he asks "How does this policy affect the power of the nation?" Political realism is based on a pluralistic conception of human nature. A man who was nothing but "political man" would be a beast, for he would be completely lacking in moral restraints. But, in order to develop an autonomous theory of political behaviour, "political man" must be abstracted from other aspects of human nature.

Realism will be a much discussed topic of this blog. For now, I would say this is a fair summary. The Christmas Flight to Detroit was an example of realism at it's best. Moral issues against screening all people from certain nations (the now blacklisted 14) is out the window. The best demonstration of realism is the public outrage. We assume we are secure. Since security is our primary concern, when we are threatened, we react. Our primary concern is survival. When it is threatened, heads will roll. Score 1 for the realists.

An Essay on Globalization

2010-01-05T00:16:00.001-08:00

Ever since we opened our doors to trade, we have become increasingly interdependent with our trading partners. In recent times, this phenomenon is exacerbated by the supply chain economy we co-created around the world. So, the world is at our doorstep and the global village is no longer a concept. The physical distance among people is getting shorter everyday. However, are we really getting closer to each other?

Our business strategy around the globe is often tied to our foreign policy. And our foreign policy is dictated by the way we see ourselves. The U.S. culture is mainly an individualistic culture. We see ourselves as lone rangers. Our movies are often about an individual "hero on a white horse" that comes into town and saves the day. We believe that we are the only ones who can save the world from its demise. As a "superpower" of the world, we believe our way is the right way and our values ought to be universal ones. Since the rest of the world has been adapting to us for so long, that made it easy for us to see our privilege as a birth right.

However, as the world becomes smaller and our relationship with other countries becomes more complex, we must have a new strategy to win friends and influence people around the globe. Just by beating our enemies into submission with our "super" weapons or coercing our allies into loyalty with our money has not won us any friends or lasting world peace. Since we often operate from an individualistic point of view, we believe we can single-handedly create a new world order according to our ideology. This is a strategy that we can no longer afford.

To find a new way to lead in this world, the U.S. needs to move away from "going it alone" and take a more collective and collaborative stand in the world. In order to become more collaborative in the world, we must be willing to share our power as a leader. This has proven to be very challenging for a nation that is built on its "superhero" psyche. In the meantime, the world is shifting. Due to years of redistribution of wealth, education and skills, there is new a crop of power centers on the horizon. Other nations may still look to the U.S. to lead, but they are no longer willing to roll over like puppies. It is time for the U.S. to join the world but not to superimpose itself on the world.

Similar to our foreign policy, we have been managing our organizations and our businesses around the world as superheroes. We think our businesses are global. But are we truly global, or are we just everywhere? The reality is that our brand of globalization is often nothing more than Americanization.

For every force that moves toward "globalism", there is a counter force that moves toward "nationalism". There is a loud section of our society that believes that "Buy American" is an act of patriotism. However, what is the definition of an American product anyway? Does it mean the product has to be made by American workers in the U.S.? Does it mean that the company needs to be owned and operated by Americans? Or does it mean that the profit has to stay within the U.S.? Sometimes this "Buy American" sentiment is part of that counter force to the unstoppable tide that sweeps across the globe wherever businesses can find better and cheaper resources to make products in order to satisfy the insatiable consumer appetite. We are those consumers. Can we still take our frustrations out on Japan, China, or India? Who next?

Ever since I started in my international marketing career and later became a global organization culture consultant, I noticed U.S.-based business organizations have not moved away from the "superhero" model very much. At the beginning, "going international" meant selling our products overseas. I remember General Mills trying to sell cake mix to Japanese housewives when the average Japanese household did not even own an oven. I remember John Deere trying to sell China tractors when the average Chinese farmer's notion of success is to have lots of children living together and working around the farm. They certainly would not put their children out of work by replacing them with a tractor. So they used the tractor as transportation instead of farm equipment. Our one-size-fits-all mentality and strategy did not work then and continues to fail now.

Next, we built manufacturing facilities overseas in order to supply our overseas market. We sent our employees overseas to manage and control the operations. Even though our products might have changed to fit the local market, the way we operate has not changed. Many of our expatriate managers could not speak the local language and had to collect local intelligence through translators' filters. Then we decided it was quicker to enter the foreign market by buying or merging with a foreign company since they know the local market better. However, we continued to try to "convert" our foreign staff to our way of running the business. Lastly, many of us started to push our entire supply sources out of the U.S. in order to feed our domestic consumers' appetite for cheaper products. While we have become totally dependent on our foreign suppliers to keep our domestic businesses going, we still believe we are the lone rangers.

We talked about global partnering. However in reality, we continue to see our foreign counterparts as less than competent and resistant to conform to our standards. Our global partners often felt their ideas being devalued and their cultures being disrespected. Our headquarter-centric attitude and behavior continue to widen our power distance and in turn perpetuates the perceived "Americanization".

As we continue to grow closer to the world, we cannot afford to think and act as if we are the only ones who have the great ideas and the resources to meet customers' needs all over the world. If we don't shorten the power distance among all parts of our global operation, we will have wasted valuable talents and resources, and eventually lose the competitive advantage in the global market.

Since there are increasing numbers of power centers in the world, our foreign policy as well as our global business strategy must strive for more collaboration, mutual benefits, and balancing and sharing of the power. In the process of globalization, national boundaries are becoming less important. Holding onto our national identity without strengthening our connection to the world will make us weak and irrelevant. On the other hand, today's corporations are in a perfect position and have the obligation to be a major player in helping us responsibly and strategically utilize the global resources and raise the collective standard of human lives on this planet. We can succeed without shedding any more blood or increasing our national debt.

Becoming truly global is the only way to help sustain this planet.

About the Author
Celia Young is a well-known global organizational development consultant for Fortune 500 and other large companies worldwide. She is also a professional speaker and published author on issues such as globalization, diversity and innovation in today's 21st century company. Learn more about Celia Young, her clients and work at www.celiayoungandassociates.com.

My Japanese Coach

2010-01-02T13:37:00.000-08:00

So, this title may be misleading. My Japanese Coach is in fact a 4 inch digital Japanese woman named Haruka. My friend lent me My Japanese Coach for the Nintendo DS when he learned I was going to Japan. If he does end up reading this, many thanks! Since I just got my wisdom teeth out, I might have what some people would call down time. Through mini-games and exercises, you are able to progress through the Japanese language with the help of Haruka. I'm only on lesson 6, but the game seems to be pretty effective as long as you stay consistent with it. Through everything from word-searches to whack-a-mole, I've learned some basic words, the numbers, colors, and days of the week.

Everything was great in my little world of stylus mashing games. I convinced myself that through this silliness I would show up in Japan speaking like a regular native. Oh wait? What's that? I have to learn the Japanese writing system? The game introduces the kana writing system in lesson 6, starting with Hiragana. Suddenly the learning curve....well....exists. It's still easier and much more fun than playing flashcards, probably the most effective method of learning available to me at this moment. But it ain't all fun and games in learning a language.

I'm completely convinced that my Arabic is slowly slipping from my memory like....well....sand through something with medium-sized holes in it.... The learning CD is in my computer but....whack-a-mole and Haruka are much more appealing. I'm starting with French again next semester, and just received my text book in the mail. The pictures and colors are wonderfully appealing in the beautifully designed Motifs, Fourth Edition. However, Alif Baa Introduction to Arabic is, quite frankly dull. Is it because of the lack of investment in making the textbook? The paperback behemoth was made by Georgetown University Press, so you would hope that if they are making the greatest diplomats to the Arab speaking world they would also make a nicer textbook. All three sources, the French, Arabic, and the Japanese come with videos of dialogue to work on your listening skills. However, the Arabic is by far the worst presented.

I've always known that the teacher of the language makes a huge impact on the learner's interest and opinions of the language, but I can't help but think it even boils down to the packaging of the learning material. Maybe this is why brand-name Rosetta Stone does so well. People would probably enjoy knowing they are using "Rosetta Stone" more than using a random website.I can't help but think from my father's perspective, who has worked for twenty years in advertising, that the packaging and presentation mean more than we even realize.

2010

2010-01-01T08:33:00.001-08:00

I feel there is no better way to start this blog than with a new decade. Here, I simply hope to chronicle perspectives on our changing world. With this decade coming to a close, everyone is either naturally looking backwards or forwards. No time is as uninteresting as right now, everyone would much rather hear about what will the technology of the 2010s be and what were the the top ten artists of the 2000s.

In looking back at 2009 alone, it has been marked for me with one singular experience, college. 2009 was about applying to schools, picking a school, graduating, and attending. Even from the beginning of middle school, our computer usernames ended in '09', a benchmark that seemed eons away. But even then it set the target in sight. Especially in our world of uber competitive academics. I, myself, was obsessed with the college process. It became a method of justification and reward for all the years of work I had done, culminating in my senior year. Although I am not where I had hoped, I am very happy at Johns Hopkins. I thought this next article was particularly interesting, considering I myself wrote a "Why UChicago" essay, I almost decided to attend the school, and I was one of thousands of high school seniors posting on the infamously neurotic College Confidential.

UChicago

To outside readers, the responses of students and parents probably seems like an overreaction. I am in no way surprised. I know that if this was posted last year, at the peak of my obsession, I would have been all over that thread. Chicago's a quirky school (check out their essay prompts), and once I was accepted they always did treat me well. In retrospect, they always did seem to convey a great deal of care for their applicants...well, the ones who were accepted. Maybe it's because they knew how neurotic we all were. Maybe when I realized how neurotic I am, that's why I didn't go there. It hasn't cured me, but I think I've made a step in the right direction.

I was talking about this with my mom last night. While this was such a difficult year for so many people, it as an incredibly enriching and transformative one for me. I got to enjoy my last months as a high school senior, and begin my college experience. Anyone who has gone through this time period understands how exciting this is. I am not surprised to see my friends lament the passing of a great '09, while most parents seems ready to move on. My case proven...

However, it is good to know that the American people remain resilient. Most people agree that 2009 was terrible, and that 2010 will be better.

Lastly, I realized this decades ends my childhood. More so than any decisions I've made, how much I've grown, or the fact that I can be legally tried as an adult. 2000 - 2010. I went from 8 to 18. I started it as a "big boy" but now I'm supposed to be an adult. I'm not complaining, but it's just intimidating! Of any decade, this will be the one where I have grown the most. And now, this next decade is where I have to specialize my studies, pursue a graduate degree, and get a job in that field? I have to begin to clearly define my political, social, philosophical, and religious beliefs, no more bs-ing around opinions. It's like you're actually an adult by 18, but they give you another ten years to do it. By the time you are 28, you really have no excuses. If you haven't set your life in order by then, society pretty much labels you as a failure. I also can't help but feel that while the last decade was defined by learning at home, I will define this next decade by the places I go and the experiences I gain. On that note, my flight to Japan leaves January 7th.

Japanese Vocabulary List

2009-12-31T11:08:00.000-08:00

Phrases
Konnichiwa - Hello
oi - Hey
ohayo - Good Morning
konban wa - Good Evening
sayounara - Goodbye
(doumo) arigatou - Thank you (very much)
doutashimashite - You're Welcome
sumimasen - Excuse me
gomen - Sorry
genki desu ka? - How are you?
genki desu - I'm fine
anata wa? - And you?

hai - Yes
iie - No
sore - That
kore - This
sorera - Those

~Questions~
dare - Who?
nani - What?
itsu - When?
doko - Where?
doshite - Why?

_ka - (question suffix)

Counting & Time
ichi - one
ni - two
san - three
yon - four
go - five
roku - six
shichi - seven
hachi - eight
kyuu - nine
juu - ten
hyaku - hundred

_ko - object counter
_en - yen counter
_nen - year counter

ichigatsu - January
nigatsu - February
sangatsu - March
shigatsu - April
gogatsu - May
rokugatsu - June
shichigatsu - July
hachigatsu - August
kyuugatsu - September
juugatsu - October
juuichigatsu - November
juunigatsu - December

hi - day
kyou - today
ashita - tomorrow

getsuyoubi - Monday
kayoubi - Tuesday
suiyoubi - Wednesday
mokuyoubi - Thursday
kin'youbi - Friday
doyoubi - Saturday
nichiyoubi-Sunday

Nouns
doubutsu - animal
Amerikajin - American
eigo - English
nihonjin - Japanese person
nihongo - Japanese language
otearai - bathroom
hon - book
kuruma - car
neko - cat
isu - chair
ie - house
tabemono - food
mizu - water
kawa - river
yama - mountain

~People~
otoko no ko - boy
onna no ko - girl
ko - child
otoko no hito - man
onna no hito - woman
hito - person

watashi - I (formal)
watashitachi - We
atashi - Me (fem. informal)
boku - Me (masc. informal)
anata - You
anatachi - You (plural)
kare - He
kanojo - She
karera - They (mas.)
kanojotachi - They (fem.)

Adjectives
ii - good
dame - bad
genki - energetic
kirei na - pretty
minikui - ugly
tsuyoi - strong
yowai - weak

~Colors~
kuroi - black
aoi - blue
chairo - brown
haiiro - gray
midori - green
orenji iro - orange
pinku - pink
akai - red
shiroi - white
kiiro - yellow

Verbs
~U~
desu - to be
yomu - to read
au - to meet
kaku - to write
isogu - to hurry
hanasu - to speak
iku - to go
aruku - to walk
manabu - to learn
wakaru - to understand
nomu - to drink
ganbasu - to hang in there
tsukuru - to make/build
yasumu - to rest
namuru - to sleep
shinu - to die
korosu - to kill

~IRU/ERU~
miru - to see
taberu - to eat
hairu - to enter
deru - to exit
ukeru - to receive
ataeru - to give

~Irregular~
suru - to do
kuru - to come

Grammatical markers

wa - follows the subjest
wo - follows the object
ni - to
go - indirect object

Japanese Verb Conjugation

2009-12-31T09:46:00.000-08:00

This is getting a little difficult for me to wrap my head around. About.com has great resources on learning japanese, especially this page on verb conjugation. I'll do my best to apply it here.

~NON-PAST~
Informal
The standard dictionary form ending in u, such as ataeru

Formal
U = -u +imasu
kaku -> kakimasu
RU = -ru +masu
taberu -> tabemasu
KURU/SURU = kimasu/shimasu

Negative Formal
masu -> masen
Negative Informal
u/ru -> anai/nai

~PAST TENSE~

Formal
U = -u +imashita
nomu -> nomimashita
IRU/ERU = -ru +masthia
ukeru -> ukemashita
KURU/SURU = kimashita/shimashita

Informal
...too be continued...

Contact Us

2009-12-05T00:18:00.000-08:00

Feel free to email Harrison with any questions, or concerns.

A Quick Disclaimer

-Information on this blog is subject to change
-Content is not of guaranteed accuracy
-All images are borrowed unless otherwise stated
-This blog does not intend to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual
-I am responsible for my blog, not any organization I may represent (i.e Johns Hopkins University.) Please don't drag them into this, I would like to graduate and they are doing a fine job thus far.
-These are my personal views, and I am not liable for any comments made on this blog

About Us

2009-12-01T10:11:00.000-08:00

About Harrison

I am a freshman at Johns Hopkins University, majoring in International Studies with a concentration in Public Health. My passions are history, learning about other cultures, and traveling. On the side, I enjoy theater and singing.

About "Nippon!"?

"Nippon!" was made as a way to document the global observations of an International Studies student. Its focus is in international politics, culture, and globalization through the lens of a rising Asia, culminating in a photo documentary of my own trip to Japan.

Why "Nippon!"?

"Nippon!" is the Japanese word for Japan. According to the UN, Japan is the only "fully-developed" country in Asia, a continent with 60% of the world population. This means Japan is a leader for other rising Asian nations, including China, India, nations of South East Asia, and nations of the Middle East. Beginning with 1854 and the Treaty of Kanagawa, Japan opened ports (somewhat forcibly) to Americans. After the Meiji Restoration, Japan began to adopt Western culture (and what is growingly perceived to be a "global culture"), making it one of the first sites of globalization.

Links

2009-12-01T09:04:00.000-08:00

t h i s b l o g . . .

globalization

international politics

photos

japanese

o t h e r b l o g s . . .

Freakonomics

Understanding Society

East Asia Forum

The Asia Security Initiative

Observing Japan

Stephen M. Walt - A Realist in an Ideological Age

Daniel W. Drezner - Global Politics, Economics, Pop Culture

r e s o u r c e s . . .

Reuters Site Index

Foreign Policy Magazine

The New Republic

Huffington Post - World Blog Posts

CNN - Asia