Discussion about Caroline Kennedy, the U.S. Ambassador to Japan

　　I had my fair share of disappointment with the U.S.' newly assigned Ambassador to Japan, Ms. Caroline Kennedy.
　　Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, made a surprise visit to Yasukuni Shrine, the equivalent of Arlington National Cemetery in the U.S., on Dec. 26th last year. More than 80% of people in Japan approved of his visit. However, Ms. Kennedy announced her remark, "The U.S. is disappointed!" Does she have credentials as an ambassador? Who accused someone of visiting Arlington National Cemetery?
　　Five to ten years ago, former prime minister, Jun'ichiro Koizumi, visited Yasukuni Shrine 6 times while in office, but the Bush Administration issued no statement about it. I think the relationship between both countries has changed remarkably in these several years. Ms. Kennedy's word, "disappoint" will do the U.S. no good in the eyes of East Asia. The U.S. seems to be left in an awkward spot from which they can't back out. Mr. Abe will visit the shrine again and again. What will the U.S. do or say then? The statement from the U.S. Embassy is a faux pas of the diplomatic policy of the U.S.
　　According to the newspaper, the governor of Wakayama Prefecture, in which Taiji town is located, sharply criticized her remarks about dolphin fishing in Japan. She mentioned that dolphin fishing was inhuman on twitter. The governor insisted that we have lived depriving cattle, pigs, or other animals of their lives. Should the lives of dolphins be distinguished from their lives? Food culture is different between the U.S. and Japan. Unless the global shortage of some kinds of creatures is the concern, it's the wisdom of civilization to acknowledge other countries' traditions and positions. She has yet to acquire collective wisdom about Japan, or maybe she is arrogant.
　　Today, I heard that her close relative, environmental lawyer Robert F Kennedy Jr., is making efforts to support She Shepherd and its fugitive founder Paul Watson. It might be one of the reasons for her remark. Anyway, it was ridiculous.
　　By the way, I have another lens through which I see the present situation. Yasukuni Shrine is also the place for commemoration of our ancestors' great achievements for putting an end to brutal colonial policies of superpowers. Japan fought under the international laws, but the opponents didn't. These facts are being revealed year by year and this is what the U.S. actually fears. The U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on innocent civilians. They burnt numerous citizens and houses by indiscriminate bombings on over 200 cities in Japan. The U.N. is controlled by those victor countries, i.e. the U.S., Great Britain, Russia, France, and China, though I don't know why China is there, because China isn't a victor country. Anyway, this system is also ridiculous. I really hope the visit of Mr. Shinzo Abe to Yasukuni Shrine will be the breakthrough to the correction of the present understanding of history.

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2013/02/15/robert-f-kennedy-jr-inspires-attendees-at-sea-shepherds-national-press-club-briefing-on-monday-1488

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/sea-shepherd-takes-battle-to-top-us-court/story-fn3dxix6-1226575863804

http://japandailypress.com/tag/robert-f-kennedy/

(Vocabulary)
your (fair) share of sth （かなり）大きな＜…＞
She has had her fair share of disappointment.　彼女はかなり大きな失望を感じている．
credentials 　《複数扱い》 (資格・能力について) 信用を保証するもの, 実績, 業績
her credentials as a financial expert  金融のエキスパートとしての彼女の実績
credentials 《複数扱い》 (イベントなどの) 入場許可証, 関係者証明バッジ
I showed my press credentials at the door. 入り口で報道関係者の入場許可証を見せた．
can't back out / be left in an awkward spot  引っ込みがつかない
back out 約束などを取り消す, 手を引く
back out of sth  ＜取引など＞から手を引く, から撤退する
faux pas 無作法, エチケット違反
victor country / victorious nation  戦勝国

(Vocabulary from comments)
like-minded  同じ考え［目的・意見・好み・趣味］を持った、志を同じくする、同士の、同好の、うまの合う
non-thinker    a person whose decision making shows an complete absence of common sense and or intelligence, but shows an abundance of ignorance and stupidity; people who are unemployed but actively try to have children, thats an example non-thinker
handout 〔会議・講習会・授業などで配布する〕資料、サンプル、プリント; 新聞発表= press release; ビラ、折り畳み広告; 施し、施し物、お恵み◆乞食への
sheeple  従順で自分の意見がなく大勢に従う人々◆【語源】sheep + people
parental figure: (psychology) A person who represents essential but not necessarily ideal attributes of a father or mother and who is the object of the attitudes and responses of an individual in a parent-child relationship.
become a parental figure to the patient 患者にとって親のような存在になる
hard line 〔政治の〕強硬（派）路線
overriding  決定的な、最も重要な、最重要の、最優先の、主要な、最有力の、ダントツの
skewed 〔事実・価値などが〕曲げられた、歪められた、歪曲された
talking head 〔テレビ・映画などの画面に現れる〕語り手の顔

Comment From Shiroi_Tora (from the U.S.)

Please don't think that Caroline Kennedy speaks for the majority of U.S. citizens.  We have a very liberal socialistic media which supports like minded non-thinkers.  What your prime minister did was completely appropriate.  He is honoring the brave soldiers who had to fight...and ultimately die.  The same is for all countries.  Believe me...most Americans are disappointed with most of our politicians...especially when they do, or say, incredibly stupid things.  Caroline Kennedy was appointed by the party in power...not by the people.  She lobbied for our present president (Obama - the lowest rated President in our history...and for good reason).  She was rewarded with this assignment...and because of her name.  There is no good reason as to why she is there.

I say again...America understands the honoring of the fallen warrior.  It is not a political statement...it is the very least the leaders of a nation can do for all those of whom had died in a war for their nation...and for all of the survivors who lost a son, a brother, a husband...or a loved one.  We, as Americans, wouldn't respect anyone who demanded their soldiers face possible death...and would then not honor them.

Most Americans, like most people of all nations, are so concerned with making a living for their families that larger concerns often escape us.  We make up the silent majority.  Most of us understand life...because we had to work for a living.  We have common sense.  Most conservatives in the U.S. are the ones with experience in life.  Liberals are made up of the very young with no life experience...the very rich with no true life experience...the lazy who look for the promised government handouts...and sheeple...the ones who are simply looking for someone to do their thinking for them, so they may live life stress free (a parental figure).

Liberals are socialists at heart.  Caroline Kennedy is a hard line liberal.
Our president is a disaster...as are his appointees.

Whenever a discussion of world politics had come about with the various people I had known throughout life...anytime the Japanese were mentioned, nothing negative was said.  The overriding thoughts of Americans of the Japanese (outside of the skewed views of the talking heads in the media) was pretty much the same...a beautiful country, a beautiful culture, and an intelligent, hard working, and highly organized people.

When people think of the word honor...and its deep meaning...the Japanese people are usually on the top of the list.

Most know nothing of the politics, but they do understand that a people cannot be judged by a war.  We understand that the decisions are made by the few, and must be followed by the many.

Most are not concerned by the eating of whales or dolphins...unless, as you have pointed out...they are hunted to endangerment.  We understand that those who kill...are subject to be killed (Whales and Dolphins eat life to sustain themselves...so may we).  It really is not a concern to most of us - except when it is used as a political tool of those in the media (who are controlled by a liberal elite...the ones who constantly attempt to tell others what to think instead of giving all of the known facts so we may draw our own conclusions).

Again, the American people are not disappointed with your Prime Minister or with Japan.  We are embarrassed and disappointed in our representatives...both foreign and domestic.

......

Thanks, Really Thanks! (KUMO)

Comments

[yokmok]

Hi, KUMO.
Your blog is great.
I would like to come here sometimes.
　

Hi, Shiroi_Tora
Thank you for your information.
I wonder if it's because we Japanese are not good at English very much, we are apt to isolate ourselves from the rest of the world. So I find such kind of information extremely useful. Thank you.　

[KUMO]

Dear Shiroi_Tora

I'm very very very glad to know your opinion.

[Shiroi Tora]

Please don't think that Caroline Kennedy speaks for the majority of U.S. citizens. We have a very liberal socialistic media which supports like minded non-thinkers. What your prime minister did was completely appropriate. He is honoring the brave soldiers who had to fight...and ultimately die. The same is for all countries. Believe me...most Americans are disappointed with most of our politicians...especially when they do, or say, incredibly stupid things. Caroline Kennedy was appointed by the party in power...not by the people. She lobbied for our present president (Obama - the lowest rated President in our history...and for good reason). She was rewarded with this assignment...and because of her name. There is no good reason as to why she is there.

I say again...America understands the honoring of the fallen warrior. It is not a political statement...it is the very least the leaders of a nation can do for all those of whom had died in a war for their nation...and for all of the survivors who lost a son, a brother, a husband...or a loved one. We, as Americans, wouldn't respect anyone who demanded their soldiers face possible death...and would then not honor them.

Most Americans, like most people of all nations, are so concerned with making a living for their families that larger concerns often escape us. We make up the silent majority. Most of us understand life...because we had to work for a living. We have common sense. Most conservatives in the U.S. are the ones with experience in life. Liberals are made up of the very young with no life experience...the very rich with no true life experience...the lazy who look for the promised government handouts...and sheeple...the ones who are simply looking for someone to do their thinking for them, so they may live life stress free (a parental figure).

Liberals are socialists at heart. Caroline Kennedy is a hard line liberal.
Our president is a disaster...as are his appointees.

Whenever a discussion of world politics had come about with the various people I had known throughout life...anytime the Japanese were mentioned, nothing negative was said. The overriding thoughts of Americans of the Japanese (outside of the skewed views of the talking heads in the media) was pretty much the same...a beautiful country, a beautiful culture, and an intelligent, hard working, and highly organized people.

When people think of the word honor...and its deep meaning...the Japanese people are usually on the top of the list.

Most know nothing of the politics, but they do understand that a people cannot be judged by a war. We understand that the decisions are made by the few, and must be followed by the many.

Most are not concerned by the eating of whales or dolphins...unless, as you have pointed out...they are hunted to endangerment. We understand that those who kill...are subject to be killed (Whales and Dolphins eat life to sustain themselves...so may we). It really is not a concern to most of us - except when it is used as a political tool of those in the media (who are controlled by a liberal elite...the ones who constantly attempt to tell others what to think instead of giving all of the known facts so we may draw our own conclusions).

Again, the American people are not disappointed with your Prime Minister or with Japan. We are embarrassed and disappointed in our representatives...both foreign and domestic.