tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35894930.post6265460441464415286..comments2023-12-31T15:40:06.675-08:00Comments on Peace Philosophy Centre: Fukushima and Okinawa - the "Abandoned People," and Civic Empowerment 福島と沖縄-「棄民」政策と、市民の力Peace Philosopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03884294048618803206noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35894930.post-285690396378098452011-12-06T00:16:13.460-08:002011-12-06T00:16:13.460-08:00Yes, as Ben said, great article. I'm a residen...Yes, as Ben said, great article. I'm a resident of Fukushima (14 years) and have had a difficult time finding out what's going on. Any data NOT from here is most appreciated.kropotkinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12401857666827161025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35894930.post-86429551500173773862011-11-21T14:21:01.969-08:002011-11-21T14:21:01.969-08:00(-cont.)
I just think we need to examine more cri...(-cont.)<br /><br />I just think we need to examine more critically and unpack the taken-for-granted notions such as 国難 [national crisis] and 国益 [national interest] in order to develop a deeper understanding of what's happening before our own eyes, a first in human history (in that "the only nation that suffered nuclear attacks" is now repeating the history, only this time "Japan inflicted it on itself," as you write). As you said in your article, this truly is a historical moment, and I just cannot understand those who are trying to put things back as they were before... <br /> <br />Well, I am sorry for rambling on and on... I was just putting down the random thoughts inspired by your thought-provoking article. <br /> <br />I would like to THANK YOU for writing and publishing it and for raising important issues for the rest of us to ponder and develop. I hope it generates a lot of discussion and serves as a catalyst for deeper and generative civic dialogues about all these related issues (Hiroshima, Fukushima, Okinawa, and all forms of oppression and discrimination...). If I sound as though I were unfolding an 大風呂敷, it's because your article has the power to push the reader to think big and to think more critically.Hase Michikonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35894930.post-89840176115420219212011-11-21T14:18:12.005-08:002011-11-21T14:18:12.005-08:00I really enjoyed reading your article and have bee...I really enjoyed reading your article and have been inspired by the important ideas you raise there. I love how you ended the article, reminding readers that this is a historical moment. That's so true! I think the article has planted a lot of seeds for future thinking about critical issues facing Japan (and the world) today. There are a few ideas that struck me as particularly critical to our understanding of what's happening now from a historical perspective.<br /> <br />(1) The notion of "kimin" to develop a historicized understanding of Fukushima, Okinawa (and, ultimately, the history of modern Japan, which seems to be coming to its very end in the form of a nuclear disaster...). Your discussion of kimin got me thinking about a lot of issues. <br /> <br />I googled "kimin" and "Japanese history" (in Japanese), and most of the links that came up were about Japanese emigrants to Latin America and to Manchuria. That was very interesting to me. Some others were about kimin in relation to the CLOSING of coal mines, which is also very interesting. <br /> <br />The idea of kimin intrigued me partly because I've been thinking of throw--away nuclear laborers as a type of kimin and about the fact that the nuclear industry (and much of Japan's modern industry) cannot exist without the use of throw-away laborers. <br /> <br />In relation to the Fukushima disaster, I've seen Fukushima people being described as kimin. That's a regional kind, I think, similar to calling Okinawan people kimin. I am thinking of the nuclear laborers at the bottom rung (like coal miners in the past) as a sort of "kimin labor" (as it were)--frankly, they are NOT viewed as human beings, and I'm NOT speaking metaphorically here... For the nuclear industry, there are just "parts" or "tools" needed to operate the nuclear power plants. (While watching a TEPCO press conference a while ago, I learned that matters relating to temporary laborers are the responsibility of TEPCO's 施設部 [Facilities Department]。How utterly appropriate!!!) So, such laborers could be called "class-based kimin"... (All the modern industry seems to require this type of kimin...)<br /> <br />(2) I was interested in this quote from Tonaki Morita:<br /> <br />Okinawan historian Tonaki Morita saw such policies as indicative of the government’s readiness in case of emergencies to “give up protecting people, mobilizing people for national interest, and making people accept death”, ...<br /> <br />Particularly the reference to "mobilizing people for national interest." I think it's so important to question and unpack the notion of "national interest" when people have been using words such as 国難、国益、売国 [national crisis, national interest, national betrayal] after 3.11 (without critically thinking about how these words have been used historically and to suppress the opposition). As Moirta says, the state has historically used the rhetoric of "national interest" to mobilize people for its projects (be they war or an "economic miracle"). Hearing the voices opposing TPP, I find it ironic that anti-TPP people are resorting to the rhetoric of "national interest," although I can understand that it's a convenient shorthand (and I am certainly open to the view that such oppressive terms can be used ironically or strategically to counter the oppression--but I don't think that's how it's used right now in the anti-TPP discourse...) <br /> <br />(cont.)Hase Michikonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35894930.post-71129302769050079092011-11-19T10:44:18.125-08:002011-11-19T10:44:18.125-08:00Terrific article, Thanks. And Thanks for the Ric...Terrific article, Thanks. And Thanks for the Richard Falk reference. He is so thoughtful and insightful.A.M.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35894930.post-24554120760580649832011-11-19T09:32:37.209-08:002011-11-19T09:32:37.209-08:00This essay you wrote, "Abandoned People"...This essay you wrote, "Abandoned People", is chilling and powerful and right on target.<br /><br />I agree with you 100 %.<br /><br />I lived in Okinawa from 1981 to 1988, and again from 2007 to 2011, but in April I moved to Kauai, Hawaii, too distressed and saddened to watch the continuing destruction in Nago, Yambaru, Ishigaki, Fukushima, etc. Here,<br />where I can communicate more freely about my worries, I think and hope I can still help empower my Okinawan people. Although I am far away, my<br />heart is there.<br /><br />I look forward eagerly to reading your book, "NO!". Please count on me for understanding and support.Katherine Muziknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35894930.post-86878116468725186112011-11-18T21:30:56.240-08:002011-11-18T21:30:56.240-08:00Exceptional article by an extraordinary woman.Exceptional article by an extraordinary woman.askgodothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03079989419829508906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35894930.post-28281497099540139172011-11-18T13:54:11.177-08:002011-11-18T13:54:11.177-08:00That's the best article I've ever read on ...That's the best article I've ever read on Japan. Thank you.Ben Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02259991666670958071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35894930.post-13189568614209721582011-11-18T13:53:29.291-08:002011-11-18T13:53:29.291-08:00That's the best article on Japan I've ever...That's the best article on Japan I've ever read. Thank you.Ben Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02259991666670958071noreply@blogger.com