Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Remarks Mocking Japan Win Disapproval In The American Media

Posted by Peter Quennell

Most Americans are eager global travelers (or would be if they could afford it) and large numbers live through choice in foreign countries.

But there are some for who certain foreign countries seem to give problems. Italy has been given a vey hard time over Meredith’s case, both by some journalists we previously thought reputable and by some anonymous commenters online.

Typically they depict an Italy that none of us here recognise, and as we periodically try to show through our videos, images and reports there is a reason why in the eyes of most of the rest of the world it is rightly seen as a gentle, cultured, beautiful country.

Japan is another country toward which a few media stars and a few online commenters have felt safe in presuming there’s an open season for unkind remarks. But not, it seems, any more.

Dozens of media sites are today reporting negatively on such remarks. Best not to repost the unpleasant remarks right here. But click on the image above for some examples, and the reactions they are now engendering.

The reader comments below that report are good. The decent broad middle steps in.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 03/16/11 at 06:23 AM in News media & movies, Media developments, The wider contexts, N America context

Comments

Thanks, Peter, for these observations. I am old enough to remember the very moment when news of the Pearl Harbor attack was broadcast over the radio, our family gathered in the living room with visiting friends.

Twice, also, have I read John Hersey’s Hiroshima which first appeared in the old New Yorker magazine & which deserves to be called a small “nonfiction novel” well before Truman Capote made that claim for his masterpiece, In Cold Blood.

From the article you refer to, a mention of Glenn Beck (who called the [Japanese] quake a “message from God.”)

As once an ordained Lutheran preacher (a task forsaken decades ago) I have much pondered the Saints vs. Heathen myth embedded in our culture.

All sorts of indifferent attitudes toward the misfortunes of “others” (the old we/they division) are simply reinforced by decayed religious values which we should have discarded.

Glenn Beck, whom I’ve never seen on TV, appears to be sincere & stupid—culpably stupid.

Amanda Knox’s indifference toward her roommate’s safety, the irascibility which Meredith in innocence aroused, & Knox’s envy of the woman may be rooted in a we/they attitude. Meredith, of darker complexion & raven hair, is “others.”

It’s the very attitude (no doubt a family value) betrayed when she laughed in the face of a man who acknowledged his Jewishness & said, “My people killed your people!” Pathological—as now we know for sure.

Posted by Ernest Werner on 03/16/11 at 06:54 PM | #

OT on PMF not being available tonight. Seems it needs a software reload. Nothing nefarious. Those who will do it are tucked up in bed as it is 2-3 am in their morning.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 03/17/11 at 03:22 AM | #

Has the forum been hacked?

Posted by Nell on 03/17/11 at 05:49 AM | #

Hi Nell. No definitely no attempt at hacking. Purely technical. Back then (2008-2010) it was a point of honor for them that they ran it on zero budget.

TJMK runs on professional class software and hosting for which we pay, but the direct result is we have two incredible sources of technical support.

The only times when TJMk has been throttled back was when we had more than 4-500 all at once online.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 03/17/11 at 03:23 PM | #

Thanks Pete. I hope it doesn’t take too long. Elsewhere they are celebrating…they’ll be so disappointed.Hooray for the fixers!

Posted by bucketoftea on 03/17/11 at 04:11 PM | #

By Storm Roberts (Innai)

That’s good to hear. I have friends who have an online business and once they had to take the (painful) decision to go offline for 8 days to fully update their site for their growing business.

These things happen and I am sure the good folks at PMF will have things up and running very soon.

Posted by Nolongeramember on 03/17/11 at 04:54 PM | #

I heard that this is not an uncommon problem for forums that have a huge amount of activity and members…

The free or cheaper software is designed for small to medium forums I guess… when sites grow so big, I guess sometimes the software needs a boost 😊

Posted by lilly on 03/17/11 at 06:56 PM | #

Thanks for letting us know what is going on with PMF.

On-topic, I’m hoping that anyone posting this kind of morally bankrupt drek has been silenced by the on-going events.
I wouldn’t really know, since I avoid the outlets most of these morons employ.

Posted by lauowolf on 03/17/11 at 07:13 PM | #

Nice to hear Gilbert Gottfried was fired from his Aflec gig. I remember hearing a story about him in the 80’s. He did a standup comedy act opening for the then popular group the Go-Gos. The all girl band was very popular with pre-teen girls and the concerts had an abundance of these kids attending with their parents. Despite the crowd demographic, Gilbert Gottfried went on with his R if not X rated comedy bits. Needless to say, he didn’t keep that job very long. I believe he has some form of psychological illness which robs him the ability to assess the consequences of his actions.

Posted by Kazwell on 03/17/11 at 08:10 PM | #

Clander in Rome is the IT specialist fixing PMF. He is a real professional at that game. He has been working for months on legacy problems and may get PMF up very soon.

Skeptical Bystander is the senior Moderator on PMF by popular choice and she asked Clander to do this vital work.

Everybody is sorry if Michael feels a wee bit displaced by all of this, but he didnt create all the technical problems, and anyway the board and Meredith come first.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 03/18/11 at 12:20 AM | #

Love you , Michael. Look forward to all being back together.

Posted by bucketoftea on 03/18/11 at 01:25 AM | #

Hi Peter,

Thanks for letting us know. I only wish they would have put a note or something and not leave the whole framework of the software exposed to the public. I am looking forward to PMF coming back after the server move.

OT: I noticed Frank Sfarzo added a “Donate”-button to his blog. When did that happen? I only saw it after he published he had been questioned by Mignini about his sources. Coincidence?

Posted by Nell on 03/18/11 at 03:37 AM | #

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