Comments for Political Muse

Comment on Our Apologist in Chief by Brian

Brian — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:26:26 +0000

Here’s the actual cable:

http://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/09/09TOKYO2033.html

——————————————— ——
POTUS VISIT TO JAPAN: TOO EARLY FOR HIROSHIMA VISIT
——————————————— ——

¶5. (C) VFM Yabunaka pointed out that the Japanese public
will have high expectations toward President Obama’s visit to
Japan in November, as the President enjoys an historic level
of popularity among the Japanese people. Anti-nuclear
groups, in particular, will speculate whether the President
would visit Hiroshima in light of his April 5 Prague speech
on non-proliferation. He underscored, however, that both
governments must temper the public’s expectations on such
issues, as the idea of President Obama visiting Hiroshima to
apologize for the atomic bombing during World War II is a
“non-starter.” While a simple visit to Hiroshima without
fanfare is sufficiently symbolic to convey the right message,
it is premature to include such program in the November
visit. Yabunaka recommended that the visit in November
center mostly in Tokyo, with calls on the Emperor and Prime
Minister, as well as some form of public program, such as
speeches, an engagement at a university, or a town hall-like
meeting with local residents.
—————
Sounds to me like they were afraid a scheduled stop in Hiroshima might fuel speculation among the japanese public that Obama might give a speech there, and they wanted to avoid that expectation. It’s perhaps awkwardly worded, but I don’t see a suggestion there that Obama had asked to go to Hiroshima to apologize. I think “the idea” in this case was the Japanese’s, not Obamas.

Comment on Our Apologist in Chief by Alexander Muse

Alexander Muse — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:40:36 +0000

Brian – Nixon bowed to emperor Hirohito when he visited Alaska so I don’t think presidential bowing is unique to Obama. With regard to the apology story it was from the diplomatic cables released from Wikileaks. Fox reported the story and the White House contacted them and told them it was untrue. Fox apologized and rescinded the story. The fact is that the diplomatic cable still indicates it is true. Who should we believe? An unnamed White House press employee or diplomatic cables provided by a Swedish guy named Julian?

Comment on Our Apologist in Chief by Brian

Brian — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:22:04 +0000

Looks like the apology story is false, and there was never a plan to do so. It was simply a clarification by the japanese that there would be no such thing when Obama visited. Obama never offered.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/10/fox_friends_we_should_have_clarified_that_our_repo.php?ref=fpb

In regards to bowing, in Japan that means something quite different than what we think of in the west. Here we think of bowing as showing allegiance and submission, like to a King. In Japan it’s more like a very formal hand shake. People bow all the time, for hello’s and goodbye’s. It’s a sign of respect that more of our presidents should have shown when visiting their country and respecting their culture.

Comment on The truth about the Occupy Wall Street Movement by Amy

Amy — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:54:12 +0000

What you’re missing is that we don’t expect to find agreement on everything, just on the few things that we do have in common: we’re all being ripped off by absurdly expensive services. Insurance companies and banks are earning record profits while everyone else, both individuals and companies, are losing so much of their working capital that they cannot compete.

Comment on Occupy Wall Street Protesting Outcomes by Bill

Bill — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:26:45 +0000

Yeah I hear you on the moral hazard argument w.r.t. the car companies. Beyond that though I think there is a big difference both in perception and in reality between Goldman Sachs and GM. The car companies certainly employ executives who make a good living, but the public perception of their compensation is not in the same ballpark as a Goldman Sachs. The latter is just crazy money, and to see their profits and compensation bounce back so vigorously while the rest of the nation languishes between jobless recovery and the double dip sparks righteous outrage. That just was never a factor with the car companies. Also, while the car companies can be accused of making bad products (products folks didn't want to buy) their story was never about theft and deception. On the other hand Goldman Sachs, it seems, is repeatedly at the center of global scale frauds, from toxic mortgages to Greece's (fraudulent) entry into the EU. I just rode my bike by our Portland Occupy camp and man I gotta tell you: they are looking strong. As for demands, I saw the a "demands" list floating around the Interwebs a few days ago and it was pretty disappointing. However, if you read that article I cited in my first comment (Why The Elites Are In Trouble) I think Ketchup has a well-reasoned response to the (lack of) demands question. They (at least the New York contingent) are truly "grass roots" it appears and they are engaged in a deliberative process to develop goals and plans. Without the Koch brothers or an Art Pope, to feed the "mob" their agenda, you see, things proceed in a less direct and organized path. It looks like there's a lot of energy there though. And maybe it's going to be constructively directed.

Comment on Occupy Wall Street comes to Dallas by Alexander Muse

Alexander Muse — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 01:42:20 +0000

Actually, they have one in SOHO: http://www.rei.com/newyork?s_kwcid=TC|13030|REI%20NYC||S|e|7093206733&cm_mmc=ps_google_reibrand-_-REI_Brand-_-REI_brand_NYC-_-REI%20NYC&gclid=CKn5npTA36sCFQFS7AodqhrYNQ

Comment on Occupy Wall Street comes to Dallas by Adam

Adam — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 01:35:43 +0000

Don’t they have an REI in NYC?

Comment on Occupy Wall Street Protesting Outcomes by Alexander Muse

Alexander Muse — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:22:31 +0000

It would be silly to suggest there aren’t some people in the Occupy movement that are making interesting points. I think we all agree the bailouts on Wall Street were B.S. You can argue that, in the end, they didn’t cost us a dime (we actually made money on them), but they certainly weren’t fair. We should have forced the banks to reorg under the bankruptcy code – the common stock (i.e. Warren Buffet) would have been taken out and each one of the banks would have been open the next day under Chapter 11. Of course, why no scorn at the Unions? The Unions got a HUGE bailout (i.e. GM and Chrysler) and their bailout didn’t come cheap – billions and billions that we will never get back. In this case we should have let the car companies reorg under the bankruptcy code as well – wiping out the common stock AND the Union contracts. The moral hazard in letting everyone off Scott Free – pisses me off too.

Have you read their demands? Interesting stuff…

Comment on Occupy Wall Street Protesting Outcomes by Bill

Bill — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 20:03:42 +0000

To the contrary, the Occupy folks have not given up on anything. Just look at the democratic, deliberative process the New York group has developed:

Why the Elites Are in Trouble | Truthout
http://www.truth-out.org/why-elites-are-trouble/1318252392

Amazing. And at least some of them are surviving on dumpster meals. What could be more efficient than that?

To characterize Occupy as anti-Constitutional (and by implication anti-American and bad) while doing the reverse for the Tea Partiers is to fail to see the obvious: there is finally some common ground between Left and Right. Let’s hope the politicians fail this time to misdirect folks attention away from that hopeful fact!