Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id VAA14537 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 4 Feb 2002 21:26:52 GMT X-Originating-IP: [194.117.133.84] From: "Steve Drew" <srdrew_1@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: ply to Grant Date: Mon, 04 Feb 2002 21:21:08 +0000 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <F150ryWtIIZS2TRqf6900005a99@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 04 Feb 2002 21:21:08.0497 (UTC) FILETIME=[DCA1D010:01C1ADC1] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>Date: Sun, 03 Feb 2002 14:30:53 -0800
From: "Grant Callaghan" <grantc4@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: ply to Grant
>
>Both Grant and Jeremy seem to have some knowledge of the Far East, so
you
>may be able to help me. In an essay for a tutor a few years ago i
argued
>that, contrary to her assertion, Japanese racism that was displayed in
WW2
>was not the result of capitalism, but that there was a much earlier
source.
>ie one of the reason for the closure of Japan,s borders to the outside
>world, which pre-dates the rise of capitalism, was due to the
perception of
>outsiders as barbarians with no honour, a form of racism. Needless to
say
>it
>was not well recieved. :- )
>What are your thoughts (or anybody else for that matter) on this?
>
>Steve
>
This fear of barbarians was hardened into court policy when the Mongols
tried to invade Japan after conquering China and were defeated by the
"kama
Kazi" or divine wind as the Japanese call the Typhoon that saved them.
A
weak court gave rise to the formation of the Shogunate, or barbarian
defeating generals that ruled Japan until the American Admiral Dewey
came
along and convinced the Japanese that history was passing them by. As a
result, they sent emisaries to England to learn banking, to Germany to
learn
how to build an army, and to America to learn how to build factories.
The
Japanese were well acquainted with capitalism and used it to build the
Japanese empire we took on in WWII. They believed in a different kind
of
capitalism than we had -- one that was controlled by the government and
a
group of families called the Zaibatsu. These families are still
rembered in
names like Mitsubishi (three diamonds) in the automobile and banking
industries. Government, banking and industry still form a cabal that
runs
things in Japan which has led to the current perpetual recession in a
country resistant to change in the government. Look at the Japanese
period
called The Restoration when the Tokugawa family was overthrown as
dictators
and the Emperor was restored to the throne. That was the birth of
modern
Japan and gave rise to the Zaibatsu. A good author to read is George
Sansom
who wrote a number of the best books on Japanese history.
Grant<
Thanks grant, that was appreciated. I may have got a lousey mark, but at
least i know i was right! (She wasn’t too keen on memetics or social
psychology either. Pure Marxist structuralist).
Regards
Steve
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