[Dean's World] Aziz P: looking (far) east

[notify at powerblogs.com]

Posted by Aziz P:
looking (far) east
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1162837235.shtml


   I've grown supremely tired of the dominance of the middle east,
   terrorism, and endless civilizational existenialist angst. When I have
   to deal with middle east issues, for example in defending my rights
   and identity as a muslim and an American, I will continue to do so at
   [1]City of Brass. But being doomed to repeat history - [2]deja vu, ad
   infinitum - seems to be the defining characteristic of the Holy Land.
   And I'd rather be a smart consumer of noise-filtered yet ideologically
   broad opinion about the middle east than aspire to pundit status.
   Blogs like [3]Belgravia Dispatch, [4]American Footprints, and [5]Abu
   Aardvark pretty much cover the bases on that score.

   What's more interesting to me is the power dynamic between China and
   Japan, frankly. On a trip to Kyoto in 2004 for a conference, I became
   better acquainted with Japanese culture as it truly exists, in
   defiance of the mass media stereotype. A full day wandering Tokyo left
   me genuinely and permanently [6]receptive. And China figures large in
   my consciousness given that a significant fraction of my professional
   circle and colleagues are of Chinese origin. It's impossible for me to
   regard (the people of) China as an enemy, but a clash of civilizations
   almost certainly lies ahead. That is a reality that educated people on
   both sides need to acknowledge and do their utmost to modulate from
   within.

   As a new topic, China and Japan certainly are rich veins of pundit ore
   to mine. For example, on the [7]delicate dance between new Japanese PM
   Shinzo Abe and his counterpart in China, President Hu Jintao:

     Mr Abe's first move was to pull a surprise "Nixon goes to China"
     visit to Beijing to meet President Hu Jintao. Mr Hu had said he
     would not meet Mr Koizumi until he promised not to visit the
     Yasukuni Shrine, a memorial to Japan's war dead, that includes 14
     Class A war criminals from the second world war. Mr Koizumi visited
     the shrine anyway and passed on the summit with Mr Hu. Recognising
     the futility of his own approach and worried about the danger of
     anti-Japanese protests turning against the Chinese government, Mr
     Hu wisely chose not to demand the same condition of Mr. Abe. Mr.
     Abe, in turn, wisely chose not to promise that he would go to the
     shrine as Mr Koizumi had. With ambiguity re-established, Mr. Abe
     was able to meet Mr. Hu and reorient the Sino-Japanese dialogue
     towards more important challenges, such as cooperating to roll back
     North Korea's nuclear weapons programmes.

   This stuff is Kremlinology for the 21st century. I'm going to reorient
   to the Orient.

   And yes, I do feel some guilt about abandoning Africa. But [8]Jonathan
   Edelstein has that covered, so a consumer I will remain.

References

   1. http://cityofbrass.blogspot.com/
   2. http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/784053.html
   3. http://belgraviadispatch.com/
   4. http://americanfootprints.com/drupal/
   5. http://abuaardvark.typepad.com/
   6. http://haibane.info/
   7. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/1ca2ac78-6d3b-11db-9a4d-0000779e2340.html
   8. http://headheeb.blogmosis.com/