fulltimestudent
JoinedPosts by fulltimestudent
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88
Are we on the brink of another world war?
by slimboyfat ini don't want to be an alarmist or anything... .
but i read this article in the economist today that argued it is only a matter of time until china and japan exchange shots over some small islands in between the two countries, it could escalate to full scale war, and the united states is treaty bound to come to aid of japan.
on top of that the united states is making diplomatic visits to various countries borderning china in a move that is viewed extremely negatively in beijing.
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88
Are we on the brink of another world war?
by slimboyfat ini don't want to be an alarmist or anything... .
but i read this article in the economist today that argued it is only a matter of time until china and japan exchange shots over some small islands in between the two countries, it could escalate to full scale war, and the united states is treaty bound to come to aid of japan.
on top of that the united states is making diplomatic visits to various countries borderning china in a move that is viewed extremely negatively in beijing.
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fulltimestudent
A previous post had a pik of Natsuo Yamaguchi, leader of a coalition partner in Shinzo Abe's government, presenting a letter to new Chinese leader Xi Jinping. ( http://www.globaltimes.cn/index.html )
Whats been the reaction? A Chinese National TV seems to have some information.
http://english.cntv.cn/program/newshour/20130127/103127.shtml
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52
Old People Should Hurry Up and Die - says the New Japanese Finance Minister
by fulltimestudent inthe newish japanese government is conservative in bent, and its finance minister recently raised eyebrows with the above statement.
japan, as you may know, is a rapidly aging society as the long falling birthrate bites into the demographics.. here's how the english guardian reports this tale:.
let elderly people 'hurry up and die', says japanese ministertaro aso says he would refuse end-of-life care and would 'feel bad' knowing treatment was paid for by government.
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fulltimestudent
Taro Aso and Rupert Murdoch seem to speak in unison.
An extract from a Global Times discussion of Welfare issues:
(Quote) - In a tweet, Murdoch commented on a recent incident in which a 400-pound woman fell through a hole on a city sidewalk in New York and broke an arm. "How did fat lady who fell thru street get to 400 lbs? Welfare, stamps, etc? Then leave us all with 20yrs immense health bills," Murdoch scoffed.
The combination of his attack on obesity and welfare at the same time was too much for many. Others noted that it isn't just poor people who get fat. Some said that if food stamps are to be blamed, it is only because the levels provided are not enough for the poor to be able to afford healthy food.
In a time when the country is facing pressure to cut spending due to its astronomical government debt - now $16.4 trillion and growing - and a huge budget deficit of about $1 trillion a year, such attacks on welfare beneficiaries have become almost a daily norm. (endquote) -
88
Are we on the brink of another world war?
by slimboyfat ini don't want to be an alarmist or anything... .
but i read this article in the economist today that argued it is only a matter of time until china and japan exchange shots over some small islands in between the two countries, it could escalate to full scale war, and the united states is treaty bound to come to aid of japan.
on top of that the united states is making diplomatic visits to various countries borderning china in a move that is viewed extremely negatively in beijing.
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fulltimestudent
In the above image, Natsuo Yamaguchi, head of the New Komeito party which is in coalition with Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democrats, brings a personal letter from Abe to Xi Jinping over the Island dispute.
Source: Global Times - http://www.globaltimes.cn/index.html
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88
Are we on the brink of another world war?
by slimboyfat ini don't want to be an alarmist or anything... .
but i read this article in the economist today that argued it is only a matter of time until china and japan exchange shots over some small islands in between the two countries, it could escalate to full scale war, and the united states is treaty bound to come to aid of japan.
on top of that the united states is making diplomatic visits to various countries borderning china in a move that is viewed extremely negatively in beijing.
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fulltimestudent
This CNN report gets to gist of the affect of the dispute on Japan.
The now enormous Chinese market in which Japanese companies have invested heavily is something Japanese businesses can easily walk away from. Some reports suggest that Japanese car-makers for example may have seen their sales drop by 45%. A Chinese friend in Suzhou with a thriving business imports some high quality Japanese products. In the riots that broke out as this issue expanded he had to cover the Japanese products in his showrooms with Chinese flags to hide them from the demonstrators. He also drove a top-of-the-line Toyota and had to hide it in a warehouse to prevent it being smashed. He bought a Mercedes as a replacement.
As the CNN report demonstrates, even within Japan, the loss of Chinese tourists affects many businesses.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/24/world/asia/japan-taiwant-diputed-islands/index.html
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A "Chernobyl" for the Watchtower - could it happen?
by sir82 inthere is an article here which posits that the collapse of the soviet union can be directly traced back to the chernobyl explosion.
it's a pretty compelling piece:.
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/nuclear_power/2013/01/chernobyl_and_the_fall_of_the_soviet_union_gorbachev_s_glasnost_allowed.html.
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fulltimestudent
Here's a report on wild-life inside the Chernobyl exclusion zone, (from the English Independent). Maybe this is the future of the GB's new physical Paradise.
Life after Chernobyl: Sergei Gaschak's photography from inside 'the zone'
Images from hidden camera reveal how wildlife is thriving in zone closed off to humans for 26 years
FRIDAY 25 JANUARY 2013
Sergei Gaschak's photography offers an unparalleled glimpse at animal life inside "the zone", the area of Ukraine and Belarus that has been officially closed off to human habitation since the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe of 1986.
Using camera traps to take photographs mechanically, as well as taking photographs personally, Gaschak has captured what few have been able to see with their own eyes - the remarkable diversity of wildlife within the zone.
One of the first rescuers on the site of the nuclear disaster, Gaschak has devoted recent years to photographing lynxes, otters, owls and other wildlife, and has even discovered the footprints of brown bears. The exclusion zone stretches for miles around the site of the reactor, and includes Pripyat, which was once a thriving Soviet town of 50,000 inhabitants but has remained a ghost town since the disaster, a time warp of perestroika-era Soviet life.
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Building a New Asia
by fulltimestudent insungdong shipbuilding - a south korean company.
this is a pr film, but i think it illustrates what's happening in asia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ltefjzlxa4 .
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fulltimestudent
Turkey has announced plans to build the 'world's largest airport.'
Turkey is arguably an Asian nation, but the new airport will be located on Turkey's European edge.
(Quote)
The project foresees the construction of a six-runway airport eventually capable of handling 150 million passengers per year, Transport Minister Binali Yildirim said.
That would far outpace Hartsfield-Jackson airport in the US city of Atlanta, which is currently the world's busiest with over 90 million passengers likely to have been served in 2012.
Plans are to have operating by 2016 facilities capable of handling some 100 million passengers per year at an expected cost of over 7 billion euros. ...
The project is part of plans to make Istanbul a global hub initiated by the Islamic-rooted government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
It follows Turkey's flag carrier Turkish Airlines reaching capacity at Istanbul's Ataturk International airport, which handled 45 million passengers last year.
Istanbul's second airport, Sabiha Gokcen International, registered 15 million passengers in 2012.
Turkish authorities say their combined capacity still falls short of meeting increased demand, especially for a hub of traffic between Asia and Europe
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7
Building a New Asia
by fulltimestudent insungdong shipbuilding - a south korean company.
this is a pr film, but i think it illustrates what's happening in asia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ltefjzlxa4 .
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fulltimestudent
Regarding the ChongQing video above, I was introduced to a lawyer yesterday whose (Australian) son is a school teacher in ChongQing. The father told me that his son does not want to return to Australia, as 'Chongqing is the most beautiful place,' he has ever lived in.
Its interesting that this is the city where Bo Xilai, (whose wife was found guilty of murdering an English adventurer in China) was Governor, until his wife's misadventures. Bo previously had a reputation for transforming the city.
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52
Old People Should Hurry Up and Die - says the New Japanese Finance Minister
by fulltimestudent inthe newish japanese government is conservative in bent, and its finance minister recently raised eyebrows with the above statement.
japan, as you may know, is a rapidly aging society as the long falling birthrate bites into the demographics.. here's how the english guardian reports this tale:.
let elderly people 'hurry up and die', says japanese ministertaro aso says he would refuse end-of-life care and would 'feel bad' knowing treatment was paid for by government.
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fulltimestudent
The newish Japanese Government is conservative in bent, and its finance minister recently raised eyebrows with the above statement. Japan, as you may know, is a rapidly aging society as the long falling birthrate bites into the demographics.
Here's how the English Guardian reports this tale:
Let elderly people 'hurry up and die', says Japanese minister
Taro Aso says he would refuse end-of-life care and would 'feel bad' knowing treatment was paid for by government
- Justin McCurry in Tokyo
- guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 22 January 2013 08.42 GMT
Taro Aso referred to elderly patients who are no longer able to feed themselves as 'tube people'. Photograph: Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images
Japan's new government is barely a month old, and already one of its most senior members has insulted tens of millions of voters by suggesting that the elderly are an unnecessary drain on the country's finances.
Taro Aso, the finance minister, said on Monday that the elderly should be allowed to "hurry up and die" to relieve pressure on the state to pay for their medical care.
"Heaven forbid if you are forced to live on when you want to die. I would wake up feeling increasingly bad knowing that [treatment] was all being paid for by the government," he said during a meeting of the national council on social security reforms. "The problem won't be solved unless you let them hurry up and die."
Aso's comments are likely to cause offence in Japan, where almost a quarter of the 128 million population is aged over 60. The proportion is forecast to rise to 40% over the next 50 years.
The remarks are also an unwelcome distraction for the new prime minister, Shinzo Abe, whose first period as Japan's leader ended with his resignation after just a year, in 2007, partly due to a string of gaffes by members of his cabinet.
Rising welfare costs, particularly for the elderly, were behind a decision last year to double consumption [sales] tax to 10% over the next three years, a move Aso's Liberal Democratic party supported.
The 72-year-old, who doubles as deputy prime minister, said he would refuse end-of-life care. "I don't need that kind of care," he said in comments quoted by local media, adding that he had written a note instructing his family to deny him life-prolonging medical treatment.
To compound the insult, he referred to elderly patients who are no longer able to feed themselves as "tube people". The health and welfare ministry, he added, was "well aware that it costs several tens of millions of yen" a month to treat a single patient in the final stages of life.
Cost aside, caring for the elderly is a major challenge for Japan's stretched social services. According to a report this week, the number of households receiving welfare, which include family members aged 65 or over, stood at more than 678,000, or about 40% of the total. The country is also tackling a rise in the number of people who die alone, most of whom are elderly. In 2010, 4.6 million elderly people lived alone, and the number who died at home soared 61% between 2003 and 2010, from 1,364 to 2,194, according to the bureau of social welfare and public health in Tokyo.
The government is planning to reduce welfare expenditure in its next budget, due to go into force this April, with details of the cuts expected within days.
Aso, who has a propensity for verbal blunders, later attempted to clarify his comments. He acknowledged his language had been "inappropriate" in a public forum and insisted he was talking only about his personal preference.
"I said what I personally believe, not what the end-of-life medical care system should be," he told reporters. "It is important that you be able spend the final days of your life peacefully."
It is not the first time Aso, one of Japan's wealthiest politicians, has questioned the state's duty towards its large elderly population. In 2008, while serving as prime minister, he described "doddering" pensioners as tax burdens who should take better care of their health.
"I see people aged 67 or 68 at class reunions who dodder around and are constantly going to the doctor," he said at a meeting of economists. "Why should I have to pay for people who just eat and drink and make no effort? I walk every day and do other things, but I'm paying more in taxes."
He had already angered the country's doctors by telling them they lacked common sense, made a joke about Alzheimer's patients, and pronounced "penniless young men" unfit for marriage.
In 2001, he said he wanted Japan to become the kind of successful country in which "the richest Jews would want to live".
He once likened an opposition party to the Nazis, praised Japan's colonial rule in Taiwan and, as foreign minister, told US diplomats they would never be trusted in Middle East peace negotiations because they have "blue eyes and blond hair".
While figures released on Monday showed a record 2.14 million Japanese were receiving welfare in October 2012, Aso has led a life of privilege few of his compatriots could hope to match.
He is the grandson of Shigeru Yoshida, an influential postwar prime minister, and is married to the daughter of another former premier.
While campaigning for the premiership in 2008, Aso refused to acknowledge***. He served as president of the firm's successor, Aso Cement, from 1973-79.
*** that means that if your father/grandfather was a prisoner-of-war in wartime Japan, they may well have worked as slave labour to make this man's family rich.
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88
Are we on the brink of another world war?
by slimboyfat ini don't want to be an alarmist or anything... .
but i read this article in the economist today that argued it is only a matter of time until china and japan exchange shots over some small islands in between the two countries, it could escalate to full scale war, and the united states is treaty bound to come to aid of japan.
on top of that the united states is making diplomatic visits to various countries borderning china in a move that is viewed extremely negatively in beijing.
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fulltimestudent
I forgot to post this forgotten memento of the Russian Far-East campaign in 1945. It claims to image US and Russian (Soviet) sailors celebrating the end of the WW2. Where? - In Alaska of all places.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US-Soviet_sailors_on_VJ_Day.jpg
