On Sunday August 30 voters in Japan did something that most thought would never take place a change of government. Unlike previous times one Liberal Democratic Party leader wasn't replacing another. In a complete about face voters took a huge leap of faith and voted in the opposition Democratic Party of Japan led by Yukio Hatayama.

 Well, there's that arrogant, xenophobic, and divisive phrase again - "American Exceptionalism."

President Obama is being roundly criticized by many conservatives for refusing to go around the world promoting the conservative vision of American superiority. Their shortsighted idea of effective American diplomacy is for the President of the United States to trot around the globe telling the people of the world that we're better than they are.

"There are no winners in a war."

I sometimes listen to The Diane Rehm show while I'm exercising and today I checked out a program aired in June, that featured an interview with the husband and wife team , Michael and Elizabeth Norman, who wrote the just published book  "Tears in the Darkness," the story of of what happened to the 76,000 Phillipine and American troops who were forced to surrender to the Japanese in 1942 after a four-month war fought under the command of Douglas MacArthur.

Cute -- and with a variety of implications:

Sleep well. :)

Hat-tip Neon Vincent.

promoted by roxy -- original publication date/time: 2008-04-17 01:56:46 -1000

Japan is well known for its love of technology, and is referred to in an AsiaMedia article as "one of the world's most vibrant internet cultures and arguably its biggest blogosphere" -- so it was no wonder that AsiaMedia reports that many people were puzzled by the lack of response to a set of proposed regulations that were passed recently and will be put to Parliament in 2010.

"They're violent environmental terrorists," mission leader Hajime Ishikawa told the ceremony. "Their violence is unforgivable ... we must fight against their hypocrisy and lies."

   -- mission leader Hajime Ishikawa

The largest whaling expedition in decades set forth from Japan on Sunday, aiming to net 50 humpbacks, 935 minke whales and up to 50 fin whales. The opening quote was said by the leader of the expedition, speaking about the anti-whaling protesters who are opposing the fleet. The expedition is termed a "scientific" whale hunt by the Japanese Fisheries Agency.