moved accounts! check bioJul 6, 2017

Okay y'all I had an amazing conversation with a Japanese guy the other day about colonialism, imperialism, and capitalism. I never thought this would happen in Japan lol.

It started because an American friend said colonialism, and another Japanese person there ofc didn't know what it meant, but then the other guy immediately translated it and I was SHOOK because WHY does this dude know what colonialism means?? IN ENGLISH. So ofc my interest was piqued.

Show threadmoved accounts! check bioJul 6, 2017
I asked him if he's read about colonialism and he said he had and he likes to study about this stuff. So then I'm like, do you know imperialism and he said yes. And we started talking about that. But then I'm like okay the real question is... what do you think about capitalism?? And he's like "It's not perfect but it's better than what we had before." So I say monarchies, and he's like "What Japan had with the Emperor was slightly different."
Show threadmoved accounts! check bioJul 6, 2017
His reasoning was that the Emperor was viewed as literally divine, as an extension of the gods himself. Idk I think with British/European monarchs it was like long ago they were chosen by the gods but towards the end how much did the people actually believe that? Anyway the nuance with the Japanese emperor was diff.
But he acknowledged capitalism wasn't all good and I'm like THIS IS MY CHANCE!!! I try to start explaining all the ways the system has failed&why it's bad.
Show threadmoved accounts! check bioJul 6, 2017
The town we live in is very small, the population is aging hardcore, there's not many young people and the infrastructure is outdated. But it has a lot of small, family owned businesses. Including his own business, which he runs and inherited from his father.
I said how under capitalism big businesses, like McDonald's or JR (Japan Railway) take over a sector and run out all the smaller ones. Or how smaller countries that grow produce or materials put in all the work&barely get paid.
Show threadmoved accounts! check bio
It wasn't the most intricate analysis mind you cause this was half in broken English, half in broken Japanese. So there was only so much the two of us could articulate.
Anyway he was receptive to the ideas and agreed. However, he did say that in Japan the big companies like JR are more respectful (his words) of small businesses and the individual cultures of each town/prefecture. So the wouldn't necessarily buy out/take over small businesses like in the US.
Jul 6, 2017 at 11:48pmWeb
Show threadmoved accounts! check bioJul 6, 2017
Which is a really interesting point. I wonder if that's true somehow - Japan is definitely capitalist, but it's so much more socialist than the US. It has national health care, etc. Japan's culture is already primed to lean more socialist, even communist, because of the community, group-minded thinking. Everyone has to do their part to help society.
This would be such an interesting research topic to do further study on.
Show threadmoved accounts! check bioJul 6, 2017
Anyway it was a great conversation and I learned some helpful vocabulary lol.
It also gives me hope that hey maybe Japan isn't completely politically dead! (They have an even lower voter turn out than the US) They can be swayed even further to the left! ✊🏼
Show threadSantos 🍊Jul 6, 2017
@thegudtam is anticommunist propaganda strong over there?
Show threadmoved accounts! check bioJul 7, 2017

@santosbullshit i really don't know. the way they do political outreach in the community here is different, and then the level of japanese they use is too advanced for me to understand much.

but i've never heard anyone talk bad about communism? i've also never heard it brought up though.

Show threadPeterJul 6, 2017
@thegudtam I read that the Japanese Communist Party was growing in popularity during the 50s before the US suppressed it.
Show threadmoved accounts! check bioJul 6, 2017
@NewEnglandite yeah that's what always makes me hesitate. japan is like completely under america's thumb and dependent on them for a lot of things, so if japan tried to go left america would stop it right away. and japan won't risk that.
Show threadPeterJul 6, 2017
@thegudtam And it seems like Abe's reactionary nationalism and remilitarization is quite useful for the US.
Show threadmoved accounts! check bioJul 6, 2017
@NewEnglandite yeah honestly fuck abe. fuck him and his terrible economic policies and the way he kisses trump's ass.