Tea Party Stupidity Hits Japan
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Just as ugly and dumb as their American equivalent, these far right protest movements attract people upset by global economics and direct them towards something “different” to strike out at.
Since first appearing last year, their protests have been directed at not only Japan’s half million ethnic Koreans, but also Chinese and other Asian workers, Christian churchgoers and even Westerners in Halloween costumes. In the latter case, a few dozen angrily shouting demonstrators followed around revelers waving placards that said, “This is not a white country.”
…
In interviews, members of the Zaitokukai and other groups blamed foreigners, particularly Koreans and Chinese, for Japan’s growing crime and unemployment, and also for what they called their nation’s lack of respect on the world stage. Many seemed to embrace conspiracy theories taken from the Internet that China or the United States were plotting to undermine Japan.
“Japan has a shrinking pie,” said Masaru Ota, 37, a medical equipment salesman who headed the local chapter of the Zaitokukai in Omiya, a Tokyo suburb. “Should we be sharing it with foreigners at a time when Japanese are suffering?”
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Mr. Sakurai says the group is not racist, and rejected the comparison with neo-Nazis. Instead, he said he had modeled his group after another overseas political movement, the Tea Party in the United States. He said he had studied videos of Tea Party protests, and shared with the Tea Party an angry sense that his nation had gone in the wrong direction because it had fallen into the hands of leftist politicians, liberal media as well as foreigners.
31 Responses to “Tea Party Stupidity Hits Japan”
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© 2000-2011 Oliver Willis
Not to excuse bigotry, but this is nothing new for Japan (unfortunately).
There is nothing “far right” about the tea party movement, just as Obama is not “far left”. There’s no “far” anything with any presence in American politics.
Its the Koreans who are the real racists.
Mr. Sakurai is “restoring honor”
What does this story have to do with the Tea Party?
Oh, right, only in Oliver’s fevered imagination and yellow journalistic mind.
Gee, I don’t know IV, maybe the xenopobia and targeting “others?”
Looks like discontent for socialist Progressive ideals is spreading, while I dislike the racism I am sure it warms Olivers heart, I’ll even bet he is out right now looking for chalkboards at garage sales.
Instead, he said he had modeled his group after another overseas political movement, the Tea Party in the United States. He said he had studied videos of Tea Party protests, and shared with the Tea Party an angry sense that his nation had gone in the wrong direction because it had fallen into the hands of leftist politicians, liberal media as well as foreigners.
This is your brain.
.
This is your brain on conservatism.
Any questions?
All industrialized nations have had some form of universal education for many decades and yet the cancers of hate and stupidity continue to plaque the citizenry. Not a hopeful sign for the future of this old planet.
“I’ll even bet he is out right now looking for chalkboards at garage sales.”
Beck bought them all; he’s cornered the market!!
Hey Dark,
Beck said he modeled his rally on the civil rights rallies of the ’60′s. So are you now saying that Beck’s group is equivalent to a 1960′s civil rights rally?
Cause that is the logical conclusion based on your argument…..
Beck said he modeled his rally on the civil rights rallies of the ’60′s. So are you now saying that Beck’s group is equivalent to a 1960′s civil rights rally?
As I said folks, this is your brain on conservatism.
Hey inverse, is your home base foxnation?
Wonder why being a right-winger correlates so closely with an inability to think logically. Hmmmm… have to do some research on that.
He tried, but he could not Beckon the many.
It’s funny how you guys can only demonize people when you can’t come up with a cogent counterargument.
Inverse for the win…….
“He said he had studied videos of Tea Party protests”
And the tea party undoubetly studied progressive protests.
Still interesting considering some in the drive by media say the tea party has had zero impact.
It’s funny how you guys can only demonize people when you can’t come up with a cogent counterargument.
Reality is the “counterargument.”
Wow, now that was a fabulous rhetorical smackdown!
You fall down a lot without a helmet on that new-fangled mountain bike you invented?
Wow, now that was a fabulous rhetorical smackdown!
If you think Glenn Beck makes sense, you’d be easy to impress, wouldn’t you?
I don’t care much for glenn beck…..
Discrimination against the Chinese and Koreans is nothing new in Japan. This shit has been there for a LONG time. Though I do admit a Tea Party-induced surge of this rhetoric is certainly troubling.
It has nothing to do with the tea party.
I was stationed in Japan in the years following 9/11. There was a right wing political group that used to drive around tokyo with a black van with a “rising sun” on it screaming anti-foreigner drivel all the time. We were warned to steer clear of them when we heard them coming.
There are racist/nationalists everywhere. The Tea Party groups don’t encourage it, but certainly have some in their midst. Just like the lefties have pure haters as well…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF_tL8m9e-c&feature=player_embedded#!
Like Microsoft Tech Support, you’re technically correct, xenophobia has been a part of Japanese society historically and these days is part and parcel of extreme right-wing groups.
However, the fellow I quoted said what he said, you can’t gainsay it unless you can demonstrate he’s a fraud.
But it wasn’t life-threatening, like this episode here.
But the incident wasn’t life-threatening
for
it wasn’t life-threatening.
Fixed.
“Its the Koreans who are the real racists.”
There’s definitely racism in Korea, but it was Japan who forcefully occupied the Korean peninsula from 1910-1945 and did lots of terrible things like outlawing the Korean language (and hence, Koreans had to take on Japanese names in a culture where your family name is very important).
But thanks for playing.
And Beck said he modeled his rally after the civil rights rally’s of the sixties….so what? It is a meaningless statement.
And seriously, we have no idea what the guy in that video was thinking, nor any relationship to tea party or republicans. He might have been a gay military member who was mad at Obama for not overturning DADT!
But if you want to see real violence, definately related to the Tea Party, look for videos about union thugs attacking tea party activists. No ambiguity in THAT video.
I think he was joking, Jaim.
And seriously, we have no idea what the guy in that video was thinking, nor any relationship to tea party or republicans. He might have been a gay military member who was mad at Obama for not overturning DADT!
Sure, sure, throw out the most unlikely explanation and see if it sticks like the rest of the shit you’ve been flinging against the wall.
But if you want to see real violence, definately related to the Tea Party, look for videos about union thugs attacking tea party activists. No ambiguity in THAT video.
Really?
Here’s the complete video, be careful what you ask for around here, you might just get it:
Its the Koreans who are the real racists.
Win.
Mr. Sakurai is “restoring honor”
Win.
What does this story have to do with the Tea Party?
Titanic fail.*
.
.
*Unless inverseliberal is really a fake wingnut troll. In which case, win.
I think he was joking, Jaim.
Right. rat_bastard was riffing on the “Blacks are the real racists” nonsense that wingnuts promote. It pains me that someone had to explain that.