The ruling oligarchy and their presstitute media have become desperate ‐Integration of surface consciousness and deep consciousness: Effects to be seen in three months and to become completely unified in three years –

image: 1
The ruling oligarchy and their presstitute media have become desperate ‐Integration of surface consciousness and deep consciousness: Effects to be seen in three months and to become completely unified in three years –
Dr. Paul Craig Roberts says: “They are losing control.  … The era of fooling deceived Americans is coming to an end.” For this reason, “the ruling oligarchy and their presstitute media have become desperate now” and they charge independent Internet journalists such as Dr. Paul Craig Roberts with being “Russian agents” peddling “fake news.”
The editorials of Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal, seem to those who can’t understand the reality as the conspiracy theory. Since all information on important matters provided by the mainstream media is false, true information is considered as the conspiracy theory as long as the mainstream media is believed. Dr. Roberts points out in the original article that the American people have some more waking up to do and major change requires a runaway electoral victory for the American people, the equivalent of a revolution. That’s quite right. To tell the truth, humans have surface consciousness and deep consciousness separately even at the body consciousness level, which are not connected to each other. Lamentably, some channelers mistakenly believe their deep consciousness, which is nothing but body consciousness, to be a message from higher self. Earthlings live superficially.
By the way, surface consciousness and deep consciousness was integrated around 8 p.m. yesterday. It will take three months that we can see the effects. And these two will become completely one consciousness in three years. In three years there will be many bad people who go spiritually bankrupt. That’s because they have already been spiritually go bankrupt in the deep consciousness.

December 11, 2016
Masatoshi Takeshita

Note:
Shanti-phula has indicated some parts of the following text in black boldface type or in red letters.


Excerpt from a Japanese Article: Overseas Articles Never Reported by Mass Media

Source:

The Tide Is Turning Against the Oligarchs

The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it.” George Orwell

<snip>

The ruling oligarchy and their presstitute media have become desperate now that they are losing control over explanations and Americans’ minds. Thus, they charge independent Internet journalists such as myself with being Russian agents peddling fake news.

<snip>

I have certainly got the oligarchs attention.

<snip>

If I had to bet, I would bet that the 200 list of the oligarchy’s enemies was prepared with money from the CIA (US tax dollars or drug money), the National Endowment for Democracy (US tax dollars), and George Soros (money stolen from the British people in currency manipulation).

<snip>

Perhaps the era of fooling deceived Americans is coming to an end.

<snip>

As the old saying goes, those who spin webs of deceit get caught up in them, and that is where the American oligarchy and their presstitutes are, caught up in a web of lies.

The fight is far from over. Now that the ruling oligarchy understands their danger, things will get very dicey.

(The rest is omitted)


Facebook strengthen control of “conspiracy theory” sites: It is an admitted fact that the Internet has gone beyond mass media.

image: 1
Facebook strengthen control of “conspiracy theory” sites: It is an admitted fact that the Internet has gone beyond mass media.
There is a move in which the ruling elite try to remove inconvenient information as fake news. They have a sense of crisis because they failed to manipulate information with the help of mass media and Trump achieved victory thanks to information on the Internet. Facebook founder Zuckerberg, as is the case with fraud sites, has announced that the company will penalize fake news sites. The problem is who will determine which information is true or false.  Facebook says that they rely on “trusted third parties.” Form their viewpoint, such information that the 9/11 was a staged event and Michel Obama is actually a man belongs to the “conspiracy theory” and is fake news.
In a word, this is an attempt for the one percent ruling elite to crack down on all news disadvantageous to them on the grounds of fake news. A list of sites said to offer fake news include many trusted sites on the Internet. Russian media are undoubtedly included in such list.
According to the article, “Facebook is ‘looking into disrupting the economics’ of fake news.” I think they are not looking into fake news but they are “requesting to do so.” In short, they want to prevent the news inconvenient to them from spreading by strengthening legal action against copyright infringement, strictly controlling reprint without permission, and imposing a severe fine. Information regarding this field will be posted some day in the future one after another.

December 2, 2016
Masatoshi Takeshita

Note:
Shanti-phula has indicated some parts of the following text in black boldface type or in red letters.

Excerpt from a Japanese article: News on the Other Side of the World – November 30, 2016 –

Source:

Mark Zuckerberg says site has been ‘working on problem for a long time’ and ‘penalizes’ misinformation on news feeds to reduce chances it will spread

November 19 [Guardian]

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced new steps to counter fake news on the platform on Saturday *(19).

<snip>

Similar to clickbait, spam and scams, we penalize [misinformation] in News Feed so it’s much less likely to spread,” he wrote.

<snip>

We do not want to be arbiters of truth ourselves, but instead rely on our community and trusted third parties.”

<snip>

Zuckerberg also said Facebook would experiment with warning labels on stories, and try to better screen the quality of links in the “related articles” section, where the site has linked to false conspiracy theories about the September 11 attacks and Michelle Obama, among others.

He also said the company was “looking into disrupting the economics” of fake news, conceding that misinformation was driven, at least in part, by people profiting off of Facebook’s ad mechanics.

<snip>

On Thursday *(17), Obama told reporters that the discrediting of news organizations and spread of misinformation threatened institutions.

<snip>

Note:
Numbers in parenthesis above are added to make clear the dates.

----------  
English translation of a comment of the above site administrator

It seems that announcement of the direction of information control on Facebook is largely due to the fact that the media supporting Clinton lost information warfare on the Internet and Mr. Trump has been elected as the next president.

According to some mass media, Trump opponents claim that fake information (which was a factor of Trump’s victory) should be cracked down on, which led to condemning the sites which provide fake information.

<snip>

However, election results clearly show that the information from some mass media in the U.S., which cried out saying “Clinton enjoys predominance in popularity” to the last, was actually “fake information.” It seems that their definition of “fake information” is different from my definition.

Personally, I think that it is apparently more malicious “fake information” not to report specific information intentionally and in that sense, the mass media which never intentionally release information, though making some mistakes, is not so malicious.

<snip>

Some “sites providing fake information” according to them, is listed here:

<snip>

GlobalResearch.ca

Seeing the list, I thought that this is not a list of “media which try to give people wrong impression” but rather correctly a list of sites disadvantageous to the elite.

<snip>

I think that every individual differently judges on which information is true or false. I wonder how an organization to determine the authenticity of information can judge which information is right or wrong.

<snip>

I hear that Russian media is still “propaganda” to some conservatives and Russian media which gain great popularity also in Europe are likely to be criticized more than ever.

<snip>

As I stated above, it is predicted that information on the Facebook will be severely controlled. Furthermore, skillfully manipulated fake information which makes us uncomfortable runs wild (both in mass media and on the Internet). Please be careful.


Dentsu is likely to get involved in alleged bribery case related to Tokyo Olympics bidding committee Media report with consideration of Dentsu

image: 1
Dentsu is likely to get involved in alleged bribery case related to Tokyo Olympics bidding committee Media report with consideration of Dentsu
British paper Guardian (electronic version) reported alleged bribery of Tokyo Olympics bidding committee. According to the paper, it has been revealed that the bidding committee paid approximately 160m to the bank account linked to the son of Lamine Diack, former president of International Association of Athletics Federations and the French authorities have launched an investigating of the case.
According to Litera, “the person who allegedly opened a bank account to which the bidding committee paid off-the-book money was a consultant to a Dentsu subsidiary.”
However, it seems that the Japanese media intentionally conceal the name of Dentsu. There are two relationship diagrams in the Guardian’s article. Reading the tweet below, however, they seem to use one of the two, a “diagram describing rough relationship.” They report apparently with consideration of Dentsu.
The people are misguided with information manipulation by media. It is necessary for us to fully understand the media control by Dentsu and get correct information on the Internet.

May 13, 2016
Masatoshi Takeshita


Excerpt from YouTube – May 12, 2016 –

Bribery offered by Japan side over Toyo 2020 Olympic Games? French prosecutors launches an investigation (May 13, 2016)


This is the news that the Japan side paid a large amount of money to a former member of International Olympic Committee over the  Tokyo  Olympic Games bid. The French prosecutors have announced to launch an official investigation. On 12 the French prosecutors announced that they have confirmed the payment of approximately 2.2 million yen in July and October 2013, made from a Japanese bank account to one in Singapore under the name of “Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Bid” They have not revealed who paid it, but they launched an investigation because the payment was made around the time of the IOC decision to award the Games to Tokyo and there is a suspicion of money laundering.

British paper Guardian gives a double-page feature on the suspicion of the Tokyo Olympic Games bid.

The French media report that it is likely that the Japan side paid a bribe to Mr. Diack who was influential on decision of the host city.

----------  
English translation of an excerpt from Twitter – May 12, 2016 –
500RT 東京オリンピック招致裏金問題で事件相関図を海外メディアが報道→日本では電通の名前が消された図が報道される t.co/pV7VGg5eHl
— ハム速 (@hamusoku) 2016年5月13日
@hamusoku
500RT Overseas media reports the case relationship diagrams over Tokyo Olympic Games bid off-the-book case – In Japan, a diagram in which the name of Dentsu has been deleted is reported.
May 13, 2016 11:02

Overseas media report the case relationship diagrams over Tokyo Olympic Games bid off-the-book case
0: Hamster Flash Report May 13, 2016 08:41 ID:hamusoku
For real! I saw the news report of the Olympics bribery case on TV Asahi a little while ago. The name of Dentsu has been completely deleted in the case relationship diagram. Dentsu is scary, but the media in Japan which easily sell souls is much scarier.

As expected, we should not trust the media.


----------  
English translation of an excerpt from Twitter – May 13, 2016 –
@ikebukuroe320
ガーディアンのホームページには2つの図があります。大まかな関係の図と、詳細な図といった感じです。
URLはこちら↓t.co/6Yoq2UY5rO pic.twitter.com/RNkRvlvpiJ
— 佐々木康太@なんでも屋 (@sskxjr14) 2016年5月13日
Ikebukuro
@ikebukuroe320
For real! I saw the news report of the Olympics bribery case on TV Asahi a little while ago. The name of Dentsu has been completely deleted in the case relationship diagram. Dentsu is scary, but the media in Japan which easily sell souls is much scarier.

As expected, we should not trust the media.  pic.twitter.com/qaXMLDHTH1

Kouta Sakaki@nandemoya
@sskxjr14
@ikebukuroe320
The Guardian’s home page has two diagrams: rough relationship diagram and detailed relationship diagram.
See URL:

May 13, 2016 09:52


FCCJ Gives Awards to Reporters and Controversialists Bashed by Power Authority and Mass Media Patronized by the Government

image: Source
FCCJ Gives Awards to Reporters and Controversialists Bashed by Power Authority and Mass Media Patronized by the Government

Reading the article, it seems that the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ) barely supports Japanese journalism. Without freelance journalists and the Club, we can hardly know anything about the truth. To put it the other way around, the government is likely to step up their crackdowns on them.
You can tell such thing will definitely happen just by looking at the U.S., while in parallel, it is apparent that surveillance on the Internet will be strengthened. The website that many people visit could be subject to oppression in the future. I think the Shanti Phula’s blog will be all right for the meantime.

Masatoshi Takeshita
May 23, 2015


English translation of a Japanese article: Ryusaku Tanaka Journal – May 22, 2015 –

FCCJ Gives Awards to Reporters and Controversialists Bashed by Power Authority and Mass Media Patronized by the Government

Selection Committee members and Award winners – They are people inconvenient to the establishment in Japan and Press club media.
= on the evening of 22 at the FCCJ.  Photography by this writer =

The “Freedom of the Press Awards” ceremony arranged by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ) was held this evening.

The award winners are journalists and controversialists who have told the truth while fighting against power authority and terrorism. We introduce the comments of main award winners:

*Lifetime Achievement Award: Mr. John Mitchell (Journalist)

He has reported extensively on defoliant Agent Orange and the issue of U.S. military base in Okinawa over many years.

“Over many years major mass media in Japan have ignored the violation of human rights which continues to be committed. I’ll keep on reporting to tell the truth for good people in Okinawa.

*The Friend of Press Award: Mr. Shigeaki Koga (Ex-bureaucrat of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)

“My opinion ad was posted on New York Times yesterday. I finished the article with this: “The Abe administration treats journalists not in a democratic manner but in an authoritarian manner.”

“However, the reality is much worse. I think information about this important award will not be posted by mass media in Japan. (A voice from the ceremony site “The Tokyo Shimbun will report it!”)

“I have been greatly encouraged by receiving this award. All journalists in Japan, let’s fight together against the pressure of the government.

Iwao Miyajima, editor at monthly “FACTA”, was highly evaluated for his in-depth news coverage of inviolable sanctuaries such as the JOC (Japan Olympics Committee) and Nuclear Power Village. = on the evening of 22 at the FCCJ.  Photography by this writer =

*Publication of the Year: Tokoyo Shimbun

The newspaper received the credit for its investigative reporting of nuclear power plants and corruption (political scandals). Chief Editor Kengo Suganuma gave a speech as a prize winner as follows:

“In the world of journalism, there is a phrase that the first victim of war is the truth. In Tokyo Shimbun, which recognizes that we are in such situation, all reporters work hard to keep an eye on power authority and report the truth.

*The Friend of Press Award: Mr. Koichi Nakano (Professor of political science at Sophia University)

It has been revealed that when a foreign reporter of a newspaper posted a comment of Professor Nakano in an article on the comfort women issue, the foreign diplomatic missions made a protest against the newspaper and advised it to ask for an opinion of another expert.

“I think that the government tries to do the same thing to overseas media as to Mr. Koga at home. The government has started running a campaign overseas. With regard to the historical issue, in particular, I don’t want the government to spread the shame of Japan any more particularly with regard to the historical issues.

The “Fallen Hero Award” was presented to the late Mr. Kenji Goto.

Mr. Goto’s mother, Junko, gave a comment for the award. “I know for certain that Kenji is glad to receive such an honorable award in the heaven. (snip) I would have to say that my son died a sad death due to the Japanese government’s failure to act. I call on the government to reflect seriously.”

The FCCJ has highly evaluated controversialists who has received the bashing from power authority and the mass media patronized by the government, and journalists they dare to ignore, and the Club has awarded them. We are simply astonished to learn what a big gap there is between global standards and Japanese standards.


“Me? A paid spy for Beijing?” A Tokyo Correspondent of German Newspaper Confesses about Pressure from Abe Administration

image: 1 & 2
“Me? A paid spy for Beijing?” A Tokyo Correspondent of German Newspaper Confesses about Pressure from Abe Administration

According to Mr. Carsten Germis, former Tokyo correspondent of a German quality paper, he had been subjected to pressure from the government since the establishment of the Abe administration. As with the U.S. the Japanese government seems to try to sweeten the bosses of foreign correspondents with wining and dining, but I don’t think that it would make it. He writes: “If this is the approach of the new administration’s drive to make Japan’s goals understood, there’s a lot of work ahead.” I quite agree with him.
As the example of the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank illustrates, it is apparent that the world tends to break away from the U.S. Although Japan take advantage of the influence of the U.S. and has kept taking an arrogant attitude toward China, I suppose that the U.S. will probably end up forsaking Japan and taking sides with China. I wonder what Japan will do at that time.
I think that if Japan pursues the path of isolation from the world, it would lead to destroying the country.

Masatoshi Takeshita
April 11, 2015


English translation of an excerpt from a Japanese article: THE HUFFINGTON POST – April 10, 2015 –

“Me? A paid spy for Beijing?” A Tokyo Correspondent of German Newspaper Confesses about Pressure from the Abe Administration



The Abe administration puts pressure on the media” – On April 2, a column of Mr. Carsten Germis, who was a Tokyo correspondent of “the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, a German quality paper, was posted on the webpage of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ).

Mr. Geris visited Japan under the government of the Democratic Party of Japan in 2010 and stayed as Tokyo correspondent until 2015. He reported the 2011 Eastern Japan Earthquake. According to him, he was put pressure on after the establishment of the 2nd Abe administration at the end of 2012.

The column also says that after 2014, the administration directly criticized him for an article he wrote. He criticizes by saying that “the government is not only secretive with the foreign press, but with its own citizens” and ends his message, saying “I hope Japan will have far opener democracy.”

The topic of the Abe administration and the media has been talked a lot; Mr. Shigeaki Koga, a commentator of a news program “Hodo Station” (TV Asahi) complained about the pressure from the Prime Minister’s Office.

----------  
Excerpt from a Japanese article: BLOGS – April 10, 2015 –

A German Journalist’s Theory about Japan

Source:

Confessions of a foreign correspondent after a half-decade of reporting from Tokyo to his German readers
By Carter Germis

The country I’m leaving is different from the one I arrived in back in January 2010. Although things seem the same on the surface, the social climate – that has increasingly influenced my work in the past 12 months – is slowly but noticeably changing.

There is a growing gap between the perceptions of the Japanese elites and what is reported in the foreign media, and I worry that it could become a problem for journalists working here. But the gap exists because there is a clear shift that is taking place under the leadership of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe – a move by the right to whitewash history. It could become a problem because Japan’s new elites have a hard time dealing with opposing views or criticism, which is very likely to continue in the foreign media.

Let me make my own stance clear. After five years, my love and affection for this country are unbroken. In fact, thanks to the many fine people I’ve met, my feelings are stronger than ever.
Unfortunately, the bureaucrats at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) in Tokyo see things completely differently, and it seems some in the Japanese media feel the same way. To them I have been – like almost all my German media colleagues – a Japan basher capable of only delivering harsh criticism.

 The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung is politically conservative, economically liberal and market oriented. And yet, those claiming that the coverage of Abe’s historical revisionism has always been critical are right. In Germany it is inconceivable for liberal democrats to deny responsibility for what were wars of aggression.

My tenure in Japan began with very different issues. In 2010, the Democratic Party of Japan ran the government. All three administrations I covered – Hatoyama, Kan and Noda – tried to explain their policies to the foreign press.

There were weekly meetings in the Kantei, the PM’s residence, and officials were willing to discuss – more or less openly – current issues. We didn’t hesitate to criticize the government’s stance on certain issues, but officials continued to try to make their positions understood.

The rollback came soon after the December 2012 elections. Despite the prime minister’s embrace of new media like Facebook, for example, there is no evidence of an appreciation for openness anywhere in his administration. Finance Minister Taro Aso has never tried to talk to foreign journalists or to provide a response to questions about the massive government debt.

In fact, there is a long list of issues that foreign correspondents want to hear officialdom address: energy policy, the risks of Abenomics, constitutional revision, opportunities for the younger generation, the depopulation of rural regions. But the willingness of government representatives to talk with the foreign press has been almost zero. Yet, at the same time, anyone who criticizes the brave new world being called for by the prime minister is called a Japan basher.


What is new, and what seems unthinkable compared to five years ago, is being subjected to attacks from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – not only direct ones, but ones directed at the paper’s editorial staff in Germany. After the appearance of an article I had written that was critical of the Abe administration’s historical revisionism, the paper’s senior foreign policy editor was visited by the Japanese consul general of Frankfurt, who passed on objections from “Tokyo.” The Chinese, he complained, had used it for anti-Japanese propaganda.

It got worse. Later on in the frosty, 90-minute meeting, the editor asked the consul general for information that would prove the facts in the article wrong, but to no avail. “I am forced to begin to suspect that money is involved,” said the diplomat, insulting me, the editor and the entire paper.
Me? A paid spy for Beijing? Not only have I never been there, but I’ve never even applied for a visa. If this is the approach of the new administration’s drive to make Japan’s goals understood, there’s a lot of work ahead. Of course, the pro-China accusations did not go over well with my editor, and I received the backing to continue with my reporting.

The heavy handedness has been increasing over the past few years.

But things seem to have changed in 2014, and MoFA officials now seem to openly attack critical reporting. 

My departing message

Two weeks before the epic meeting between the Consul general and my editor, I had another lunch with MoFA officials, in which protests were made of my use of words like “whitewash history,” and the idea that Abe’s nationalistic direction might “isolate Japan, not only in East Asia.”
I’ve heard of an increase in the number of lunch invitations from government officials to foreign correspondents, and the increased budgets to spread Japanese views of World War II, and the new trend to invite the bosses of foreign correspondents deemed too critical (via business class, of course).
So here’s my departing message: Unlike some of my colleagues, I do not see a threat in Japan to freedom of reporting.

But it does reveal how little the government understands that – in a democracy – policy must be explained to the public. And the world.

In fact, I can only be saddened at how the government is not only secretive with the foreign press, but with its own citizens.

My hope is that foreign journalists – and even more importantly, the Japanese public – can continue to speak their minds. I believe that harmony should not come from repression or ignorance; and that a truly open and healthy democracy is a goal worthy of my home of the last five great years.


Carsten Germis was the Tokyo correspondent of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung from 2010 to 2015 and a member of the Board of Directors of the FCCJ.

Big Scoop Likely To Topple Abe Prime Minister’s Office And NHK

Big Scoop Likely To Topple Abe Prime Minister’s Office And NHK


This is terrific.  I suppose that NHK must be like a madhouse now.  I want all of you to jab NHK as much as possible.  I will, of course, do so.

Masatoshi Takeshita
July 11, 2014


English translation of an excerpt from a Japanese article: Yahoo News – July 11, 2014 –

Big Scoop of Weekly Friday Likely To Topple Abe Prime Minister’s Office and NHK

The July 25 issue of Weekly Friday released today (on July 11) carries an exclusive headlined “Abe Prime Minister’s Office Has NHK Kneel Down On The Ground.”

The gist of the article is as follows:

When Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga appeared on NHK program “Today’s Close-up” live broadcast on July 3 and tried to publicize the right to exercise collective defense approved in the Cabinet meeting, newscaster Hiroko Kuniya asked him questions such as “Is it likely that Japan will get involved in wars of other countries?” or “Is it allowable to change the interpretation of the Constitution?”  After the program was over, the Prime Minister’s Office reportedly intimidated NHK by saying “Who is the central figure that engaged in producing this program?” or “Who had Kuniya ask such questions?” to find out the culprit.

Intimidation of the Office has surprised us but the response of NHK is far more shocking to us.

According to the article, the management including President Momii got down on their knees and Ms. Kuniya started crying while apologizing.

The Prime Minister’s Office still had carried out such a shameful conduct of intimidation to NHK.

NHK still had given complete obedience to the Prime Minister’s Office.

If this scandal is properly examined in the Diet and the media, Abe Prime Minister’s Office and NHK would undoubtedly be driven into the corner.

A storm of anger of the people would be directed toward the Abe administration and NHK.

The big scoop of the weekly Friday might directly hit the Abe administration and NHK.

The mass media is hopeless but magazines are fighting a good fight.

profile-1372756450Naoto Amaki

He is a diplomatic analyst.
He was dismissed from Foreign Minister in 2003 because he suggested to then Prime Minister Koizumi not to support U.S. attack against Iraq.  Since then he has engaged in critical activity mainly on Internet and has provided the truth never reported by the media, keeping a decisive stance of anti-power, peaceful diplomacy, anti-bureaucracy and support for the underdog.  His main books include “Good-by, Foreign Ministry” (published by Kodansha), “Good-by, Japan-U.S. Alliance” (Kodansha), “Injustice of U.S.” (Tenbousha) and “South Africa of Mandela” (Tenbousha).

German N-TV Phone Poll Shows 89% Back Putin’s Ukraine Policy

German N-TV Phone Poll Shows 89% Back Putin’s Ukraine Policy

This is surprising news.  In spite of biased news coverage in the German mainstream media, it appears that many of the Germans know the truth.  The people presumably know that the truth of the Ukraine crisis is not reported by the mainstream media and they can know the truth only through the Internet information.  I hope that such movement will spread across many countries like in Germany.

Masatoshi Takeshita
May 16, 2014


Excerpt from a Japanese article: ROCKWAY EXPRESS – May 15, 2014 –

German N-TV Phone Poll Shows 89% Back Putin’s Ukraine Policy

Source:

Putin’s stance on Ukraine accepted by the Germans, too

German N-TV Phone Poll Shows 89% Back Putin’s Ukraine Policy

Source:

MOSCOW, May 13 (RIA Novosti) – A phone opinion poll conducted by the German TV channel N-TV has yielded a surprise finding that 89 percent of its viewers sympathize with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s policy on Ukraine.

A poll on Russia’s handling of the Ukraine crisis by the Berlin-based N-TV went spectacularly wrong in the channel’s opinion, when the majority of its audience said “yes” to the question “Do you have understanding for Putin’s policy?”

The response was indeed so baffling that the poll was wiped off the N-TV home page the same day, but not before some people managed to make screenshots of it, which they posted online.
A screenshot posted on the Facebook page of Christoph Hoerstel from Potsdam shows that 89 percent answered with a resounding “yes,” with the remaining 11 percent responding with a “no.” Respondents could choose only those two options.

The subsequent deletion of the controversial survey raised an important question of news coverage in the German mainstream media, which has been remarkably vocal in its disapproval of Russia’s stance on Ukraine.

In February, the Ukrainian parliament backed by far-right movements ousted President Viktor Yanukovych and scheduled an early presidential election for May 25.

Moscow has described the uprising in Kiev as an illegitimate fascist coup and a military seizure of power, which resulted in it taking steps to protect ethnic Russians in Ukraine, including the reunification with Crimea.


Soichiro Tahara Says: “Anti-Japanese Sentiment of South Korea Is Illusion Inflamed by Politicians and Media.”

Soichiro Tahara Says: 
“Anti-Japanese Sentiment of South Korea Is Illusion Inflamed by Politicians and Media.”

It appears that the following article covering this remark of Mr. Soichiro Tahara is being read by many people.  I think that this is a quite important article in the current media.  Reading this article, you will see that such anti-Japanese sentiment or anti-Korean sentiment is being created by the media as well as through manipulation on the Internet.  If we know about it, we can see such information manipulation unemotionally.  Some bloggers, who assume that Japanese are different from other races, write their blog posts about other races including Koreans and Chinese who they brand as inferior people, and look down on them.  I feel an urge to tell them “You are inferior, aren’t you?”  Although they are taken in by the elite, such ill-natured people behave like intellectuals.  It confirms that they are as low-level humans as journalists.

Masatoshi Takeshita
April 27, 2014


English translation of an excerpt from a Japanese article: Weekly Asashi dot. – April 25, 2014 –

Soichiro Tahara Says: “Anti-Japanese Sentiment of South Korea Is Illusion Inflamed by Politicians and Media.”

Korean idols have disappeared from the Japanese TV screen.  In response to President Park Geun-hye’s remarks and heated anti-Japanese sentiment of Korean mass media, seemingly “anti-Korean” claims have recently been seen in Japan, too.  According to Mr. Soichiro Tahara, a journalist, he had a chance to talk with his friend, who is well-informed of Korea.

***    
I had Mr. Katsuhiro Kuroda, a special reporter and leader writer of the Sankei Shimbun residing in Seoul, appear on a program “Heated debate! Crossfire” televised on April 12.  I have make friends with him since the 1970s when he was a reporter of Kyodo News.

Mr. Kuroda was fascinated with Korea when he visited the country in 1971 and studied in Yonsei University in 1978.  After graduation, he became manager of the Seoul branch office of Kyodo News.   Since he wanted to stay in Korea, he found a job in the Sankei Shimbun.  He has been associated in Korea for more than 40 years and he has lived for about thirty years.  We might say that no other Japanese are well-informed of Korean than him.

I had Mr. Kuroda talk about the reality of “anti-Japanese sentiment” in Korea.  For example, President Park Geun-hye has been strongly criticizing Japan in summit conferences in many countries including the U.S.  The Korean newspapers and TV stations have disgustfully repeated furious attacks against Japan.

I met President Kim Yong-sam and President Kim Dae-jung.  I also met Mr. Lee Myung-bak before he became president.  Each person said firmly that Korean and Japan should create a free and affluent future arm in arm with each other instead of arguing about the past historical issues.  However, President Park Geun-hye and Korean mass media speak and behave as if Korea and Japan were fighting in an apparent expression of hatred.  In recent years, more and more Japanese magazines and books have hate and verbally abused Korea.

So I asked Mr. Kuroda to explain the truth of why Korean politicians and mass media express hatred to Japan that much.

Most of Korean people actually have no anti-Japanese sentiment.  I have no fear of my safety or never feel uncomfortable while living in Korea.  On the contrary, Koreans are very gentle and kind.

Mr. Kuroda said so with a smile on his face.  According to him, no phenomenon of refusal to Japan is seen in daily life.  Although I could not believe it soon, Mr. Kuroda frankly talked about how he felt.

Then, how can we interpret such an abnormal criticism of Japan by President Park Geun-hye and such an attack against Japan in an apparent expression of hatred by Korean mass media?  Mr. Kuroda said with a wry smile like this.

Media people believe them to be intellectuals and have a strong belief that they, as intellectuals, have to criticize Japan, which made Korea its colony, and should never forget about the fact.  Although they bash Japan very hard, however, ordinary people don’t respond to it.  They bash Japan all the more severely but they never respond.  Then they get all the more angry.  Such phenomenon is repeatedly seen.

Come to think of it, an executive of a big travel agent told me that tourists from Korea have increased their number, while those from Japan to Korea have decreased.

A few years ago, the number of Japanese tourists, especially female tourists was growing due to “*Yon-sama boom” and other Korean rage.  However, according to the executive, the number has decreased since President Park Geun-hye,Korean politicians and media got to severely criticize Japan.

(Translator’s note) Yon-sama boom – A Korean actor Bae Yong-joon gained great popularity in a TV program ‘Winter Sonata’ among Japanese and has been called “Yon-sama” by Japanese fans, especially female fans.

However, it does not appears to me that so many ordinary Koreans are reading articles about Japan bashing by President Park Geun-hye and Korean mass media.  It seems that Japanese would have felt rejection of Korea since they read articles of many weekly and monthly magazines which attack Korea in an apparent expression of hatred.  That means that in contrast to Koreans, Japanese are so fragile that we tend to be easily influenced by news reports which are manipulated to sell such magazines.  We Japanese have to brace up.



Asahi Poll Shows 63% Oppose Exercising Right to Collective Self-Defense

Asahi Poll Shows 63% Oppose Exercising Right to Collective Self-Defense

Considering that major mass media like NHK always provide news coverage as if they curried favor with the Abe administration, I am slightly surprised at decent results of an opinion poll survey.  I think this is mainly because something like illusion or ignorant mist covering the earth has been blown away.  I suppose that you feel refreshed as if mist were clearing up to some extent.  Magnetic control of thoughts by artificial intelligence has actually influenced human consciousness.  Since such artificial intelligence has been destroyed, however, people have been liberated from the condition of blind acceptance.


Masatoshi Takeshita
April 7, 2014


English translation of a Japanese article: TheAsahi Shimbun Degital – April 6, 2014 – (1)

Asahi Poll Shows 63% Oppose Exercising Right to Collective Self-Defense


Right to Collective Self-Defense

While the Abe administration has sharpened its stance toward approving the use of the right to collective self-defense, the Asahi Shimbun has conducted a mail-in opinion poll survey across the country to look into voters’ perception of the Constitution.  The survey results show that those who responded that Japan “should not lift ban on exercising the right to collective self-defense” account for 63%, which was 56% in the last year survey, while responders who said “should lift ban” account for 29%.  There is also an increase in those who think Japan “should not revise the Constitution” and pacifist-oriented attitude has been seen in every field.

Even more than 50 % of supporters of the Abe administration or the LDP also said that Japan “should not lift ban.”

Although the Abe administration tries to move to have Japan allow the exercise of the right by changing constitutional interpretation, 56% of those allowing the exercise of the right answered that Japan should revise the Constitution while 40% of them answered that it is sufficient just to change the interpretation by the government.  It turns out that those who agree with the prime minister account for only 12% of all respondents.

----- 
English translation of a Japanese article: TheTokyo Shimbun – April 5, 2014 –

Right to Collective Self-Defense – Sophistry called “Limited Allowance”

Approval of the exercise of the right within a limited range of circumstances isn’t sophistry, is it?  It is about the “theory of approval of limited exercise” of the right to collective self-defense.  The government’s interpretation of the Constitution has been made through many years of discussions.  The Constitution is not allowed to be revised in accordance with the intentions of just one cabinet.

The “theory of approval of limited exercise of the right” means approval of the limited exercise of the right to collective self-defense for a specific case, for example, “in the case of defense of U.S. warships under attack in the vicinity of Japan by the Self Defense Forces”  This theory was proposed by LDP Vice President Masahiko Komura.

His proposal is based on a 1959 Supreme Court “ruling in the Sunagawa case” over the constitutionality of the U.S. military presence in Japan.

As for Japan’s self-defense right, the ruling says: “It is indisputable that, as an act of exercising its proper powers as a nation, Japan is allowed to take self-defense measures that are necessary for ensuring its existence.”

Referring to this part of the ruling, Mr. Takamura made the case that “exercising the right to collective self-defense in some situations falls under the minimum necessary exercise of self-defense rights and that defense of a U.S. warship is “interpreted as the minimum necessary measures.”

Some of New Komeito and LDP lawmakers take a strong cautious stance toward whether to approve the exercise of the right to collective self-defense, which has been interpreted unconstitutional by the government, as constitutional.  It is likely that the theory of approval of limited exercise of the right has emerged as a tool for persuading such members.

However, it is impossible to do so.

It is nothing but a jump in logic to use the ruling made in the times when the topic of discussion was about the constitutionality of individual self-defense as a rational for approval of partially exercising the right to collective self-defense, a New Komeito executive member says.

In a meeting with Mr. Komura, New Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi reportedly showed a cautious stance toward the theory of limited exercise of the right by saying the government should initially examine the applicability of the right to individual self-defense.  It stands to reason.

The true nature of an argument over collective self-defense right lies in whether it is valid to resort to force to defend a foreign country even though Japan is not directly attacked and whether the government’s interpretation of the Constitution that has gone through long years of discussions is allowed to be changed in accordance with the intention of just one cabinet.

Even limited exercise is nothing less than a fundamental change of the government’s constitutional interpretation.

Once this way is accepted, the government can do anything by interpretation favorable to it regardless of articles of the Constitution or legislative intent.  The Constitution would be a dead law and “constitutionalism” in which power observes the Constitution would become a mere façade.  The possibility of getting involved in an erroneous war like the Iraqi war would become more likely.

We should not consider quite good for approval for limited exercise.  Every lawmaker should realize that constitutionalism is on the verge of a crisis.





Unfair NHK Never Broadcasts Nininbaori Performed by Mr. Katsuto Momii


image: Jiji Press
Unfair NHK Never Broadcasts Nininbaori Performed by Mr. Katsuto Momii


I have a hunch that this photo named *‘nininbaori,’ which seizes the perfect moment, will be handed down for generations.

Masatoshi Takeshita
February 22, 2014


(Translator’s note) *nininbaori –Helping hands comedy performance; performance in which one person wears a haori on their shoulders, while another person behind them put their arms through the sleeves of the haori and feeds the person in front (JMdict)


English translation of an excerpt from a Japanese article: “Unknown Truth” by Kazuhide Uekusa – February 22, 2014 –

Unfair NHK Never Broadcasts Nininbaori performed by Mr. Katsuto Momii

On February 20, the NHK issue came up for intensive deliberation in a meeting of the Lower House Budget Committee.

Mr. Katsuto Momii, who has assumed the post of the president of NHK, was called into the meeting as a witness and harshly grilled over how NHK broadcasting should be.


Even if asked questions in the Diet, he was not able to answer them in words of his own.

An NHK staff member behind him listened to a question, handed over a manuscript for answer to Mr. Momii and whispered the words written in the manuscript from behind just like a *’sasayaki okami,’ while Mr. Momii answered as told.

(Translator’s note) *sasayaki okami – When a false food labeling by “Senba Kicchau”, a time-honored Japanese restaurant, came to the surface, the executive managing director gave a press interview for apology. When he was at a loss for words, his mother, chairman, told him how to answer questions from behind like a ventriloquist. She has been called “whispering okami.” Okami means a landlady of a restaurant.

Just the sight of him makes every recipient think they don’t want such a man to take the leadership of NHK.

This is called a “scandal.”

The NHK issue is focused on the suspicion that the broadcaster violates the principle of political neutrality, political impartiality, fair and equitable broadcasting.

Ironically enough, the broadcasting parliamentary proceedings by NHK itself violated the fair and equitable broadcasting.

The camerawork plays an important role in TV broadcasting.

When a witness called to testify is grilled and showered core questions on, the witness is usually zoomed in by a camera and his/her closeup image is seen on the screen.

Camera technique of filming a speaker from below is used to create a bad impression on viewers.

A scene where a material was handed over to President Momii from behind and a scene where President Momii looked back at an NHK employee accompanied by him and carefully listened to him whispering were completely trimmed.

This is an act against the fair and equitable broadcasting.

In ordinary summoning of a witness, a camera is pointed at the witness.

NHK camerawork is done with through attention that “Nininbaori” performed by Mr. Katsuto Momii cannot be filmed as much as possible.

President Momii repeated the word “fair and equitable broadcasting” and NHK broadcast the image, which showed the not “fair and equitable” action.