gerard 6 Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 Ishihara is nuts. (not necessarily the opinion of SJ) Here are some of the crazy things he says: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Shintaro_Ishihara It gets worse too. How did this man get into power? Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 Those quotes are actually quite tame compared to some stuff Ive heard. Wasnt he the guy who said if there was an earthquake all the foreigners would be out looting the dead bodies etc? Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted September 19, 2006 Author Share Posted September 19, 2006 I think he said that the 'third-world people' would be doing the looting. That comment was among his more controvertial and it sparked a lot of protest among japanese and foreigners. He says a lot of other stupid but less spectacular things about things he knows nothing about. His name consistently comes up every few months. For example, the other day at work I heard that the old xenophobic and otherwise totally inaccurate argument that children should learn English once a week because they haven't mastered Japanese was getting credence in the Daily Yomiuri. I thought we were past that! That's not fit to print! But as it turns out it was just another Ishihara quote. Other examples: On casinos in Tokyo "We should think about the postive culture that casinos bring" (paraphrasing) On North Korea: "Let them launch their missiles at us. Those missiles aren't capable of carrying nuclear warheads." Got any others? Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 he sounds quite generous; got something for everyone. Link to post Share on other sites
nagpants 1 Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 For most Japanese they probably haven't heard lots of his racist outbursts and even if they have it hasn't registered. He's just faily popular as he speaks his mind I think. Link to post Share on other sites
Kumapix 0 Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 i just read over the quotes and apart from the Nanking one I didn't find them to be bad. What's so bad about them? (the ones in the article) Link to post Share on other sites
wakayamaman 0 Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 He's said far worse than that. About the foreigners rioting after an earthquake. If I am not mistaken, during the big Tokyo one it was the Japanese who did some nasties to the foreigners there at the time. Link to post Share on other sites
daver 0 Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 i think the big thing about his most memorable moments, and the Nanjing one demonstrates this perfectly well, is that he is always WAY out in left field and nothing he says is every ground in fact. who cares if he speaks his mind, that does not make him a worthy politician. lest we forget some of the other notable politicians throughout the 20th century that 'spoke their mind'. Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted September 20, 2006 Share Posted September 20, 2006 I seem to remember the previous prime minister was known for speaking his mind too, Yoshiro Mori I think his name was, but he was simply a dumbass. His clangers were more like that of Prince Phillip (the queen of englands senile husband) than these malicious ones from Ishihara. Link to post Share on other sites
r45 4 Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 Mori was the big bloke right? He was a real mess. He seems to still have a lot of "power" going on in the background that guy. Link to post Share on other sites
IIIII 2 Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 Oops this thread. Mori was just on tv shaking hands with Mr Abe. Link to post Share on other sites
DumbStick 13 Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 Does this guy have a chance of ever being PM? Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted September 22, 2006 Author Share Posted September 22, 2006 Mori keeps poping up is head now and again. He resigned from office. I would of thought he would do the honourable thing and commit seppuku. As for Ishihara, I can't imagine him being PM because at that level I think you have to be a little more politically correct but stranger things have happened. I'm still trying to grasp the whole convoluted political process in this country. Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 Yeah I dont get it either. And dont get me started on senkyou vans now (I can feel my blood starting to boil already, better go and have a lie down). Link to post Share on other sites
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