3 ms·

Yeah I really did not like this article. How about the West lets Japan figure out its own proper government and role for the emperor, rather than continuing to

Yeah I really did not like this article. How about the West lets Japan figure out its own proper government and role for the emperor, rather than continuing to insist that our ways are unquestionably superior? The entire mood of this piece is dismissive and arrogant. Poor journalism.

westcort 5y ago
Journalists can draw contrasts. We are all humans and just drawing comparisons across monarchies, which until recently existed in every culture and country. In an age of global pandemics, the world is a single neighborhood. Drawing contrasts does not suggest any course of action.
dustintrex 5y ago
Are we reading the same article? The West already dictated Japan's form of government, including the role of the Imperial family, after WW2.
- disneygibson 5y ago
  The article is quite negative and assumes that Western ideas are inherently superior, all monarchies are bad, etc. To be expected for a left-wing literature journal, obviously, but that doesn’t make it any less culturally imperialistic.
  - westcort 5y ago
    Humanity is moving past the age of monarchies and kings in general and has been for at least 300 years. There is no cultural exceptionalism for this trend.
    - disneygibson 5y ago
      No, it isn’t, and the “moving past X toward a democratic future” is an Enlightenment idea rooted in Western culture, largely enforced upon other states via violence, economic sanctions, and colonialism. As the West continues to decline, so will the appeal of its political structures. This is fairly obvious if you pay attention to Russia, China, India, and other powerful countries. It isn’t 1990 or 1950. The world isn’t trying to reinvent itself in the mold of the West anymore.
      - _ddzr 5y ago
        You bring up a valid point and it is interesting to hear a perspective in favor of dictators, monarchs, and rule by the divine rights of kings. But look at it another way and the entire global economy runs on money and capitalism, which is inherently democratic by design in that many decisions contribute to the overall direction, rather than a single decision maker. If you think that system is going away, I would find such a view hard to imagine, but would consider it. The late David Graeber certain would have agreed with you that a post-capitalist society might be possible, though it is almost unimaginable at present.
        lbrito 5y ago
        >_money and capitalism, which is inherently democratic by design in that many decisions contribute to the overall direction, rather than a single decision maker_ That's an anti historical view. If there's one thing capitalism is definitely not, it's "democratic by design". South America 60s-90s, Europe 1930s etc. Also absurd to just assume it will win "just because". Even fukuyama gave up on this idea after his "end of history" theory completely flopped.
        westcort 5y ago
        I fail to see how any force can negate the power of world economies at this point. Even Germany had to pay back its war debt and had to do so after changing its political system, therefore the power of economies is--historically--far greater than the power of political systems.
        dragonwriter 5y ago
        > money and capitalism, which is inherently democratic by design in that many decisions contribute to the overall direction, rather than a single decision maker No, that's not what “democratic” means. Its true that capitalism is inherently oligarchic rather than monarchic, because of the property you describe above (minus the improper reference to “democratic”) but that's...a far cry from democratic.
        5y ago

westcort 5y ago

Journalists can draw contrasts. We are all humans and just drawing comparisons across monarchies, which until recently existed in every culture and country. In an age of global pandemics, the world is a single neighborhood. Drawing contrasts does not suggest any course of action.

dustintrex 5y ago

Are we reading the same article? The West already dictated Japan's form of government, including the role of the Imperial family, after WW2.

disneygibson 5y ago
The article is quite negative and assumes that Western ideas are inherently superior, all monarchies are bad, etc. To be expected for a left-wing literature journal, obviously, but that doesn’t make it any less culturally imperialistic.
- westcort 5y ago
  Humanity is moving past the age of monarchies and kings in general and has been for at least 300 years. There is no cultural exceptionalism for this trend.
  - disneygibson 5y ago
    No, it isn’t, and the “moving past X toward a democratic future” is an Enlightenment idea rooted in Western culture, largely enforced upon other states via violence, economic sanctions, and colonialism. As the West continues to decline, so will the appeal of its political structures. This is fairly obvious if you pay attention to Russia, China, India, and other powerful countries. It isn’t 1990 or 1950. The world isn’t trying to reinvent itself in the mold of the West anymore.
    - _ddzr 5y ago
      You bring up a valid point and it is interesting to hear a perspective in favor of dictators, monarchs, and rule by the divine rights of kings. But look at it another way and the entire global economy runs on money and capitalism, which is inherently democratic by design in that many decisions contribute to the overall direction, rather than a single decision maker. If you think that system is going away, I would find such a view hard to imagine, but would consider it. The late David Graeber certain would have agreed with you that a post-capitalist society might be possible, though it is almost unimaginable at present.
      - lbrito 5y ago
        >_money and capitalism, which is inherently democratic by design in that many decisions contribute to the overall direction, rather than a single decision maker_ That's an anti historical view. If there's one thing capitalism is definitely not, it's "democratic by design". South America 60s-90s, Europe 1930s etc. Also absurd to just assume it will win "just because". Even fukuyama gave up on this idea after his "end of history" theory completely flopped.
        westcort 5y ago
        I fail to see how any force can negate the power of world economies at this point. Even Germany had to pay back its war debt and had to do so after changing its political system, therefore the power of economies is--historically--far greater than the power of political systems.
      - dragonwriter 5y ago
        > money and capitalism, which is inherently democratic by design in that many decisions contribute to the overall direction, rather than a single decision maker No, that's not what “democratic” means. Its true that capitalism is inherently oligarchic rather than monarchic, because of the property you describe above (minus the improper reference to “democratic”) but that's...a far cry from democratic.
        5y ago