East-West Station

Who killed more Chinese?

Was it…

A) Mao with his Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution

B) The Imperial Japanese Army

Correct answerers win an irony award.

Just read this travel piece on Osaka. The locals sound rather Chinese…

People who live in Osaka tend to shed the conservatism that is found elsewhere in Japan and the first place you will notice this is on the subway. Elderly ladies laugh together sweetly, teenagers stand in groups and poke fun at each other while businessman bark angrily on cell phones in animated discussion. Bucking the Japanese train etiquette seen elsewhere in the country, passengers do not speak in hushed tones while staring at the ground and the no-cell phone sign is rarely adhered to. Osakans are full of life and down-to-earth, so whether you are dining out, grabbing a beer or just asking for directions, you will find that it is easy to strike up a conversation with the city’s friendly and forward locals

Watching a George Steiner interview t’other day, I was struck by a peculiar usage of “Lèse-majesté”. Speaking of his time in America he commented “I couldn’t accept the lack of irony…America is a land committed to things being better next Monday than they are this Monday. Irony is the enemy. Irony subverts. Irony is being rather nasty about hope. In America being nasty about hope is ‘Lèse-majesté ‘”.

The phrase these days calls to mind the recent cases in Thailand and – whatever your views may be on that – if you have talked to Thais about their King you will surely have realised the practically universal reverence in which he is held by his people. The vast majority of Thais would brook no criticism of their King and (as a consequence) most would support the Lèse-majesté law.

It seems clear that the Lèse-majesté law is being overused in Thailand and used as a political tool, but that’s not the point I wish to make. I’d like to link back to the point Steiner made about the “lack of irony” and the link is that, for Thais, to criticise the King is not just to be negative about a man or an institution…the way things stand at the moment it is “being nasty about hope”. To utter Lèse-majesté is a locutionary act that subverts confidence in present and future hopes for Thailand and in the moral rectitude of the entire Thai nation – as embodied in that living symbol, King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

The Thais love their King for a reason; he clearly cares for his country and is deservedly loved. But wouldn’t a sense of irony help? Is the King a man or a God? I know how an ironist would answer that question…

While it is an undoubtedly splendid idea to have a country permanently ruled by Kims, these North Korean Kims seem to be letting the side down somewhat.

The juxtaposition of these two quotes helps explain part of the problem:

North Korea warns the world: no change in policy under Kim Jong-un

“Insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results”

A few weeks ago, Murdoch, or rather the more savage tendencies of the press as a whole, represented God. Fear of God isn’t always a bad thing in itself, if it keeps you on the straight and narrow – but politicians behaved like medieval villagers who didn’t just believe in Him, but quaked at the mere suggestion of a glimmer of a whisper of His name. You must never anger God. God wields immense power. God can hear everything you say. You must worship God, and please Him, or He will destroy you. For God controls the sun, which may shine upon you, or singe you to a Kinnock. Soon he will control the entire sky.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jul/17/charlie-brooker-rupert-murdoch