The Culture of Blaming Others. All for True Democracy and the Repose of the Victims’ Souls.
On March 16, 2011, the author condemns a “blame-shifting” streak in government briefings—scolding citizens for hoarding and rumors instead of acting decisively. He cites Osaka Prefecture’s housing offer, volunteer efforts, and SDF water drops on Fukushima, and urges coordinated FX intervention to turn crisis into opportunity.
On March 16, 2011, the author harshly criticizes the “blame-shifting” attitude of the Chief Cabinet Secretary in his press conferences. The author points out a pattern of the government deflecting from its own inaction and inexperience by blaming the public for issues like chain emails, hoarding, and baseless rumors. The post praises the city of Osaka for offering public housing to victims and contrasts the real government’s failures with an ideal, fictitious leader in a movie script titled “Prime Minister O’s Decision.” The author condemns the flaws of capitalism that led to market chaos and a rapid yen appreciation, asserting that true leadership and national resolve are the keys to saving the country.
What we glimpse is… a blame-shifting mentality.
2011/3/16
Watching the Chief Cabinet Secretary’s press conferences, I noticed the same thing again.
At the first briefing on the nuclear plants—when the public wanted to know what had happened and what was happening—what he talked about was chain emails.
At today’s first briefing explaining the shortage of supplies in the disaster areas, it was “Please don’t hoard gasoline and the like.”
And at the second briefing aired at night: “Some people are afraid of radiation and won’t deliver supplies; don’t be misled by rumors.” But the fact that supplies are not reaching many places in Iwate and across Miyagi, starting with Kesennuma, has nothing to do with that.
In short, the nature of this administration is to set aside its own inaction, immaturity, and inexperience—its own responsibility—and shift the blame onto a trivial fraction of citizens.
We must never forget those who strongly backed the creation of such an administration. That, I believe, is the first step toward building true democracy.
I repeat: for that very purpose, all these deaths occurred—and only by acting on this does it become their sole memorial. That is what I believe.
Osaka Prefecture will provide 450 vacant public housing units to evacuees—“come as you are.”
It ran on the Kansai evening news, and when I checked the prefecture’s website it was exactly as reported: Osaka will provide 450 vacant public apartments to disaster victims. (There should be many vacant public units outside Osaka as well.) “Please come with nothing but the clothes on your back.”
A film by Director Kisara: “The Decision of Prime Minister O.”
The year is 2011, March 11. Perceiving the unprecedented earthquake with sharpened instinct and crisis management, Prime Minister O urgently convenes a National Security Council meeting.
Almost immediately, an emergency message arrives from TEPCO: at Fukushima, the heavy-oil tanks for emergency power have been swept away by the tsunami, jeopardizing cooling water.
At that moment, NHK airs images without precedent. Seeing them, Prime Minister O—hailed as a modern-day Ieyasu—orders the Self-Defense Forces to mount full-force nationwide operations for rapid supply delivery and rescue, dispatching assets from across Japan.
A bureaucrat advises, “Secondary disasters are a concern; we must wait and see.” O thunders back:
“If an earthquake and tsunami of this scale are to strike again now, the world itself would collapse. I will take full responsibility. Set that concern aside. All helicopters and aircraft are already heading to the disaster zone.”
On the reactors, while doing everything to secure cooling water, he orders the SDF elite to prepare for emergency deployment in the worst case.
Soon after water injection begins, a hydrogen explosion—anticipated—blows apart the building. O decides on aerial water drops and phones the SDF elites on standby:
“Japan’s fate rests on your work. Are your radiation suits fully ready? In the worst case, the nation will bear lifelong responsibility for your families. As Prime Minister and head of government, I promise you the treatment befitting heroes who save their country. For the nation and all its people—succeed.”
“Yes, sir.”
They take off with renewed resolve, carry out the mission flawlessly, and every drop hits on target. The nuclear crisis brought on by an unprecedented disaster is resolved.
Kumetto—stay strong.
Just now I received a “peta” on Ameba saying they had read my post; here is Kumetto’s blog:
“Not via Mito but entering Kōriyama via Utsunomiya. We’ll deliver gathered supplies and help with cleanup. I have no idea when I’ll be able to return home to Tokyo. Everyone, please stay safe. I’ll update you on the situation.”
http://ameblo.jp/kumetto/entry-10829781272.html
Above all, we must end the myriad forms of hypocritical pretense (otamegokashi) that have worsened over these twenty-plus years.
The missteps now laid bare—costing the lives of people who might have been saved and inflicting avoidable suffering and excessive endurance on great numbers of victims—are, in truth, the responsibility of those who shaped public opinion using the “beast trail” (kemono-michi) that Mitsui Tamaki wrote about in his book, and of the citizens and politicians who went along with them. (Reasons to follow.)
From yesterday to today, traffic to my writings—on Ameba, goo, and FC2—has surged to record levels. Since July 16 last year, when I could no longer hold back and began writing online, I have been convinced that “The Turntable of Civilization” is reaching Japan’s core.
On NHK just now, images showed the SDF dropping water on the reactors—an excellent direct hit on No. 3 the first time; the second, on No. 4, dispersed a bit but mostly hit. The third and fourth were likewise.
Perhaps the leadership watched Director Kisara’s “The Decision of Prime Minister O,” filmed late last night. (Laughs.)
Be that as it may, many saw the opposite kind of footage yesterday. What that footage pointed to is the guilt of those mentioned at the outset—what they have long done.
The SDF members who turned back and dumped the water into the sea bore no fault—military organizations obey superior orders absolutely; the same is true in the United States.
In other words, it all comes down to the responsibility of the highest authority. The outcome was the fruit of twenty-plus years of lip-service “respect for human life,” that hollow, hypocritical pretense.
After all, look at Kakuei Tanaka—no other country turned it into a criminal affair, but only Japan made that big spectacle and, one could say, buried him under a false charge. And needless to say, the treatment of Ichirō Ozawa these past two years.
Those without the standing to speak of “respect for human life” made yesterday’s decision.
What you see now is the result after the screening of Director Kisara’s “The Decision of Prime Minister O.”
A sudden surge in the yen—after stocks, now FX. There are no more incorrigible brats of capitalism than these.
It needs no more than the heading. Having made massive profits by shorting Nikkei futures and cash markets on Monday and Tuesday, they are now moving to currencies. In plain words, I am left speechless. As Kūkai of the 21st century, I say: you are the very pinnacle of vulgarity. King Enma awaits you at the River Sanzu.
Needless to say, while there are such people, there are also people like the woman volunteers NHK featured this morning—buying vegetables at normal prices directly from farmers in Miyazaki hurt by rumors after the eruption, and delivering them to evacuation shelters in the disaster zone. They are collecting donations of ¥3,000 per unit to fund the purchases. Those vegetables must already have reached the shelters.
People like the former—and people like the latter. This is modern “hell and heaven.”
Back to the point.
To the administration: turn misfortune into fortune.
Now is the time to beg the G8 and G20—especially the United States—for coordinated intervention to push the yen down. Best would be to force a swift depreciation, and thereby cast those like the former—rich in money, poor in soul—into hell in money as well.
Make the strongest possible request now. If you truly mourn the victims and the bereaved, you can and must do this with a do-or-die resolve.
Right now, doing exactly this is decency. No need for any restraint.