Anniversaries

Shortly, the 10th anniversary of the Howard Government will be upon us. If you has asked me 15 years ago whether this man (now the Prime Minister) had a chance of achieving such a run of success, then I would have laughed.

Howard is undoubtedly a talented political operative. He seems to have his pulse on how the electorate feels about emotive issues like immigration, security and the economy. He is a master of wedge politics and appears to be in unassailable command of his party.

His Government can take credit for sound economic management(though a deep genuflection to the previous government would be in order). But there are matters which go well beyond economic competence which mark this govenment down as both mendacious and ultimately, harmful to Australia's future.

From the beginning, Howard proceeded in a manner contrary to previous administrations. He dropped the ball with respect to Aboriginal reconciliation. What could be wrong with a simple apology? He failed to reign in Pauline Hanson's demonstrably racist party, while slyly stealing aspects of her program in anticipation of capturing the same vote. He manufactured a 'crisis' about so-called (immigrant) boat people, culminating in the disgraceful Tampa incident and on-going sagas over detention centres.

Finally, he dragged Australia into a foolish war against Iraq at the behest of the Bush Administration.

The tide will one day turn and both the US and Australia will have progressive governments again. That day is worth waiting for, though it may take decades for the damage to be repaired, if at all.

Leaving

My last day in Sanda for the time being. Outside there are brief flurries of snow, though the flakes are no sooner settled than they melt. There were voices in the street when I awoke, people walking and chatting. The odd burst of laughter. A typical Sunday pursuit anywhere really.

Last night a group of us went to karaoke, something which I love to do. We sang and drank and finished up with Dancing Queen. How daggy! Later we walked to Poco Poco Pepe and ate our fill of oishii Italian.

Today I will pack and potter about and maybe take walk to the river. Then its off to Kansai Kuko. Sayonara.

Freedom to What?

The controversy over the publications of cartoons of the Prophet Mohommad is extraordinary, to say the least. On the first count, it was probably unwise of the papers concerned to publish material that would, even on the grounds of plain common sense, have been cited as potentially inflammatory. There is a war happening in Iraq and Afghanistan; there are inresolved issues between Palestine and Israel.

Moreover, the 'freedom of expression' argument, much touted by hacks of all stripes, is hardly a great defence. Freedom of expression in the media is concomitant with the need to review the importance of, and public worthiness, of what is to be published. The sky is not the limit. Journalists would not publish details about the, say, extra-marital affairs of their colleagues. They are forbidden to publish classified information. There are already many restraints upon an unfettered freedom of expression.

But at the risk of being beheaded or slated for execution, I have to say that the behaviour of many in the Muslim world is rankly hypocritical. Arab and Middle Eastern newspapers have regularly published anti-semitic and anti-Western cartoons. Where are the riots in Tel Aviv and London? The internet buzzes with nonsensical conspiracy theories about Zionist plots or Western evils. The Muslim world accuses the West of having a stereotypical view of Muslims, that they are violent and unreasonable, but the behaviour of many Muslim adherents reinforces these stereotypes. Yes, the Muslim world is diverse and no doubt most Muslims are decent ordinary people just trying to get on wirth their lives. But this balance is compromised by images of wild-eyed acolytes holding placards that demand the beheading of anyone who dares to transgress their standard. I'm afraid you can't have it both ways.

What will come from this? No doubt, a media that is far more sensitive to religious feeling, though perhaps less inclined to publish genuinely newsworthy material. That would be sad. And for those who feel themselves slighted by recent events....a change of heart, a desire to build bridges? Unlikely, wouldn't you say? Which is even sadder.

Stopping by Sandidani koen....

The evenings are getting lighter. At first I thought it was an illusion but, after spending twenty minutes in our local park, its definitely so. Ladies were walking their dogs and one determined Pomeranian chased my feet, to gales of laughter from the encircling throng.

I'm leaving soon and a little sad. It always takes me a while to get used to any new situation, but once I do, I settle rapidly. I would like to stay, 'but I have promises to keep/ and miles to go before I sleep'.

That's just how it is.

The times

Oh to live in a time "unrecommended by event". That may have been Larkin's 1950's (though, come to think of it, there were lots of things happening then, though perhaps unrecommendable) but it seems that the current era is far too evented. (No such word, though there undoubtedly will be someday).

I suppose just being busy makes ones life potentially eventful and the news is now so regularly punctuated with disasters in the making (or waiting to happen), that a dose of those 1950's salts might be efficacious. (what the hell are you talking about? - ed.)

I've almost reached the end of this stay in Japan and last night, Vicky and Rima arrived with bags in tow and high hopes. By remarkable good chance they bumped into Satoshi Namba on the train from Amagasaki and he kindly dropped them here in frosty Mukogaoka. It was snowing when I left Sasayama and the trip home was chotto hazardous with snow and patches of ice cleaving to the road. The tyres stuck but at times I thought they wanted to skate irrationally. That's a feeling I have too sometimes.

This weekend I think we might do the walking tour of things Sanda, just to get a feel for the place. Tomorrow night there is a welcoming party for the new sensei which might or might not be well attended. A months notice isn't always enough for people in Japan, such are the lives they lead.