Subject: [FFML] Re: [fanfic][Ranma]Comes the Cold Dragon: Part XV Rev 1
From: "Jourdan M. Bickham" <bikkamu@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: 6/7/2002, 11:47 PM
To: "Donald Lee Granberry" <noharness@mac.com>
CC: <ffml@anifics.com>


Jourdan, someone, even in Japan, fills leadership roles in every
community.
They may not be referred to as "Pillars of the Community", that is, after
all a purely western phrase, but the concept holds up quite well in every
culture without exception. Without such leadership, civilized society is
impossible.

People will "just walk by a crime" in New York City. They may or may not
do
the same in Houston, criminals be advised, crime angers us rather badly.
However, in both Houston and New York, both very large towns, have
"Pillars
of the Communities."

I know, you are currently living in Japan, but I  think you should examine
that society with just a wee bit less cynicism. I can easily imagine that
it
might be hard for a foreigner living to find such people in Japan, but
such
people exist in every society I have been exposed to and I have little
doubt
that they exist there.

For the admins... this does relate to his story still as he poses Soun Tendo
as a Pilliar of the Community, and Ranma to succeed him in the future.
However, I will cut off my public posting on this with response...

Sometimes I am probably too cynical and sometimes I probably don't present
my arguement well... and writing email from work never helps with
objectivity...

In the East leaders are BORN not MADE... or so they believe.  And I think
you are aware of this.  To become one of these you must pass the age
requirement first... something around 55 or 60 years old.  Of course after
that many are similar the world around... money, who you know, etc.  But
exceptionally... that Confucianism holds Japan back with the idea that no
one young has anything of value to add other than physical labor.  Think
that cynicism if you will until you live the experience.  I have "little
doubt" that you will meet none of the average Japanese people ever in you
life Don.  Why?  They don't travel much outside of Japan.  If they do they
take a typical Japanese package tour to Los Angeles or San Francisco.  How
about those that study abroad?  they can be hardly considered "normal" or
"average" because most people never get that experience (as a percentage of
the population).  And even then, many of them go to places that have an
overwhleming number of Japanese people, with whom they spend all their time.
This works for America too.  Coming to visit Japan will yield the same for
you Don.  The average Japanese person won't come to talk to you.  They don't
speak English, and are afraid to try even though they waste tens of
thousands of dollars on English schools every year.  So the "average"
Japanese person you meet is hardly representative of the overal population.
Here's another one for you...those people on the list who do live in Japan
should understand this one right off...you want to talk about Japan's
"pilliar's of the community" then explain Suzuki Muneo and why he is stil in
office, but forced out of the LDP.  How about Hashimoto Ryutaro and the
influence of his political Zoku may have had on the Koizumi administration?
There's also been a lot of "interesting" events surrounding the Ministry of
International Affairs (Gaimusho).  How about 2 or 3 years ago and the major
busting of Police in Kanagawa and Saitama for taking bribes, blackmailing a
woman in to having sex with secret pics of her naked, and it goes on.  Did
you hear about the North Korean family in China who tried to get into the
Japanese Embassy for amnesty, but the Japanese just ignored them...they did
absolutely nothing and let the Chinese government take them and ship them
off to North Korea?  Did you know that Japanese has no amnesty laws?  How
about the mayor of Yonezawa City who is completing his 5th term in office
for a total of 25 years?  He's seen the city hall move from the old building
to the current one, seen the city beautiful and prosperous and run-down and
broke like it is now...

Ask most long-term foreigners (even nissei and sansei) in Japan (5-10 years)
what think of Japan... it's a dichotomy... total love and total hate...and I
doubt what you'll hear will differ much from what I have been saying.  You
can go to a small Izayaka (japanese-style bar) in your neighborhood and the
mom and pop who run it are so thrilled to have a foreigner come drink there.
The next day you go to work and although your co-workers speak no English
(so you've always been speaking with them in Japanese), they tell you that
although the Japanese new guy will be training in the call center, you will
not...as if it is obvious that you'd never be able to do it.  Those two are
rather common and I suspect that most people on the list will have read
about, experienced or heard about such things.  How about the disconnect
between the ills of society...the problems with politicians and the
government and the average citizen (i.e. voter).  The extent to which people
believe that they are only one person and don't count or that no matter what
they try to do they can change nothing is overwhelming in Japan.   This
mindset extends from politics to work and family life.

Tokyo can be looked at as not representing the average Japanese because it
is only one Prefecture, but that is wrong... Tokyo Metro, plus Yokohama city
and Saitama City equal an overwhelming percentage of the overal population.
Meaning that it does in indeed carry significant weight as the mean or
average for the population.  So to bring this back to my point...finding and
not finding anything in Tokyo has little in the end to do with being
Japanese or foreign... today there are few people that are true Edo-ites.
But then maybe that is one of the roots of the problem...since few people
are born, raised and then grow old in Tokyo... the increased mobility of the
population breaks the ties that help to form community.

Bringing this around full-circle... I still don't see Soun as a strong
community leader, nor does the idea of Ranma taking on this mantle in the
future.  It's one thing for him to "do his part" by helping with small
crimes (pick pockets and shoplifting) and it's another to make him a
leader.... that is something that calls upon moral authority and stepping
forward to give people help and direction.  Seeing other comments on this
chapter do make me believe that you are using this plot device to help tie
parts of the story together... Ranma as the cold-dragon, the second and
fouth fleet, the Joketsuzoku, Musk, etc.  Seems a little too grandoise for
Ranma Saotome.

As a final note on Japanese community... here's one to chew on.  How can you
have a civilized society when the individual's morality is found external to
themselves... meaning they don't "not kill" because they believe it to be
morally wrong, but instead because of the fear of burdening those around
them or disappointing/embarrassing them.  So what happens when the
individuals stop caring what other people think?

J

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