Hana Anticipation

.1 Comment

hanachuhi.jpg
Spring is just around the corner, and that means the cherry blossoms will soon be spreading across Japan like a pink tide. Starting from the southernmost tip of the country, the progression of blossoms will move steadily northward, followed with rapt attention by the media and a population ready for the annual cherry-blossom viewing parties (a chance to have fun and get drunk outside after the cold, winter season).
Like the ever-lengthening creep of the Christmas season (soon to begin right after Labor Day weekend in America), marketers in Japan appear to be starting the sakura season early.
Suntory has introduced a special flavor to its Super Chi-Hi line of alcoholic drinks called Hana, the Japanese word for flower. Flavored with cherry blossoms (I’m guessing artificial cherry flavor) and lemon, it’s packaged in the lovely pink cans you see above.
fakehana.jpg
Although the cherry blossoms won’t “arrive” here in Nagano for at least another month, the eager folks at the Midori department store just couldn’t wait that long. Earlier this week, they planted two trees in front of the store which were meticulously grafted with plastic cherry blossoms. They looked a little out of place in the falling snow the other day.

Getting Ready For The Show

.

If there was ever any doubt that America will go to war with Iraq regardless of what happens at the United Nations, the fact that the stage for this drama has literally been sent to the Gulf should erase those doubts.
USA Today reports that the Pentagon has shipped a $250,000 briefing stage to Qatar. Via FedEx. With a shipping cost of $47,000.
As the stage’s Hollywood designer, George Allison, rightly points out, that’s chump change for the U.S. military. But read his quote, and tell me you don’t want to see this man strapped to a bomb a la Dr. Strangelove.
Lights, cameras, get ready for war
USATODAY.com

Allison, interviewed while overseeing set construction last week, said the cost of the briefing stage is justified.
“It’s much cheaper than one bomb, and it can do a lot more. It is the face of the military,” he said. “What’s important is not what they’re standing in front of, the set, but the ability to communicate with members of the press.”

There’s no business like show business, that’s for sure.

Recall President Bartlet?

.

Should celebrities speak their minds? Of course, even though many of them end up sounding as intelligent as a cube of butter, and use the wrong forums in which to express their views.
Then there are those like Martin Sheen who have a long and distinguished record of passionate and thoughful activism. It’s no surprise really that he’s now getting pressure to keep his mouth shut.
The New McCarthyism
Sunday Herald

Looking Abroad For News

.

It’s really no surprise that many Americans are using the Internet to find a diversity and depth of news that’s often lacking in the domestic media.
US public turns to Europe for news
journalism.co.uk

The American public is apparently turning away from the mostly US-centric American media in search of unbiased reporting and other points of views. Much of the US media’s reaction to France and Germany’s intransigence on the Iraqi war issue has verged on the xenophobic, even in the so-called ‘respectable’ press. Some reporting has verged on the hysterical — one US news web site, NewsMax.com, recently captioned a photograph of young German anti-war protesters as “Hitler’s children.”
Mr Dennis [of the Guardian] said: “American visitors are telling us they are unable to find the breadth of opinion we have on our web site anywhere else because we report across the political spectrum rather than from just one perspective.”

This article, however, tends to overstate the matter a bit — the large majority of Americans are still passively glued to Fox News, CNN and the like. Those who are searching out the BBC and other international news organizations online would tend to be more active and critical thinkers — a distinct minority of the American population, to be sure. And the assumption that hysterical, xenophobic news coverage in only found in America is just silly.
But the fact remains that it’s much easier these days to actively expose oneself to a wide range of news and viewpoints. If one so chooses. The benefits of this will only come if those who are so informed turn around and work to spread that knowledge to the more passive citizens in society. A more communal and grass-roots spread of news and information is needed to counter the increasingly shallow and corrupt business of mainstream media.

Goodbye Peace And Prosperity

.

In January 2001, as the President-elect prepared to assume office, The Onion perfectly captured the future of America under the leadership of George W. Bush:
Bush: ‘Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over’
The Onion

Bush also promised to bring an end to the severe war drought that plagued the nation under Clinton, assuring citizens that the U.S. will engage in at least one Gulf War-level armed conflict in the next four years.
“You better believe we’re going to mix it up with somebody at some point during my administration,” said Bush, who plans a 250 percent boost in military spending. “Unlike my predecessor, I am fully committed to putting soldiers in battle situations. Otherwise, what is the point of even having a military?”
On the economic side, Bush vowed to bring back economic stagnation by implementing substantial tax cuts, which would lead to a recession, which would necessitate a tax hike, which would lead to a drop in consumer spending, which would lead to layoffs, which would deepen the recession even further.

(Thanks for the link, Summer!)

Deliberative Polling

.

Joi Ito talks about deliberative polling, which tries to overcome the drawbacks of the type of polling currently practiced (whereby uninformed citizens are asked to give “shoot-from-the-hip” opinions, upon which government policy is then often based).

Larry [Lessig] pointed out some interesting work called deliberative polling being done by Professor James S. Fishkin. Since polling forces people to vote on something they don’t really know too much [about], the data may be statistically accurate, but is not necessarily the best way to promote a democratic system. Deliberative polling takes a diverse group of people, forces them to discuss the issues in small group, in large groups, small groups, over and over again for a fairly lengthy process until everyone has a pretty good idea of the issues and a balanced and educated position. Polls are conducted through the process to track how people’s opinions change. Afterwards, many of the people who have participated become much more active citizens.

This brings up interesting questions, among them whether democracy includes a citizen’s option to be lazy and uninformed. In America (and many other countries), it certainly does. But is this the best form of democracy? A strong and healthy democracy should at least provide options and structures that encourage a more active and involved population.
I’m reminded of an old Bloom County cartoon about polling that, if I had my collection here in Japan, I’d track down, scan and post along with these comments.
More on deliberative polling.