"[M]s. Kennedy (U.S. ambassador to Japan) has quickly surprised her Japanese hosts by being undiplomatically frank on delicate issues. She created a stir recently when she publicly expressed concern about a bloody annual dolphin hunt that is widely condemned abroad, but that many Japanese view as a part of their traditional culture."
“Deeply concerned by inhumaneness of drive hunt dolphin killing,” Ms. Kennedy wrote last week on Twitter. “USG opposes drive hunt fisheries,” she added, referring to the United States government’s stance on the hunts, in which dolphins are herded into coves so they can be hacked to death.I thought Obama was not a co-signer to American exceptionalism. What is Ms. Kennedy doing, promoting a version of our values over there? Who does she think is in the White House? George W Bush?
“How do you rein someone like her in?” said Dave Spector, an American who has worked in Japan for more than 25 years as a television commentator and who has followed Ms. Kennedy’s ambassadorship closely. “Her father is on the 50-cents coin, for crying out loud. She is bigger than life.”
Her fame is so formidable, he said, that she is vulnerable to people looking for meaning in her every move.
But others quickly criticized her for sticking her nose into something that they say is not her, or any other foreigner’s, business. Some angrily reminded her that Commodore Matthew C. Perry opened Japan at gunpoint in 1853 to secure ports for American whalers.
“We don’t want to be told such things by Americans who used to kill whales just for their oil,” said one user. Another was succinct: “Stupid woman! Go home!”
20 comments:
"Hacked to death." Is this post dedicated to Tennessee Williams?
'How do you rein someone like her in?' said Dave Spector, an American who has worked in Japan for more than 25 years as a television commentator and who has followed Ms. Kennedy’s ambassadorship closely. 'Her father is on the 50-cents coin, for crying out loud. She is bigger than life.'
You don't "rein her in." You push back.
Take her for a ride in an Oldsmobile?
"Used" to kill whales. We don't anymore.
There are ways an ambassador can get things done. There are back channels that she could have used to probe whether there are powerful progressive eco-freaks in Japan who could be rallied to oppose dolphin hunting and maybe suppress it without her fingerprints ever showing. But she's Caroline Kennedy: royalty, Hahvard and horse faced just like her boss at State. Plus she's stupid. Ergo bull in a china shop behavior by this "diplomat."
I thought "hacked to death" was unusual myself.
You don't "rein her in." You push back.
Unless she happens to be Hillary. In which case you do nothing and say how wonderful she is.
Dolphin hacking, as a spectator sport, needs its Hemingway.
Aside from Governor Cuomo, who has ever told Caroline Kennedy in her entire adult life to STFU? Why should she start now?
The Japanese who like this stuff would oppose stopping it no matter how it was handled. I think today, with communications being so rapid and widespread, any way you bring up a subject leads to it's inevitable resolution to wider standards, for better or worse. If you want something changed that most people would oppose, any publicity is good publicity, because very quickly the seed of how it came out is forgotten anyway. Once it's viral, it's on.
YH, I didn't know that. What was the context and what did he say?
Just saw Reynolds on CSPAN books. He's quite good. Better than the little videos.
[cuomo carolyn kennedy sfu]
I see this: Carolyn Kennedy first cousin to Cuomo's first wife
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.
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Feb 25, 2013 ... Maria Shriver, Caroline Kennedy ... Caroline Kennedy was in the LA area last week as part of the ... Caroline, shut up and sit down. ..... of New York, Andrew Cuomo, appointed an obscure female pro-abort, Kristin Gillibrand, ...
Ha. Apparently she talked too much one time.
Thanks, Chip, I'm guessing that was said humorously.
@deborah,
I was using the phrase STFU "metaphorically speaking" (to use the Monty Python phrase) as someone thwarting her plans, not just shutting her up. I was primarily referring to Gov. Cuomo's heavy-hand in killing Kennedy's chances to be appointed Senator from NY. Cuomo wanted Gillibrand, and that's who got the nod. [sarc] But the appointment was apparently handled with all the personal delicacy & finesse that Cuomo is famous for.[/sarc]
Thank, YH. I still believe there was a quid pro quo for the Ted Kennedy endorsement that Carolyn inherit Hillary's seat.
@Palladian,
That said, much about Japanese culture, both ancient and modern, is vile, cruel and disgusting,
True dat. And one of their most ancient vile & disgusting habits is that when outsiders call them out publicly as a group for doing something disgusting, it all but insures that they circle the wagons & pursue said disgusting act with a renewed sense of national pride & purpose.
I thought the problems with dolphins was that they were bullies. Didn't we just through that with some offensive line pussy or something.
I forget the news that is two weeks old.
We kill and eat cows, sheep and pigs. Pigs, I am told, are at least as smart as whales and dolphins. However, pigs won't try to have sex with you like dolphins do. Pigs will try to kill you, and eat you if they can. At least we have that going for us.
Hacked to death =
Being driven around by cabbies until one dies of thirst, starvation, exposure or lack of credit.
-or-
Hacked to death =
Having terrible writers tell your story until you kill yourself to escape the crappy writing.
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