Saturday, January 13, 2007

Faith, Honesty, and Manners to Lead Soldiers

Faith, Honesty, and Manners to Lead Soldiers


Yukichi Fukuzawa (1835-1901), an extremely influential and notable, historical person of culture, introduced many Western works, such as "Declaration of Independence," to Japan which was then on its way to westernization in the 19th century.

He also introduced European and American jokes in his book published in Japan in 1893, such as follows:

"One day, parents wanted to see what their boy had an aptitude for. They handed to the boy the Bible, a hundred-dollar bill, and an apple. Then they went out for some time, leaving the boy alone. When they returned home, they thought, if the boy was reading the Bible, they would advise him to become a priest; if he was playing with the hundred-dollar bill, they would encourage him to become a banker; but if he was eating the apple, they would probably have to expect him to be a farmer or something like that. When they returned home, they found the boy with the bill inside a pocket, sitting on the Bible, and munching the apple. The parents then believed that they could make a politician of the boy."
* * *

Contemporary Americans may also like to test their children with the Bible, a hundred-dollar bill, and an apple, too.

America today, like 100 years ago, seems to be full of priests, financial sector workers, and apple-pie eaters in addition to real and virtual politicians.
* * *

No parents want their children to volunteer for military service unless it is the only way for them to be recognized as a patriot. On the other hand, the Defense Department or the War Department would not mind an aptitude of a boy for soldiers in wartime.

But the true issue is, as the joke could be regarded as implying, whether a politician has an aptitude for leading the people while he most probably lacks faith, honesty, and manners among the people.

I do not think highly of public estimation such as "a man of integrity."
* * *

In the half part of his life, Yukichi Fukuzawa was a samurai. In 1860, as a member of an envoy of the Tokugawa samurai regime, he visited the U.S. They were taken into a photo as presented in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukuzawa_Yukichi.

It was said that Yukichi Fukuzawa had been the supreme master of swordplay, which could be felt in his picture as a samurai, though no reports on his fight with a sword. Today, he is remembered as a pioneering author as well as the founder of the Keio University.

A boy who might become a Fukuzawa would, when left alone in home, soon start to read his favorite book, such as a biography of George Washington, without paying much attention to other luxuries.
(No girl is expected to be left alone for any testing, of course.)


"BUT YOUR LIFE WILL BE SPARED"

Friday, January 12, 2007

See, Go and Befriend Iraqis

See, Go, and Befriend Iraqis


One of astonishing addresses I have ever heard in the US political community is that America will succeed in Iraq as it did in Germany and Japan after WWII.

It is just like believing that every American citizen today on a street is carrying a gun as every cowboy in the West 200 years ago was doing so.
* * *

People act according to what they have learnt in tradition of their society. When they find their behaviors are not respected by foreigners occupying their country, they will find a cause to run for insurgency.

It is said that there were many US soldiers, among occupation forces in Japan, who befriended Japanese citizens with a kind of compassion; accordingly, no guerilla attacks were conducted on the US troops that had landed on Japan after the end of WWII.

In Germany, young US officers like Mr. Henry Kissinger, who was born in Germany, contributed reconstruction of the devastated country that had been led by a defective and malicious ideology of the Nazis for a cause of protecting their Christian and tribal society.

Apart from culture, history, and traditions, there were very important human and individual aspects in the success of US occupation of Japan and Germany after WWII. And the two countries have cooperated with the U.S. all through the age of the Cold War to the 21st century as the second and the third industrial power in the world.

(Before the WWII, the four strongest countries in the world were the U.S., the U.K., Germany, and Japan; however, before the War on Terror, Iraq did not take such a position at all.)
* * *

Therefore, I hope US soldiers in Iraq to befriend Iraqis if they are not interested in any academic matters on Iraq.

It will make their presence in Iraq meaningful and valuable even for their lives after coming back to the States.

Sending more troops to Iraq should mean to send more American friends to Iraqi people for reconstruction of the civil-war-torn country.



"HER LIFE RETURNED"

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Wars Abroad and Homelessness Home

Wars Abroad and Homelessness Home


President George W. Bush made the long-awaited speech on Iraq and his new policy on the War on Iraq.

It was broadcast live in Japan. The President talked about military situations in Iraq and involvement of Syria, Iran, and Al-Qaeda. CNN analysts were also arguing about situations in Baghdad.
* * *

Meanwhile, ABC News reported that "there were 744,000 homeless people in the United States in 2005, according to the first national estimate in a decade." (http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2785098)

It is likely that there are many ex-US soldiers, who fought in the Gulf War, among the homeless people.
* * *

When did this sequence of military situations start to happen?

Since the end of the Gulf War, the US and UK air forces had continued air patrol and attacks, when deemed to be necessary, on Iraqi territories through 1990's and to 2001. And then, the War on Iraq was initiated after the 9/11 terror attacks on the U.S. mainland.

The true sequence may be considered to have begun with the Viet Nam War, and then led to USSR's Afghan invasion and further to the eruption of the Iran-Iraq War.

After all, when those wars were over, suddenly Iraq invaded Kuwait in August, 1990, resulting in the start of the Gulf War in early 1991.

Al-Qaeda was formed in the wake of the defeat of Iraq in 1991. Terrorists started to launch attacks on US assets and resources, including the one on the World Trade Center in 1993. On September 11, 2001, the decisive attacks were carried out on American soil, which led to America's wars on Afghanistan, Terror, and Iraq.
* * *

The current situations can be discussed from various viewpoints including Mesopotamia's ancient glory, Iran's ancient glory, Christians vs. Muslims conflicts and Israelites vs. Muslims conflicts as well as sectarian strife among Muslims, occupations of Arab by Turk and then the U.K., modern days' oil strategies of the U.S., and globalization of economy and democracy in the Third World in the 21st century.
* * *

I suppose most American citizens might not be well prepared to deal with these viewpoints and issues.

God might not expect American citizens alone to tackle these historic problems.

This is part of my idea on situations the U.S. now faces, since I got the report telling that there were 744,000 homeless people in the United States in 2005.
* * *

In Japan, it is said that there are 25,000 homeless people (though could be 300,000 in proportion to the populations of the two countries).

Accordingly, I do not recommend Japanese citizens to venture to involve in any conflicts in foreign lands regardless of cause.

Wars abroad and homelessness home cannot be a proof of our faith and trust in God Almighty.



"THE PERSON WHO SERVES ME AND WHO DOES NOT"

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Moon and Space Antennas Aimed from Japan

Moon and Space Antennas Aimed from Japan


The Japanese HIIA rocket, late last year, launched very interesting antennas to the stationary orbit 36,000Km above the earth.

Each of the two antennas so launched has a size of a tennis court, which is the largest one mankind has ever launched. It is not intended for providing a tennis court in the space for future astronauts but serving a special communications need on the ground.

Each antenna was skillfully folded and loaded on the rocked; it was also expanded with dexterity in the space.

Japan is the third largest power following the U.S. and EU in terms of the amount of budget for space development.
* * *

This summer Japan will launch a lunar exploration satellite. It will fly on an orbit around the moon. It will observe and record the surface of the moon by 10Km square area, discerning a height of the ground as low as 5m while emitting electro-magnetic waves to probe as deep as 5Km inside the surface.

It has the most advanced scientific functions that even allow for analysis of a stone and a rock on the ground from the high above, though other countries such as China and India, without mentiononing NASA, also plan to launch their own lunar probing satellites. 

What's more, Japan's lunar satellite is going to take pictures of the earth rising over the horizon of the moon with a high-definition camera. The pictures may supersede the famous one a certain Apollo crew took during their mission over the moon in late 1960's.
* * *

The question is that Japan has not acquired big support and cooperation from other countries for its space program. The U.S. itself has many clients and stakeholders, and EU is full of intelligent parties and agencies from its member countries. Russia, China, India, and even Korea are just building up their ambitions with a keen sense of rivalry against Japan.

Indeed, Japan looks alone just like its king-size antennas taking a position in cold space 36,000Km over the equator of the earth.
* * *

There are many reasons that you have to wait for the summer.

Live pictures of the earth rising over the horizon of the moon taken by a high-definition camera and relayed to the earth would be one, even if you have no such reasons until now.

I really like to feel like flying over the moon to the earth like a superman, though no steps of my own on its dusty and fine surface, if God who also governs the moon allows.



"PAY TO GOD WHAT BELONGS TO GOD"

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Military Female Fatalities in Iraq: 70!

Military Female Fatalities in Iraq: 70!


According to "Iraq Coalition Casualty Count," the death toll of female soldiers and officers engaged in the War in Iraq is 70 as of January 7, 2007.
(http://www.icasualties.org/oif/Female.aspx)

The total death toll is 3265; thus female casualties account for 2.14%.
* * *

Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc; 1412-1431) is said to be probably history's first military heroine.

She fought remarkably bravely against the English occupier for France led by Charles VII.
* * *

Now, France may have a female President, Germany has the female Chancellor, Britain had a female prime minister, and the U.S. has the female Secretary of State who has an institutional chance to act as a President in case.

These are the facts; however there might be a type of male soldiers who would fight against those who would employ female soldiers, officers, generals, or politicians, as a matter of the highest priority.

Only for the reason and the principle that they cannot accept female warriors, they may fight those who are against their principle before starting to take on any other enemies, including modern age's terrorists.

The cause might be justified by Spirits who have governed development of the human species from the far past to the unlimited future.
* * *

Give them better jobs and wages, and there will be no female soldiers in the human world.

Globalization of economy seems to be cool and very cool to such an idea.
* * *

Money and economy might be a true enemy for the human species.

Mankind had been well living for three million years (or at least 150 thousand years since Mitochondrial Eve) without money and economy.

But, now they are driving the human species to the animal sphere where no distinction, for example, between a female wolf and a male wolf in terms of attacking its enemy or a prey.
* * *

If Joan of Arc had been holy, what was Europe around 1430?

Probably, you might be able to predict, in 1430, coming wars such as WWI and WWII in Europe.

Similarly, what can you foresee with those statistics on the War on Terror?

Coming wars such as WWIII and WWIV in the whole world?

I will, in any cases or scenarios, fight for my cause and principle before taking on any guerrillas on any continents, islands, and space.



"LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, FAITHFULNESS, AND SELFCONTROL"

Monday, January 08, 2007

Dark Matter and Galaxies

Dark Matter and Galaxies


The total mass of materials known to man in the whole universe, including every star and atom as well as human being on the earth, accounts for only four percent of the total mass of the whole universe that includes materials known and unknown to man.

It means 96% of mass in the universe is a mystery to mankind. We do not know the origin of the unknown mass.

Scientists call it dark matter and dark energy. Specifically the dark matter accounts for 23% of the mass of the whole universe; the dark energy 73%.

Recently an international team of scientists including a Japanese physicist made a new discovery on dark matters. Specifically they found that distribution of the dark matter in the universe is akin to that of galaxies.

Accordingly, it is assumed that the dark matter contributes to generation and formation of galaxies, to one of which our solar system belongs.
+ + +

Logically, there may be various types of dark matters and dark energy. It is also somehow strange that we cannot observe it around the earth while the earth belongs to the Galaxy.

The dark matter has gravity but no electromagnetic field and thus no light sources; we can neither see them nor catch electric waves it might otherwise emit.

However, it might have a very different kind of force mankind has never discovered.

Anyway, if the formation of our Galaxy was made possible by the dark matter, human beings owe its existence to the dark matter.

Conversely, if the dark matter, physical rules of which we do not know yet, gets malfunction, our Galaxy might go wrong, which may then terminate future possibility of prosperity of human beings traveling across the Galaxy.
+ + +

Did the invention of an atomic bomb or a nuclear bomb, based on the modern physics, change the world?

If so, a new type of super-bombs based on a new theory of physics related to the dark matter might change the human world.

The super bomb might blow out the Galaxy.

It might happen, so to say, in the late 22nd century.
+ + +

You cannot get anywhere just relying on weapons of mass-destruction in satisfying your desire eventually and ultimately.

It just reflects your dark soul.

You need light.
+ + +

There is one thing I like about the desert.

It is starry night, starry heavens, or a skyful of stars.

That is multi-billion dollars' worth of a show for free.



"A WORKER SHOULD BE GIVEN WHAT HE NEEDS"