They will have crystal-clear sounds – no small feat inside of a car – and very little distortion….

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I studied Japanese through the Defense Langauge Institute and lived/worked in Osaka for a Japanese manufacturing company for a little over three years, and can attest that “Gaijin” definitely carries a pejorative meaning, albeit not a particularly strong one. The Japanese have harsher terms at their disposal if they want to slur you – they have more than two dozen ways to say “barbarian” when it comes to describing foreigners – although I never heard any of them used.

During my entire stay in Japan none of the natives ever called me a “gaijin,” at least not to my face. When I once referred to myself by that term, my Japanese girlfriend was quick to correct me into saying, “Gaikokujin” – basically, the difference between “outsider” and “foreigner.”

Anyway, hope that sheds some light.

On the Iraq-as-Vietnam topic, there are a few parallels, although as a generality the comparison doesn’t hold up; the main distinctions being that semi-stateless Communists didn’t murder thousands of Americans on our own soil in a single day to begin the conflict, and that there was never any realistic threat of the North Vietnamese or Viet Cong bringing the hostilities to our shores if we failed to prevail on their turf.

Another distinction: Vietnam was an unsuccessful extension of the Cold War “containment” strategy. Iraq is more like the “rollback” strategy that Reagan adopted to win that struggle.

Similarities:

- Both conflicts invoke the “domino theory,” in that if a hostile ideology is allowed to prevail in one country then it’s likely to spread to neighboring countries.

- Both conflicts showcased a technologicaly advanced US military that could quickly dispense with any conventional battlefield opponent, but which struggled to find answers to guerilla-style tactics.

- Both conflicts demonstrate the impatience of the American people with low-level conflicts that can last for several years with few significant mileposts to mark the way toward a clear-cut victory, as well as intended beneficiaries of our intervention who often seem frustratingly slow to take the reins of their own destiny.

- Both conflicts revealed the problems inherent in allowing the enemy to have sanctuary in neighboring states (Laos, Cambodia and North Vietnam in the former, Iran and Syria in the latter).

- Both conflicts gave rise to a leftist domestic opposition that became less and less distinguishable from a fifth column movement as the conflict went on; the enemy in both conflicts relied heavily upon that fifth column to weaken and eventually break American political will to win; and in both conflicts the Democratic party eventually ended up embracing betrayal and defeat as a “solution.”

Bottom line: Iraq isn’t “Vietnam Redux;” but if we aren’t mindful of the lessons of history, we run the risk of falling prey to to both foreign and domestic enemies who would clearly like to to see us repeat it.

While I’m all for a good threadjack if it serves a greater purpose, such as poking sophomoric fun at some politicians/other assclowns who really, really deserve it, you guys are making this about yourselves, and that’s no fun for the majority of the Esteemed Assembly.

Limerick on March 21, 2007 at 1:05 PM

I’m beginning to worry that your reading comprehension skills are lacking. Cutting and pasting out of context skills are at a B+ level though (Dan Rather would be proud). Did you learn that from Anime?

expect an apology from me.

Bradky on March 21, 2007 at 12:59 PM

Apology accepted.

1. the better part of 10 years of service in uniform with the United States Army.

(Thank you for your service now thank Gaijin for his)

2. None formally. But as a Japanophile myself I can tell you that the origin of the word Gaijin is not ‘foreigner’ it is ‘not to be trusted’. If wrong, well then BradkyK, I offer you up my head.

(You are wrong – The character for Gai means outside and the character for jin means person. I am interested in Greek architecture but that doesn’t make me an expert. And I don’t want your head)

3. (back to 1)…What a man was doesn’t concern me. What a man is does. A copperhead is a copperhead no matter how much you might want to deny it.

You are right about everything? WOW That must make for pretty boring conversations. You denigrated his service and compared him to John Kerry in a very negative way. Kind of the same thing as if I were to make a parallel between you and Timothy McVeigh — patently unfair characterization and reason for you to expect an apology from me.

Aren’t there some constitutional issues what that? I would imagine that the Libertarians would be jumping all over Bush if he did this.

Am I wrong?

Yes, I think you are wrong. Libertarians tend to be isolationists (as were most of our fathers) so they don’t like the current interventionist policy. I consider myself closer to libertarianism.
What could possibly be unconstitutional about the army defending our national borders?

(1) What exactly have you done in the service of your country?
(2) What are your credentials regarding the Japanese language?
Bradky on March 21, 2007 at 9:22 AM

1. the better part of 10 years of service in uniform with the United States Army. Read the posts above and something might give you a clue.

2. None formally. But as a Japanophile myself I can tell you that the origin of the word Gaijin is not ‘foreigner’ it is ‘not to be trusted’. If wrong, well then BradkyK, I offer you up my head.

3. (back to 1)…What a man was doesn’t concern me. What a man is does. A copperhead is a copperhead no matter how much you might want to deny it.

The video: I was amazed to see that the Islamofacists have drilled the ideology all the way down to salad… What a sad reality.

I could CARE less about your honorable discharge. Kerry got one too. I wouldn’t let him pick up the dog business in my yard.

Suggest you check you history on your name Racial Slur…Gaijin TODAY is defined as foreigner….not in historical Japan….it has a more….shall we say inappropriate meaning to the Japanese.

(1) What exactly have you done in the service of your country? The term veteran and honorable discharge are not reserved for those who agree with you. If you are going to wax sentimental about only the right cares about the troops and the Democrats don’t you have a funny way of showing it.
(2) What are your credentials regarding the Japanese language? Gaijin simply means foreigner. Either you are a member of Japanese society or an outsider – cut and dried. There is no hidden slur. My credentials are several years living in the country and a couple of years formal courses in the Japanese language.

I don’t dispute that they are evil, but if our borders are undefended, maybe our army should be defending them don’t you think? How can they defend our borders if they are in Iraq?

Gaijin51 on March 21, 2007 at 8:23 AM

Aren’t there some constitutional issues what that? I would imagine that the Libertarians would be jumping all over Bush if he did this.

Am I wrong?

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We now return you to your regularly scheduled dumb Vietnam threadjack.

I’ve always loved the way Bryan Preston from Hot Air writes. Maybe it’s because he’s a former zoomie, I dunno. But irrespective of past military affiliation, the dude is dead-on with this piece:blockquote> I wasn’t naive on the effect that……

Expel Billy from school because he let the bully take his lunch money. Billy won’t fight back. The bully will. That makes everyone nice and safe. Especially Gaijin.

Yes, because the Islamofacists target innocent civilians in mass, the more the better, in order to gain entrance into “their” Heaven…….. they would have no problem walking a cell across our undefended borders into your childs elementary school, and raping then cutting off the head of your child. Period. No problems at all. The think they are just taking out the trash. Do you get a hint of the point now?

I don’t dispute that they are evil, but if our borders are undefended, maybe our army should be defending them don’t you think? How can they defend our borders if they are in Iraq? I hate them every bit as much as you do, but the issue is what is best for our national security. My position is that Americans would be more secure if we redeployed our troops to defend those undefended borders.

The communists “have” nukes, what makes you think that they just threw them away? IDIOT! 2 Countries, 2 (two) you say? If I can name three, do I discount your arguement? What about 4? How about 5? Let me ask you this, how many “Countries” do we recognize currently on our planet, and if I can come up with more than two that have nukes, and want to play a bigger part in the world, even take it over, what would you say?

How old are you? Are you capable of making a coherent argument without name-calling? I am referring to two great power communist countries China and the USSR. There were smaller client states as well. Other than that, I don’t see any substantial point that you’ve made other than perhaps nitpicking about my grammar.

There is a bit of difference between Iraq and Viet Nam, oil fields for the world’s economy, and the killing fields when the Democratic Congress withheld funds to support South Viet Nam when the North, with the backing of the Soviet Union and China invaded after we “re-deployed”. Then something happened, people started to fight back. Oh, you forgot that?

I’m not totally sure what you refer to when you say that “something happened.” A lot of things happened. For example, the communists started fighting among themselves. The Vietnamese attacked Cambodia; China attacked Vietnam; China and the Soviets weren’t getting along; Nixon went to China. A lot of people died, yes, but the important thing is that they weren’t Americans anymore.

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