[JasonC]

Why would you think so? I despise the French for being weak kneed over Iraq and their own domestic troubles, though it is a pleasant enough place with civilized people. I'm wary of how the Russians support Iranian troublemakers. Isn't it normal for the Japanese to despise Koreans pandering to lil Kim, and to be wary of China propping him up, modernizing their military, and rattling sabers at Taiwan? If the Japanese thought such behavior was just fine, wouldn't be rightly call them on it, just as we call a Kerry e.g. for being so French?

The Japanese are far and away the most sensible, responsible, and civilized people in the region. Pretending there is equality of worthiness among nations, some of which support mad dictators, others of which appease them, others willing to stand up to them, is moral blindness not sense.

Japan is morally better than China today. China could change that tomorrow, but hasn't. Japan is morally better than Korea today, though Korea is much closer and basically civilized, though weak-kneed. Those are just facts, and we should not expect them to escape the notice of the Japanese themselves.

[dr_who_2]

I don't subscribe to the moral blindness or moral equality stuff. I think it's reasonable to say that a typical dude from China isn't any more nuts than someone from Japan or Korea. The major difference between these countries is whether there are a disproportionate number of loonies in positions of power and how much it matters.