Brain Fertilizer

What can I pack in a small space?

I don't see this as an 'either/or' issue. The Chinese gov't is totalitarian, communist posing bunch of thugs. It is lousy and bad. They have a significant world position due to their population size, manufacturing might, and market size. They are an increasing threat world wide. The Chinese people want the same things most people want and are entitled (life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness). They are prevented by their gov't from having true freedom and because the power elites control the military, have little chance of achieving it anytime soon. The Chinese continue to support the Korean nut job, Kim. They sell weapons to our enemies and to opponents of freedom and liberty all over the world. Mao is seldom critisized for the absolutley brutal murderer he was, much in the same vein as Castro's contuing free ride in the media.

The Japanese are our allies and market partners. They lost the war, signed the treaties, and have differing views within their open and free society as any democratic society would. Despite what a shrine might say or present, despite the horrible inaccuaracies of their textbooks, their gov't positions are open and clear. They sent a limited number of troops on a limited mission as our allies to the middle east.

More Japanese support the war on terror than American Democrats even acknowledge there is one. Which is a better partner? Japan or China.

Good points.
Japan has been a better partner, and likely will remain a better partner for the foreseeable future.

...except for their stubbornness about admitting their fault.

I should add that it isn't just bad, 'ol Communist-in-name-only China that hates Japan for this. As good as Japan has been, on many issues of trade and defense, South Korea has been even better (worse in some areas, though), and the Koreans hate Japan for their unrepentance as much as the Chinese, if not more.

I'm not as quick as you to ascribe this anger toward Japan to the Chi-Coms; if the Chi-Com govt were to collapse tomorrow, the Chinese (and Koreans!) would still have a valid grievance.

And when you look at Japan's past economic predation (the way they developed their automobile industry was absolutely counter to the principles of capitalism), their continual refusal to admit past mistakes makes me agree with China and Korea: Japan may just be pretending to be nice until the time is right to stab everyone in the back and expand the Japanese Empire once more.

But that doesn't mean I deny your points. They are good. I just look at the facts of Japan's actions with a little more skepticism. I don't think you can say "despite Japan's horrible textbook inaccuracies, the govt's position is open and clear." The govt is responsible for the inaccuracies! To me, Japan's actions and words towards their past atrocities are identical to Yassir Arafat's method of saying the right things in English to the international audience, and then turning around and saying the exact opposite in Arabic to the domestic audience.

The Media is so corrupt and lazy. The media are only fooling themselves. The liberals had total control of your push since Woodrow Wilson. Now with Fox, Trudge Report, and also the net the liberal media does not possess a monopoly. Cannot fool every one of the people every one of the time. Romney will win inspite of your press. The press will make an effort to discredit and undermind his presidency. Romney knows this, we all know this.