Americans simple-minded, says Japanese MP Ichiro Ozawa

[rpannier]

It was not clear what prompted the remarks by Democratic Party heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa at a political seminar, in which he otherwise paid tribute to Americans' commitment to democracy, saying it was something Japan should learn from.

"I like Americans, but they are somewhat monocellular," the former Democratic Party leader said.

"When I talk with Americans, I often wonder why they are so simple-minded."

Mr Ozawa didn't elaborate on what aspect of Americans made him compare them monocellular organisms, a term also used to mean short-sighted or dumb.

snip

Mr Ozawa was forced to resign as party secretary-general in early June over a funding scandal, though he has denied any wrongdoing.

link:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/breaking-news/americans-simple-minded-says-japanese-mp-ichiro-ozawa/story-e6freuyi-1225910170684

[MadHound]

1. Well, to some extent I can understand his point,

Especially if he had to talk with Bushboy for any sort of extended time. However he really has no room to complain, I've seen some of the complete ditzes his country produces, way too far into pop culture and clueless about anything else.

[RandomThoughts]

2. You learn from what is around you.

If you do not have exposure to accurate information sources, best not to learn from them, and instead try to find something accurate buried elsewhere.

To follow the news, and think that means something is following some script or being pointed, to find your own meaning in many things is not being directed or handled by intentional programing from things like media.

So following pop culture would be silly, but finding subtle indicators in such things can lead to information not spoken of in scripts.

[MadHound]

4. Or it can simply be overdone,

And one is turning one's brain to pabulum from becoming engrossed in pop culture.

[RandomThoughts]

7. As would someone that followed the news, or anything else.

Unfortunately one of the attempts of isolation also includes informational training. So you have to find different things then intended in information.

[REP]

3. Oh do go on

[TheWatcher]

16. Yes, Please Do Go On.

[mdmc]

21. cause we are such an intellectual culture..

..turn on those Dallas Cowboys on YOUR tv!

[MilesColtrane]

5. I'd listen to him.

He's a hitting machine.

[Kringle]

6. he's met too many American bubbas

non-USA type bubbas,
about 90 percent of the worlds population,
don't travel outside their own country,
so he would never meet them

[Hannah Bell]

11. ? americans are less likely to travel outside the us than europeans, for example.

and japanese parlimentarians typically don't associate with tourist "bubbas".

and in japan if the press reports such a remark, there's usually a subtext. which would likely have something to do with us-japanese relations. or with his bid to become PM (US-bashing = campaign winner)


"One of the many intriguing subplots to Ichiro Ozawa’s surprise insurgent bid for the prime ministership – beyond it coming the day after Japan’s potential next leader referred to Americans as being “simple-minded” — is the emergence of Yukio Hatoyama as the behind-the-scenes kingmaker. He seems to have played a crucial role in persuading Mr. Ozawa to run against the incumbent Naoto Kan — a role-reversal for the two men from their time together during the short-lived Hatoyama administration."

http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2010/08/26/hatoyamas-latest-waffle/

[Spider Jerusalem]

12. And also less likely to have any real idea of the world outside their own country.

Americans tend to be very insular and inward-looking, and also to have simplistic and distorted ideas of the wider world because of that insularity. Not to mention the American tendency to be dismissive of foreign cultures and ways of doing things in favour of the idea that the American way is the best and should be the only way. Perhaps this is what he was talking about? If so I wouldn't say he's wrong as much as overgeneralising (because these things aren't true of all Americans, clearly).

[Matariki]

8. True. AND we don't have Smile Big Smack Hamster on our TV boxes.

[FreakinDJ]

9. Looking at our Trade Policies I would think we are Simple-minded too

[dkf]

10. I'm hoping this is a bad translation.

[Bonobo]

13. Nope, the translation was fine.

He said: 単細胞

Which means literally "Single cellular"

or "simple minded" if translated for nuance.

Not STUPID, just simple.

[dkf]

14. How diplomatic of him. Sigh.

[sabrina 1]

19. Well, if he's watching the U.S. news media, who could blame him?

And any country that would allow a complete moron like Sarah Palin to run for VP and be a heartbeat away from the presidency, cannot be viewed as exactly brilliant.

He's not the only one who feels that way, he just said it out loud.

[hobbit709]

23. It was diplomatic. I would have used stronger words.

[icnorth]

15. "It was not clear what prompted the remarks..."

[Anakin Skywalker]

17. He Was Talking about the Teabaggers! They Really Are Simpletons!

Foreigners often only know about America/Americans from what they see on TV. So guess what's been shown on TV non-stop the last year or so? People in other countries don't get to see people like you and I who are just trying to survive. That does not make for exciting TV "news story". But angry teabaggers do, with their loud bullhorns, colorful (also racist) signs, and obnoxious slogans repeatedly ad nauseum.

[old mark]

18. Read any American newspaper and see if you don't agree with him.

dumbass rules over here, dude...

[Stevenmarc]

20. I can't disagree with him

[Bonobo]

22. I asked my wife about the nuance of the word he used, "tansaibou"...

I was hoping it was more like the word "tanjun" which means simple, but not necessarily in a very bad way.

She laughed.

No, "tansaibou" means "stupid", she said.

Literally, "single cell (organism)".

It is not a cute or affectionate way of saying it.

It means "stupid".

[AsahinaKimi]

29. I think its interesting what he said..after that...

but I give extremely high credit for democracy and choices by its people," he said.

"They chose a black president for the first time in US history," adding that he thought once that would never be possible.

[AsahinaKimi]

30. dupe

[piratefish08]

24. half this country still believes the earth is 6000 years old.

are we supposed to be surprised that the world views us as knuckle-dragging idiots?

[Vinca]

25. Considering the image we're currently projecting to the rest of the world,

of course they would think we're all stupid . . . mentally ill, too.

[sendero]

26. He's right..

.. and that is the root cause of our country's demise.

Most moronic Americans bought hook, line and sinker the deregulation meme that has destroyed our economy. You can't fix stupid.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[AsahinaKimi]

31. Thanks for the sweeping Generalization

eom.

[Ganja Ninja]

28. Thanks again Teabaggers. n/t