Of pessimism and paranoia

Tuesday, 07 September 2010 01:58
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The Japanese have always been attracted to conspiracy theories.  One story currently doing the rounds in Japanese circles is that Japan’s never ending crisis is the product of a conspiracy involving the Rockefellers, the Rothschilds and the free masons.  Unbelievable, I know!

The Japanese are not the only ones who are easily seduced by conspiracy theories.  We all are to some extent.  After all, there are so many unknowns in life, some of them perhaps mystical.  All countries are governed by elites who are rarely transparent and sometimes invisible in their actions.  Criminal elements are active in all of our societies.  And with globalization, these elites and criminal elements are all hooked up globally, more than ever before.

Internet’s wonder is that it has opened up the world like never before, and we should hope for greater rationality in how we look at the world.  But it has also opened the way for many of the world’s crackpots to circulate their crazy theories on life.  And perhaps because life is still a mystery to us all, it is easy to be seduced – all the more so, because these silly theories are more entertaining than the boring humdrum of life.

These theories are sometimes referred to as “New World Order” conspiracy theories and usually involve a secretive powerful elite conspiring to rule the world.  It is indeed a universe of Rockefellers, Rothschilds, Jews, Free Masons, the illuminati and the like.  The United States with its chaotic society, and many religious sects and cults is a hot bed of New World Order conspiracy theories.  Financial crises, terrorist attacks, international conflicts and even earthquakes are often seen as ways to manipulate global events in favor of ruling elites.

Japan is also perhaps more vulnerable than most countries to this nonsense.  Its two and half centuries of self-imposed isolation made the rest of the world a complete mystery.  Its atomic demolition at the end of World War is often perceived as an act to subjugate the nation, something which is confirmed by its subsequent vassal state status. 

The Japanese government has never helped.  Its population is surprisingly ill-informed even about domestic politics and society, and controls on citizens’ freedom of action and expression are still very strong. 

In Japan, we see a familiar storyline on conspiracy theories.  Khazar Jews have been part of the Japanese elite for one thousand years.  Every Japanese Prime Minister since World War 2 has been a freemason.  Japan’s secret rulers are David and Jay Rockefeller.  Modern day ninjas, or mercenaries, still practice espionage, sabotage, infiltration and assassination.  Mr Shiramine, a ninja, enforced Rockefeller’s secret rule over Japan. 

And it goes on.  A lot of the bad debts in the Japanese banking system are related to the Japanese mafia (yakuza).  The Japanese banking system was allegedly handed over to proxies of the Rockefellers and the Rothschilds during the Koizumi administration.  And of course, now, as Japan is being beaten up by the global financial crisis and an overvalued yen, global conspiracies must again be responsible.  If you really want to get into consipracies, it could be the Chinese government's purchases of Japanese Government Bonds which are pushing up the yen to flatten the Japanese economy! 

While a lot of this seems crazy, in a book entitled “The Dignity of the Nation”, the famous Japanese essayist and mathematician Masahiko Fujiwara criticizes the emphasis on Western logic in Japanese society and calls for a return to ancient Japanese virtues.  He is especially against US domination of the world and the effects of globalization on Japanese society.  In particular, he believes that if you are too logical, you can get stuck in your thinking.

Perhaps the Japanese are not so crazy after all.