# I Am Assuming This Widely-Circulated Telegraph Article On Tohoku Quake Was/Is A Dog Whistle **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 15, 2011, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-assuming-this-widely-circulated-telegraph-article-on-tohoku-quake-was-is-a-dog-whistle/574734 "2011-03-15T01:58:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-assuming-this-widely-circulated-telegraph-article-on-tohoku-quake-was-is-a-dog-whistle/574734/21 "2011-03-15T15:14:48Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > I could be grossly wrong, but IMO it would be that 9/11/01 had “recently” happened and there was a mindset of pulling together again. That could well be part of it in NY - thought that effect would not be strong in Toronto. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-assuming-this-widely-circulated-telegraph-article-on-tohoku-quake-was-is-a-dog-whistle/574734/22 "2011-03-15T16:21:08Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > As for Nanjing, well the mayor of Tokyo, [Shintaro Ishihara](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shintar%C5%8D_Ishihara#Other_controversial_statements)has some interesting ideas about it: Ah, yes, Ishihara Shintaro, that paragon of Japanese academia :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-assuming-this-widely-circulated-telegraph-article-on-tohoku-quake-was-is-a-dog-whistle/574734/23 "2011-03-15T17:35:15Z")
> [@cckerberos](#): > > Ah, yes, Ishihara Shintaro, that paragon of Japanese academia :rolleyes: Thanks for the thorough and well-thought out rebuttal what with cites and thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-assuming-this-widely-circulated-telegraph-article-on-tohoku-quake-was-is-a-dog-whistle/574734/24 "2011-03-15T17:43:32Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > Thanks for the thorough and well-thought out rebuttal what with cites and thoughts. Ok, how about this. Shintaro Ishihara is a loony. Look at some of the other comments he’s made that are sourced in that Wiki. Women shouldn’t live after menopause? It’s impossible to count in French? Forests eat children? ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-assuming-this-widely-circulated-telegraph-article-on-tohoku-quake-was-is-a-dog-whistle/574734/25 "2011-03-15T17:45:07Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Ok, how about this. Shintaro Ishihara is a loony. Look at some of the other comments he’s made that are sourced in that Wiki. Women shouldn’t live after menopause? It’s impossible to count in French? Forests eat children? Ahh, he IS the Bachmann of Japan then. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-assuming-this-widely-circulated-telegraph-article-on-tohoku-quake-was-is-a-dog-whistle/574734/26 "2011-03-15T17:50:06Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > Thanks for the thorough and well-thought out rebuttal what with cites and thoughts. Don’t think s/he was trying to rebut you. The answer to your question about whether those guys are fringe-y is not as much as you’d think. These are the same type of people for whom it’s very important that the Yasukuni Shrine be/remain a legitimate pilgrimage spot despite being the resting place of many of the war criminals. Their numbers and influence (probably disproportionately on the latter) can be found in the fact that essentially every Japanese PM has to visit the shrine although it’s clear (to this outsider, it seems clear) some of the more modern/liberal ones probably really wish they didn’t have to. Put differently, some degree of denial or better, minimization, of Japanese atrocities seems much, much more prevalent than would be permissible to any Western politician on a similarly-charged topic (imagine for a millisecond a government official at any level in Germany pulling the corresponding behavior). No one I’ve met really wants to discuss the China history. I remember some acquaintances grousing about Chinese tourists who are starting to show up in moderate numbers in Japan and are largely disliked for spitting, being loud, and overall “rudeness.” At some point one of the older guys weighed in philosophically and allowed as to how in fairness, we had to acknowledge that the Japanese had also sometimes been rude to the Chinese. True story. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-assuming-this-widely-circulated-telegraph-article-on-tohoku-quake-was-is-a-dog-whistle/574734.md?page=1)