Tokyo staff ordered to be patriotic

[kskiska]

What hath Smirk wrought?

Japan's political drift to the right reached state schools yesterday when the Tokyo board of education punished more than 170 teachers for refusing to show respect for the national flag and anthem at graduation ceremonies last month.

Five of the teachers, retired people who had been employed on annual contracts until the age of 65, were effectively sacked by having their contracts suddenly rescinded, a union official said.

A board statement that it had reprimanded 176 teachers at 77 schools for defying a city ordinance introduced last October requiring them to stand during the playing of the anthem, which reveres the emperor, and to observe the national flag.

"The constitution guarantees freedom of speech, so whichever way you look at it, it is wrong to force teachers to do this," Akiko Asaoka of the All-Japan Teachers Union said.

more…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/japan/story/0,7369,1184296,00.html

[Pale_Rider]

1. Japanese teachers ...

... another group of terrorists! Must send in Ron Paige to straighten out the All-Japan Teachers Union! /sarcasm

[pop goes the weasel]

2. oh boy.

Will they be bringing back State Shinto and the ruthless repression of religious dissidents who fail to properly acknowledge the celestial lineage of the emperor? Ah, for the glory days of the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere! Not. It looks like the fascists everywhere are coming out from under their rocks.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

3. Here we go again... let me know when they start buying up all

the scrap steel in the world.

[rooboy]

4. And in a country where their schoolbooks are cleaned up...

of any reference to Japanese wartime atrocities, this is a scary thing that's happening.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

5. It's significant that this is happening in Tokyo,

where the mayor is a staunch nationalist, although sensible in some other respects.

In Kyoto, where the Communist party is strong, this kind of ruling would be less likely.

[chenGOD]

6. "the mayor is a staunch nationalist"

Is putting it a bit kindly don't you think? Ishihara is a nutcase, and this sort of ruling, along with the slow re-working of the Japanese constitution in regards to the Japanese military is not a pleasing idea. Especially not when you read this article on JapanToday: http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=comment&id=462

He's also no fan of women, if I remember correctly

[oasis]

7. Interesting. thanks for the link

[Lydia Leftcoast]

8. I was trying to be mild-mannered

:-)

[chenGOD]

9. Ah, text, such a limited form of conversation.

I apologize, I meant the comment in a jesting manner.

Mild-mannered is so Clark Kent. Be like Supergirl and kick the bastards where it counts.
:hi: :o x(