tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.comments2023-09-23T11:16:00.352+02:00The Franco-American Flophouse has movedVictoria FERAUGEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16319699673885400472noreply@blogger.comBlogger5379125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-91680433309217665692017-10-14T11:28:08.564+02:002017-10-14T11:28:08.564+02:00Iris, We did indeed bring back some fabulous stone...Iris, We did indeed bring back some fabulous stones. I would love to see a picture of your wall. And when I am about and about in the neighborhood, I will try to take some pictures of the stones in gardens and walls here. I will post them on the new blogsite....:-)Victoria FERAUGEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16319699673885400472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-38329937605923501292017-10-13T18:50:58.117+02:002017-10-13T18:50:58.117+02:00You brought back stones from Brittany for your gar...You brought back stones from Brittany for your garden. I thought I was the only person who collects stones. I've done it since a child and each time I moved, which was often, had to leave them behind. In one American Midwestern city I rescued carved pieces from the facades of 19th century Victorian houses being leveled by the wreaking ball and used them to decorate our porch. They must have surprised the next renter. Here, in the yard of the house where I'll live out my life, I've used the stones collected for years to build a low wall for a small garden I can see from my kitchen window. Now it will remind me of your gardens.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17738636299952056943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-82791972362117079762017-10-13T05:21:19.286+02:002017-10-13T05:21:19.286+02:00Thank you, Eric, for those clarifications.Thank you, Eric, for those clarifications.Victoria FERAUGEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16319699673885400472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-86326537995658689472017-10-13T01:36:02.071+02:002017-10-13T01:36:02.071+02:00It does indeed, Ellen. And for those who argue th...It does indeed, Ellen. And for those who argue that it creates immigrant "ghettoes" I think they greatly misunderstand migrant networks. The purpose of a network is to help people move, get jobs, find a place to live, deal with any legal formalities and so on. And through this assistance people integrate. And if a neighborhood retains its migrant flavor over the years? There is a Koreatown here in Osaka that is a tourist attraction. Students actually go on tours of this part of town. :-)<br /><br />If there is no network then the migrant must make do through trial and error in the host country which one could argue is more of a nuisance for the local citizens. The other option, of cousre, is the state takes responsibility for integration (France does this) which can be a good thing but it costs taxpayer money and one has to ask if integration fails is it then the fault of the state? :-)<br /><br />What I find most amusing is that many of those who are anti-immigration in France and the US usually exempt immigrants they know from criticism. So cousin Joe from Sacramento wants to bring over his Chinese wife. Well, Joe's a good guy and his wife is a nice lady. What's the problem? Or the pleasant competent fellow who has a little landscaping business that makes the garden shine at an affordable price. Great guy. He and his family should be able to stay. Again, what's the problem? It's all those other immigrants who should go...<br /><br />Somehow there is this disconnect between the few they know and the many. My family in France does this all the time. I sit through dinners where they talk about the immigrant "problem" and when I point out that I am one, they reply, "We don't mean you, Victoria." Boggles the mind.Victoria FERAUGEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16319699673885400472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-53216781055661897412017-10-12T11:55:00.022+02:002017-10-12T11:55:00.022+02:00Of course chain migration is how we end up with lo...Of course chain migration is how we end up with lots of Swedish in Minnesota, Chinatowns, Little Italies. It's why there are so many Polish names in the north of France and Italians in Nogent sur Marne (pre-WWII) followed by the Portuguese (the Salazar years). It's what makes neighborhoods. It makes life interesting!Ellen Lebellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01929639076042070115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-31261813080764740572017-10-11T15:25:17.938+02:002017-10-11T15:25:17.938+02:00Nice piece.Nice piece.Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10191267025812828244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-16811928201700081922017-10-10T11:22:16.466+02:002017-10-10T11:22:16.466+02:00Good link, Badger. Thank you.Good link, Badger. Thank you.Victoria FERAUGEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16319699673885400472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-31600560873737913332017-10-05T01:59:06.385+02:002017-10-05T01:59:06.385+02:00Nezumi-san, Sounds like how I approach the Front ...Nezumi-san, Sounds like how I approach the Front National in France. I keep an eye on it. As you say, things can change very quickly. I never thought to see a united Germany or the fall of the URRS in my time. And I know exactly what you mean about "translating" political parties. The US terms and context don't apply elsewhere. The more I look into it the more I think you're right about Japanese sovereignty. What I'm less sure of is how soveriegn they can be given that China does intend to be THE power in the region. That would be a tricky negotiation.<br /><br />Tim, Interesting. Perhaps the answer is in how the agreement is interpreted. How meaningful is that clause? Americans are so focused on contracts and the letter of the law. In other places it's the relationship that really matters and everything else is negotiable.Victoria FERAUGEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16319699673885400472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-13128566822404864102017-10-04T17:20:19.912+02:002017-10-04T17:20:19.912+02:00The vagaries of US citizenship;
Puerto Rico versio...The vagaries of US citizenship;<br />Puerto Rico version:<br />https://www.salon.com/2017/09/28/are-puerto-ricans-really-american-citizens_partner-2/<br /><br />badgerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-61915236678386255002017-10-04T02:30:17.646+02:002017-10-04T02:30:17.646+02:00What is interesting about Abe vis a vis Trump is d...What is interesting about Abe vis a vis Trump is despite the past perception of Abe being a right winger Abe has moved very quickly after Trump dumped the TPP to sign a Free Trade deal with the EU. Why this is important is the EU in its free trade agreements unlike the US includes a "values clause" that Japan is apparently quite eager to sign. I find this notable as there are a lot of scholars who believe that the EU and US will NEVER sign an FTA of their own as the US will never accept the EU's "values" clause especially with a Republicans President and Congress. Yet Abe for all his far right hardline reputation seems quite eager to signup to European values.<br /><br />Below is a copy of the so called Framework or "Values" agreement the EU is has already signed with New Zealand and is going to sign with Japan later this year.<br /><br />https://eeas.europa.eu/sites/eeas/files/eu_new_zealand_partnership_agreement_on_relations_and_cooperation.pdf<br /><br />Similarily Agreements also exist between the EU and Australia, Canada, and South Korea but NOT the US.Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03894651289037073128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-39002669932313268852017-10-02T11:14:02.440+02:002017-10-02T11:14:02.440+02:00It is something I keep an eye on, but I don't ...It is something I keep an eye on, but I don't feel very worried about it. I don't think Japan is likely to become as nationalistic and militaristic as, say, the US is these days. (Though if you had asked me 35 years ago, I wouldn't have expected that of the US either, so never say never, I guess.)<br /><br />It will be interesting to see how the upcoming snap election turns out. The situation is very fluid right now, but as of today, the three "poles" that are shaping up are Abe's LDP, Koike's Kibou no Tou, and the liberal and leftist elements. The former two parties share similar stances on changing the constitution and the security agreement with the US, as well as ties to Nippon Kaigi (which they try to hide or disclaim), while the latter groups oppose any change. So technically, "liberal" and "conservative" are misnomers here, since it is the "conservatives" who want to change things, and the "liberals" aim to keep the status quo. Koike also has some liberal ideas (from a US perspective) for social policy, though whether they go beyond lip service (like Abe's "Womenomics") remains to be seen. So kind of tricky to really characterize all the parties.<br /><br />I personally think Japan should be more sovereign and independent of the US, so am not absolutely opposed to changes to the constitution, though exactly what kinds of changes are proposed will be critical. In the end, any such changes need to be ratified by nationwide referendum, so I will at least get a chance to vote directly on whether I approve of whatever gets proposed. That prospect makes me feel more empowered than I have in years -- how often does one get to vote directly on one's own constitution?<br /><br />Inaka Nezuminoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-67875969944048457632017-09-30T00:37:29.873+02:002017-09-30T00:37:29.873+02:00Andrew, Yes. History can keep us human, I think. ...Andrew, Yes. History can keep us human, I think. By "human" I mean that it reminds us that we are imperfect and capable of both great and dark deeds. It could challenge us to a kind of "truth and reconciliation" process in our own minds. How do we reconcile what we believed was the essential goodness and kindliness of, say, our grandparents with their beliefs (and acts)? <br /><br />Maria, Thank you! Still trying to download the pdf (getting a time out) but I read the other articles. Looks like both sides have the potential to do each other great harm. That the Catalans might find themselves out of the EU is one that I hadn't thought of.Victoria FERAUGEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16319699673885400472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-56925088842665577732017-09-29T12:47:25.735+02:002017-09-29T12:47:25.735+02:00Better to understand and learn from history rather...Better to understand and learn from history rather than forget it. In Canadian context, both major parties have tended to include unfavourable aspects of our history (e.g., Indigenous peoples, Immigration restrictions) as part of the narrative.Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10191267025812828244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-20563930145838669762017-09-29T10:43:01.964+02:002017-09-29T10:43:01.964+02:00That's 2013 and here is the link https://www.h...That's 2013 and here is the link https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=742623<br />Victoria FERAUGEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16319699673885400472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-89567684141549666042017-09-29T10:40:14.689+02:002017-09-29T10:40:14.689+02:00I think the biggest problems would be loss of face...I think the biggest problems would be loss of face (with no real consequences) and economic (now we're talking). I found these links to articles that explain the economics.<br /><br />http://www.businessinsider.com/economics-of-catalan-secession-from-spain-2016-2<br /><br />https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/21/heres-how-bad-economically-a-spain-catalonia-split-could-really-be.html<br /><br />http://www.coleconomistes.cat/pdf/the.economy.of.catalonia.pdf<br /><br />The last is a link to a 240 page study of the economics of secession, written by economists from Catalunya. <br /><br />Seeing as how Spain touts its economic upturn (only in macro numbers - the people who suffered the most during the crisis are still pretty much under water), having another downturn would damage its position in the EU. One thing the government tried to avoid as much as possible was being treated like Greece. And since Spain is one of the largest European economies, a sharp downturn would also spill onto everybody else. France is probably also leery because Rousillon just might try to reunite with the rest of Catalunya. I haven't read lately on it, but I think I remember that France made certain concessions to Corsica to temper their dreams of independence. It would then have to concede some autonomy to even more regions.Mariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14249273119777270679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-59885016223290904172017-09-29T10:39:23.482+02:002017-09-29T10:39:23.482+02:00Tim, A far greater unfairness is that Japan is n...Tim, A far greater unfairness is that Japan is not a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Does Japan want nukes? The public is not keen on that however the Right here does want a much bigger military. Look into the neonationalists in Japan. They have a lot of support in the parliament and in the prime minister which is pushing the limits of Article 9. There is a congressional report on this published in 2014 (US Japan Relation) which said, "Abe and his government also have jeopardized U.S. strategic interests in the region by taking steps that have aggravated historical animosities between Japan and its neighbors, particularly China and South Korea." The visits to Yasukuni Shrine were one of those things.Victoria FERAUGEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16319699673885400472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-67863896309877384192017-09-29T07:00:31.150+02:002017-09-29T07:00:31.150+02:00I just thought of another one. Use the Japanese p...I just thought of another one. Use the Japanese passport to enter the EU and then just mosey on over to France. No controls between say Brussels and Paris. :-)Victoria FERAUGEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16319699673885400472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-71281623502795947012017-09-29T06:25:19.001+02:002017-09-29T06:25:19.001+02:00Nezumi-san, French immigration doesn't always ...Nezumi-san, French immigration doesn't always stamp passports. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. Which is a real problem if you are a migrant who needs to prove exactly when he entered the country.Victoria FERAUGEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16319699673885400472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-40013950099011001372017-09-29T06:11:15.331+02:002017-09-29T06:11:15.331+02:00Even if the person did that, though, there would s...Even if the person did that, though, there would still be the problem of being given away by the lack of French stamps in the Japanese passport when that person went back to Japan, would there not? Might be able to avoid scrutiny at Immigration by registering for the use of automatic gates, though could still get caught out at Customs inspection I suppose.<br />Inaka Nezuminoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-77314612461673758612017-09-29T01:41:19.533+02:002017-09-29T01:41:19.533+02:00Maria, That situation has been one the edge of my ...Maria, That situation has been one the edge of my consciousness. Thank you for bringing it up. The nation-state - the idea that there ought to be one nation per state. If a nation doesn't have a state, they should get one; people have the right to self-determination, to break off and form their own state. That's the principle, the reality is something else. Canada has struggled with Quebec and the Kurds struggle with multiple states all of which are not keen to see a Kurdistan next door. What are the risks to Spain if Catalan succeeds? There is the loss of territory which no state likes much but I'm sure there is more to it than that. Do you have any links to share that would shed some light on this?<br /><br />Ellen, Yes, that's definitely one problem. An historical narrative changes with each generation - sometimes in very deep ways. A good example that illustrates your poimt, Ellen, is an organization called Nippon Kaigi. These folks are Japanese nationalists whose program, as nearly as I can tell, is not supported by a majority of the people but has a lot of support from politicians and the current prime minister. One of their projects is changing the historical narrative - the one that has made so many Japanese such fervent pacifists. So they want to see a very different discourse about World War II, the Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere and the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal. That is to say the events will still be there but the interpretation of them, say the nationalists, needs to change. Victoria FERAUGEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16319699673885400472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-57072229135765963722017-09-28T15:39:19.240+02:002017-09-28T15:39:19.240+02:00Second try at a comment.
The problem I see is that...Second try at a comment.<br />The problem I see is that our perception of past events changes. The Monroe Doctrine, the conquest of the West were once points of pride, now, no. Frankly, I can't think of anything that was seen as negative that we now consider positive. Maybe everything becomes negative over time. There's always someone who gets hurt. That said, remembering past events and how people were hurt should serve to forge unity. It can only happen if the "winners" can embrace those who were trampled on.Ellen Lebellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01929639076042070115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-3162664926323446392017-09-28T13:57:52.862+02:002017-09-28T13:57:52.862+02:00This Sunday a referendum is supposed to take place...This Sunday a referendum is supposed to take place in Catalunya to decide whether or not to declare independence. It's been declared illegal by the central government in Madrid, and efforts are being made to seize all the ballots, and to keep polling places locked up. Thousands of Policia Nacional and Guardia Civil have been sent to Catalunya to help with security.<br /><br />The Catalans have a shared past and present. One might say they are therefore a nation. Prime Minister Rajoy, however, is of the opinion that history should be glossed over, and has stated that the Catalans will not "erase five hundred years of history." But, within those five hundred years the Catalans have struggled against a monarchy and governments that they feel did not represent them, and only took advantage of them. The Catalans even went so far in 1641 as to declare a republic under the auspices of the French King Louis XIII. The Spanish retaliated, and eventually, all special rights were lost in 1707. At the beginning of the Second Republic, in 1931, they tried again for independence, and were rewarded with autonomy. In 1934, when Spain was already in crisis, they finally declared independence, were beaten, and lost their autonomy. <br /><br />So, should Catalans become independent and decide their own common future? Or should they remain in a newly federal Spain? I fear the riots that will come next week, starting on Sunday. More than anything because of the stubborness and blindness of a central government that sees only what they want to see. Mariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14249273119777270679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-18707188629535061072017-09-28T08:34:30.733+02:002017-09-28T08:34:30.733+02:00Thanks, Andrew. :-)
Thanks, Andrew. :-)<br />Victoria FERAUGEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16319699673885400472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-84410036700391274822017-09-28T08:34:04.615+02:002017-09-28T08:34:04.615+02:00Welcome to the Flophouse, Andrew, and thanks for r...Welcome to the Flophouse, Andrew, and thanks for reading. :-)<br /><br />VictoriaVictoria FERAUGEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16319699673885400472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2424131704277823220.post-8726801792169597722017-09-26T16:30:57.945+02:002017-09-26T16:30:57.945+02:00Nice!Nice!Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10191267025812828244noreply@blogger.com