Humans find it difficult to accept that the world has changed

A weekend that began with a rally in Washington, D.C. on one of the most important days in U.S. history continues with a report out of Japan of growing anti-foreign protests.  Here are my thoughts:

The growing anti-foreign sentiment doesn’t just dwell in the US. We deal with it here in Korea and now issues in Japan are starting to receive more of the world’s eye. And it doesn’t end there either as all countries have groups that – fearing losing their identity, country, and culture – have lashed out in one way or another.

But, this does seem to be proof that the world has changed substantially and we’re now taking notice. The world is no longer what it once was and everyone is afraid and looking at the past. The problem with doing so, however, is the rose colored glasses people often wear while thinking about the past.

If the Japanese protestors decide to act against Chinese or Korean students, especially children, the world will not only cry foul, they’ll wonder if this is a step backward for Japan. For such a beautiful country they have a fractured culture and a history that all of Asia still remembers.

P.S. – After more thought, I’d like to point out that signs and placards that read “The Volunteer Corps Against Lawless Koreans” or “Expel barbarians” (examples from the Japanese rallies) sound remarkably similar to the diatribes of former Japanese military and political rallies before the 1910 annexation of Korea by the Japanese.  It is clear that whereas before Japan seemed to feel powerful and strong, both militarily and economically as well as in their national psychology, as their nation began their drive to take over Asia, now Japan has no actual military and their economy has struggled and their job-less rates have remained on the decline for the last 30 years while Korea and China have grown and flourished.  Their frustration is a direct parallel to what has happened in the U.S. those people who have been in power since the Declaration of Independence feel they no longer have the ability to do what they once did.

Maybe this is a race issue, maybe it’s a psychological issue.  Either way, the results have been negative, angry, and will lead to violence.