@dudesons
Our experiences are obviously different. I lived in Japan for 6 years, Okinawa for 2 years. Okinawans are VERY aware of the damage personally inflicted on them from WW2. It's everywhere in their lives and in their faces everyday, with the continued and overwhelming presence of US bases, personnel, and families, dominating the island.

In Tokyo, the malaise was much higher and that may have been an "anomaly" in time (for about 2 decades), but generally - the knowledge was cursory - and that's understandable from a personal pride standpoint.

I acknowledge the apologies also - they were public events - but the trick was, in what capacity were the apologies given?

I see these events as akin to the US's current Iran nuclear deterrent treaty - agreed upon for public benefit - but hollow and meaningless.

And again, the issue isn't China's history - the issue is Japan's apology. That nation, like the USA, is torn into parts - part of the nation wants to just get the apology done with, so everyone can move on with their lives. The nationalists want to rewrite history, and the apathetics just want it to go away.

But again - for me, the issue isn't whether Japan apologized, was it genuine, etc - my beef is with the media...and yeah - I also occasionally pop over to Al Jazeera for a less biased perspective on global affairs - however even Al Jazeera's website notes that it is for entertainment purposes...but at least they're honest about it.

I suppose where I was going with all this - I've noticed significant china bashing coming out of the US press corps and it definitely affects the population - as I see an exceptional amount of racist, xenophobia in the blogs. Always looking for an enemy, someone to blame or scapegoat - Mexico, China, etc. An adversarial biased media. Amusingly, Obama noted that he's also had an abrasive relationship with the press, so if he's not controlling them - then I'm left wondering...is it mob rule or manipulated?

'.....if he's not controlling them'. I would hope he isn't. I would hope he has the same reluctant acceptance of an often hostile media as British prime ministers and governments have with the BBC and most of the press. I'm puzzled about the use of the word 'if' from a native of the worlds, so called, 'leading democracy'.

'I'm puzzled about the use of the word 'if' from a native of the worlds, so called, 'leading democracy''.

IMHO it explains a lot. Lets not pretend that (almost) all media doesn't show bias - it does. But IF the country's media is controlled so tightly by a single central entity doesn't that make it propaganda rather than news and therefore possibly worthless without other sources to balance it against?

The President! That and that alone is a claim too far and utterly laughable. However these types of groundless assertions are continually being slipped into Laotou's posts.

The President! That and that alone is a claim too far and utterly laughable. However these types of groundless assertions are continually being slipped into Laotou's posts.

@nnoble. To a Chinese control of the media is naturally held by the ruling clique and would toe the line. Obama complaining about being treated badly would indeed make a Chinese wonder.

Also, 'China bashing' is defined as expressing any opinion of anything Chinese that is less than adoration.

As to Japan's repeated apologies, the issue is what extent of grovelling will satisfy the Chinese. My guest is that the propaganda value of being able to say, "Japan never apologized," to our enlightened Chinese friends, who I love dearly, is most important.

Indeed, the USA is not united in thought, which upsets Obama, and far from monolithic. This lack of harmony, so difficult for the Han mentality grasp, is actually celebrated and treasured by true Americans, native born and naturalized, loyal and truly patriotic.

I am picking up ONE single point of writing and that one phrase alone. Normally I would not bother, but these kind of assertions appear systematically into his posts. It's part of a continuing vendetta against the country he says he 'loves'. Laotou appeared to insinuate it is normal and acceptable for a president to control the press. That ONE single assertion is all I'm talking about and I have no wish to engage in the futile war of words between Japan and China.

You are right. Just tossed out some observations. I tend to favor the Chinese side while trying to retain some objectivity.

Last week, in Las Vegas, three friends and I sat in a restaurant arguing politics, economics and the current state of world affairs for more than five hours. We have done this off and on for more than 50 years. Two of us are left leaning and two of us are to the right.

Our tradition is to argue for a couple of hours then switch sides. We never convince anyone to change his mind but it is intellectual fun.

@nnoble
You ARE aware that it is legal to bribe the president of the USA, no? A sizable campaign donation for an overpriced meal guarantees a picture opportunity. Solyndra used this technique to influence (but no paper trail currently exists) their USD 530 million government guaranteed loan.

It was well recognized that after CNN's purchase by Turner, that it's reporting became nothing short of idolizing propaganda during the USAs middle east wars. I don't bother with the rag anymore.

It's also becoming generally perceived that President Obama may have directly or indirectly (probably indirectly) coerced or influenced the IRS into discriminatory practices to weaken the financial war chests of his political enemies, so it's not a difficult stretch to suggest that the white house always has its favorite and not favorite press corps.

As for the USA being a chaotic political system - that much is true - however, once the elect choose a path by vote - it's the responsibility of all to obey the law and make it work, in the interest of the people (electorate).

The problem with US politics is the politicians are professional politicians, but amateur lawmakers. Their implementations of major programs are impotent, negligent, incompetent works of unprofessionalism, unworthy of the nation that spawned the internet, computers, and the general digital revolution.

As a former high technology professional, I find the technical launch of Obamacare an epic cluster snafu of epic proportion - my tax dollars at work.

You're also aware that we US citizens are forbidden by law to violate both the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and the Anti-Money Laundering Acts (AML), which our government does pervasively and rampantly, on a regular basis? Also - my tax dollars at work.

The dollars that I paid into our social security network - which is now NOT advertised as a retirement plan, but a retirement subsidy, my benefits when I retire will be less than the benefits being paid out right now - my tax dollars at work.

The USA media and politicians are extensively involved and focused on global affairs - creating imaginary enemies everywhere, while neglect to notice the massive social ills undermining our way of life and our culture. I've said this many times and will continue to "cry in the wilderness" until the problem is resolve - but the USA consumes over USD 40 billion a year in illicit drugs smuggled across its porous border with Mexico - we contribute the narco-terrorism plaguing our next door neighbor. Our casual drug habit has pushed the occasional drug lord into the Forbes 500 list of billionaires.

As for China Bashing - it's not criticism that I detest - it's the overt and pervasive racism. Well structured, well presented logical criticism should be respected - as in @dudeson's counterpoints to my comments and your comments - although you make light of my paranoid potentially delusional conspiracy theories - at least these boards don't (frequently) devolve into racist personal attacks (aspersions to parenthood, etc).

And I'm not alone - the tea party arose out of a frustration with political polarization and the current IRS scandal that Obama's been trying to bury keeps rearing its ugly head, as the tendrils continue to lead back to Washington DC. Former President Nixon once alluded to using the IRS as a political weapon against his opponents - and it looks as though the Obama camp may have carried through on that illegal strategy - now to see if anyone gets spanked.

As for laughable conspiracy theories - the USA kept the SR-71 spy plane a well-kept secret derived from a black program. The B-2 Bomber program was a black program until Jimmy Carter made a surprise announcement on TV, that even shocked Northrop - the plane's designer and builder - causing a massive and rapid security response the next morning, inside the company as their formerly black program was publicly outed on national television.

Media has and always will be a public extension of politics - so if you don't think the white house manipulates the media - all I can say, must be nice to live in your world.

Ronald Reagan, the teflon president, used the word "disinformation" to explain his administrations lying to the press, to avoid prosecution for such scandals, such as the Iran Contra affair - where the administration tried to scapegoat a decorated military officer - the arguably infamous Oliver North. Iran Contra was a US effort to open relations with Iran, but deteriorated into an arms for hostages debacle.

Ultimately, President Reagan took full responsibility for the activities that occurred under his administration and that essentially closed the scandal.

We're not the greatest country in the world - but we're also not the worst - but we definitely make epic mistakes.

Only time will tell how history judges our activities in the middle east. History has already judged Japan's activities in Asia. You may wish to note that EVERY formal Japanese apology has met with clawback attempts by Japanese nationalists.

The same is true with the USA's current Iran Nuclear deal - Obama has finally brokered a deal with Iran to "prevent" nuclear arms development in exchange for dropping of trade embargoes and releasing Iran's offshore bank accounts, MUCH to Israel's dismay. Certain Republicans from the opposing political party have vowed to "clawback" that brokered deal - I'm sure that inspires confidence in Iran...

All US presidents today strive to operate under the umbrella of "plausible deniability" - they "didn't know". After the Nixon Watergate scandal and Reagan's masterful Iran Contra maneuvers - difficult to tie things back directly to the president these days - as in the Solyndra debacle. My tax dollars at work.

This does not address my point about you insinuating it is normal for a U.S.A. President to contol the press. Also, attempting to dodge the point in question with another long, incoherent, unfocussed reply is not goig to wash.