2011.12.27

Half-Asian’s college strategy: Don’t check the box

 /THE JAPAN TIMES, December 5, 2011/

Introduction

A few days ago, I took part in an introduction meeting for those who are to apply for American graduate school, and listened to the lecturers who got (or were to get) ph.D in a famous American university. They said they faced many hardship in applying for their schools, but never said they have been discriminated because of their race: Asian. Why some people are refused for the racial group they belong to, and others are not?  

Briefing

• Why many half-Asians do not check the box for their race?

    That is because they know they would be disadvantaged in the selection for the admission. In some of the elite schools like Harvard, Asian applicants need to score more in the SAT test than white, African, or other racial group students. 

• Why such a discrimination exists in the American admission system? 

    The most crucial reason for that is outstanding achievement of Asian students. Most of them are educated well and excellent at an exam, and if there were no racial proportion restraint on the admission, top-level schools would be dominated by Asian students. This is not favorable for the school, the funders and the public. 

• How half-Asian applicants feel when they face the box?

    Some of them do not have any emotional conflict on that, and for such people it is just a strategy. But many must feel strange about checking the box for ‘white’. Moreover, quite a few may feel unpleasant about that they can not check the ‘Asian’ with pride. 

Opinion

This issue is so difficult to evaluate, because it is caused by a conflict between racial diversity and racial equality. The individual ability should be evaluated equally, but if that results in poor racial diversity, the admission standard might be changed against Asians, which is called racial discrimination. Thus, the opinion will be separated right into half. Personally I think every effort should be fairly valued, therefore, I support the ability-based admission system. Plus, as a future applicant for an American university, I say NO to racial discrimination. 

2011.12.19

Cleaning Up Conflict Minerals

/Page 48, TIME December 12, 2011/

Introduction

The smartphone boom in recent years may have threatened peace in an African country. The Democratic Republic Congo is one of the world-largest production of tantalum, which is a necessary element for manufacturing a capacitor. The tantalum market in the country is controlled by local militia, and buying the mineral there means fueling the national conflict. Such a primary products problem depends only on the consumer for its solution. 

Briefing

• What cause the primary products problem?

    In most case, the suspicious item is traded between a northern country and a southern county, in other wards, a rich buyer and a poor seller. The disproportionate power balance forces the unfair trade conditions on the poor individual labors. In addition to that, the tantalum case in Congo includes the   military group’s intervention which make the situation worse.

• Why don’t the US companies just withdraw from the bloody market?

    Every company which need tantalum for its business knows what is going on in Congo but hesitates over changing the supplier, because the mineral from Congo is the cheapest one. Even if set up a certain regulation for the trade of the minerals with the bloody background, there may be loopholes included.  

• So the fundamental thing in this problem is the US company’s opposition?

    Not at all. If America leaves Congo’s mineral market, other counties just take its place. In the article, China is taken up as a possible alternative to the US, which is what the human rights advocacy is worrying about, because China cares less about human rights. 

Opinion

Then the poor suppliers are able to change the situation by themselves? No. 

Well then, the regulations or corporate morals can do? No. After all, the only solution for this problem is consumers’ effort. They have to know how products are manufactured, and demand information about the products if it does not tell enough. Such a effort is not an obligation for now, but it is the necessary duty for consumers to be responsible for their choice of products. 

2011.12.10

A Rotten Picture at Olympus

/Page 28-29, TIME December 12, 2011/

Introduction

We have sometimes found a big corporate scandal news in Japan. I do not think this is an unique phenomenon to Japan, but all country has such a false. But this example about Olympus’ crime reveals difference of nature of corporate crime between Japan and other countries. Few company in the world except Olympus can make through such a clever, organized, and long-running illegal activity. What make the famous company criminal is yakuza, a traditional criminal group in Japan, in some explanation, but, in my opinion, this scandal symbolizes the traditional corporate culture in Japan.   

Briefing

• What has happened to a world-famous company holding popular brands?

    Back to 1990s, Olympus suffered huge scale losses in stock and real estate transaction, like most of other companies did. Then its top executives tried to conceal the mistake by doing tricks on its account processing, which is ilegal and the very beginning of this scandal. 

• What relations are there in such a operation and the criminal group?

    There is no clear evidence, but provably yakuza helped, or maybe forced, the company to engage in illegal accounting. In return for that, the criminal group must have received some millions of yens, because the company’s payment on the account book is larger than its losses in the bubble period. 

• What is essential in this case, and what is it attributed to?

    Most remarkable thing in this case is that the scandal is published by the company’s foreign ex-CEO. That means this crime would be kept hidden without him, and shows how closed and how strictly controlled the company is. These features are unique to Japan, and, thus, they are attributed to a common corporate culture in Japan. 

Opinion

What is a common corporate culture in Japan? In some sociological analysis, that is royalty to the company, the wage system based on seniority, or earnest national character. But I think the answer for a question will make it clear. Who owns the company? Americans will answer that stockholders do, but Japanese will answer that employees do. In this context, ‘employees’ include administrative class like CEO. Whole these things show that separation of administration and possession is not clear, or maybe does not exist. In this environment, people are not payed for their ability to the job, but for ownership of the company. Such a character sometimes misguide decision makers to unreasonable and emotional conclusion. In the Olympus’ case, the CEO tried to hide the financial management mistake, because otherwise he would lose his ownership of vested interests as an administrator. The culture common with Japanese companies work badly in some case, and this is typical one of it. 

2011.12.4

Au Revoir, Welfare State

/Page 61-64, TIME November 28, 2011/

Introduction

In an afternoon TV show, I heard the entitlement age for the employee’s pension was going to be extended from 65 to 68. Coincidently, or maybe necessarily, the retirement age in France was also raised from 65 to 67 as a part of pension reform. These facts suggest that now we may be under the great change of social structure in the welfare states which provide world’s highest quality of social security system. If this is true, we Japanese should watch what is going on in France with s lot of care, because the country which will experience that next is Japan. 

Briefing

• Why now France is facing the reform for its famous welfare programs, even though it has succeeded to continue them?
• The financial reform for the government budget is necessary, but is it have to be done by only the austerity?
• If not, what is the alternative to fix the financial structure in France without undermining its social stability?

Opinion

    France and Japan seem to share something similar about structural problem in the social security system; the disproportionate demography, the shrinking workforce, and the increasing demand for pensions and healthcare by large aging population. But, in terms of finance, Japan looks a little bit better than France, because we have strong currency, and there is no bank that needs immediate bail-out. In such a context, we have some time before experiencing what is happening in France, and we can prepare for the coming social security reform. 

    Those two countries also have something different. For example, what is the budget source for social welfare programs in those countries? France definitely relies on tax income for them. But Japan with much lower taxation rates gets money not only from tax receipt, but also from the government bond which traded mainly between domestic firms and native individuals. That means our problem is more complicated and difficult to find proper solution. 

2011.11.26

Japanese Self-Image of National Character

 /From a Japan Times issue published in June 2011/

Introduction

On March 11th, the day when Japan experienced catastrophic earthquake, I was in Australia and listening to the TV report about people’s calm and cooperative attitude toward the victims. It was interesting to talk with local people about the news, because their words reflect how they view the Japanese behavior under the hardship. Is it same as how we view ourselves, and how we actually are ?

Briefing

• Is Ishihara’s statement over “jishuku” based on his self-image as a Japanese ?

The author of this article thinks it is, and I think so too, because his words definitely show that Japanese used to be stoic, cooperative, and sensitive to social mood. But all these trait are his own self-image as a Japanese and this is not necessarily common among other Japanese, and foreigners.   

• Dose there exist different national character in each country ?

Yes, actually there exists, but it is somewhat idealized and possibly outdated especially among young generation. In fact, we often regard ourselves as patient, diligent, and cooperative, although we have many examples which reveal our egoism as Ishihara’s statement. 

• Where did it come from ?

This question also answers why the self-image of national character can vary even among those who have the same nationality, and why it is sometimes different from how we actually are. To sum up, it is from a historical event, some kind of culture shared by a small group, or just an occasional movement. The influence from these things are not permanent and changes over time, which means self-image we hold as a Japanese may be just a propaganda, otherwise only prejudice. 

Opinion

This article is specifically for Japanese whose national self-image is stronger than any other counties. The writer do not clearly mention why such kind of culture is unique to Japan, but if Japan really relies on the image strategy for the significance of existence in the international place, that is too fragile to stand on, so is that in the individual relationship. 

2011.11.19

Fighting Poverty Can Save Energy

/news.nationalgeographic.com November 25th 2010/

Introductionp

Aiding poor people, regions, or countries with highly efficient and complexed goods dose often fail to improve their lives. But the example in the Nicaragua project is ideal model for all the rest of support program in the developing world. Why is it working so effectively, and sustainably ? 

SignSpotting

• The successful story in Nicaragua shows how to avoid the dilemma in aiding.
• What is the crucial factor to maintain supports for the poor successfully ?
• Does it have any room to improve itself and spread widely ?

Briefing(including opinion)

The famous dilemma in aiding the poor ― improving the quality of life can lead to stimulating more consume and cause environmental problems get worse ― has been proved to be avoidable by Nicaraguan energy project. The project introducing progressive electricity fee saved much energy and made the service hours longer. Moreover, the project succeeded to give villagers and authorities  the incentive to apply much more efficient energy facilities like CFL lightbulbs and renewable energy generators. This is because they got educated to take long term effects into account, including variable petroleum costs, health risks by conventional facilities etc, and now they feel affordable about initial investment cost of those new efficient system. To spread this trials nationwide and worldwide, the system may need to be improved into much simple and easy to maintain one, because the facilities like new generators provably requires complicated technical cares. 

Opinion

As my teacher said, one of the most important factors in supporting developing countries is to make them independent from our support, which means they need to manage what we gave by themselves. In such a context, the example of this article is successful and even promising for its application on larger scale. But very few people know this as represented in Japanese government’s ODA which poured some trillion yens on developing countries but rarely works.