Templeton Times: An Explosive Night, Japan Style. By Andy Sirkis from LewRockwell.com

An Explosive Night, Japan Style.

August 22, 2014

The large police van filled to overflowing with anxious officers pulls up just before the start of the event. A crowd is expected so the cops, ready and excited to do their duty, pour out of the van and station themselves strategically in the area. Is this the beginning of a violent protest against police brutality? No way, because I’m in Japan and my town’s annual mid August hanabi (fireworks) festival is going to start in just an hour or so.

There’s no tear gas, no billy clubs, no barrel chested crew cut brutes barking out commands, not a gun or any other military hardware in sight.   The cops hurry past and ignore the street vendors, half of whom are selling beer, cocktails, and Japanese sake, no ID check required here.    Rather than establish authority over an occupied population, the police merely position themselves where they can best direct traffic in and out of the parking lot and assist pedestrians crossing the street. Barney Fife and his colleagues on the Mayberry police force couldn’t do it any better!
Since the Japanese economy is in bad shape, especially out here in the sticks, there’s no large corporation willing to foot the bill for the entire show. Even the government, having “invested” much of the so called “stimulus” in moronic money losing ventures such as monitoring outer space for dangerous garbage, can’t find a way to pay for an event that will bring a smile to the faces of the people. So who is going to pay? The Dear Leader might haughtily huff that they didn’t build their businesses themselves, but it turns out that the area’s small local business owners are the ones who will generously sponsor the show in appreciation of their customers.
Prior to each shot of fireworks, the names of sponsoring local businesses are announced. “This next fireworks explosion is brought to you by Sato’s bicycle shop, Dr. Kimura, and the Shirakawa cake store.   Thank you for providing us with good and services, and especially for your gift of fireworks.” The grande finale, an expensive quarter of a mile long curtain of fireworks, is still generously paid for by the TDK Corporation.   Sadly, TDK shuttered the town’s last remaining factory a couple of months ago. It had been the prime employer here since just after WWII, but fell victim to Abenomics. Isn’t it odd that having one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world might result in closed factories?

As I enjoyed my favorite alcoholic beverage along with the crowd of similarly imbibing adult spectators, unmolested by the authorities, I gazed up at the rockets red glare and bombs bursting in air.   It was impossible to not think for a moment of the frightened people of Gaza or eastern Ukraine, terrified and huddling in their homes and basements as US government sponsored rockets and bombs destroyed their property, maiming and murdering thousands of innocent people.
The stark contrast between the joy produced by the rockets and bombs provided by our local businesses versus the death and misery that was produced by the rockets and bombs of the US government and its allies in Ukraine and Israel made me think of the grotesquely evil nature of America’s political leaders.
It was time for another, a large cup of Japanese sake.   I swallowed the cool refreshing drink on a comfortable starry summer night and gave thanks that I was on the other side of the world from America and the psychopathic mass murderers, torturers, and molesters who run the US government. Harsh words, but I mean it in the most insulting way possible. They deserve to be insulted.

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