tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805664.post-24389756017088174432008-04-22T20:27:00.000+09:002008-04-22T20:27:00.000+09:00"Operating primarily in English is rather a prerequisite for being a "world intellectual"."<BR/><BR/>Nothing on that list that requires that you be a world intellectual. There are several people on that list who are clearly not and the criteria only say "an ability to influence wider debate, often far beyond the borders of their own country." That "often" seems to have given a free pass to some very parochially concerned Americans but not to Japanese.<BR/><BR/>Let's face it, you could describe Oe Kenzaburo as "A Nobel Prize winning author translated into more than 30 languages whose writing about Hiroshima has communicated Japanese anti-nuclear perspectives internationally and who is the central figure in the Japanese pacifist movement / move to resist change to Article 9." International conversation? Yes - more than at least 2 dozen people on the list. Honda Katsuichi and Oda Makoto have been centrally involved in anti-war and anti-discrimination movements (not international discussions?) and on reconciliation with Japan's neighbors. <BR/><BR/>Fukuyama is a laughingstock since his "It's still the end of history" article. He is no longer taken seriously by intellectuals, but why not put one more American on the list, right?<BR/><BR/>You should know who Ikeda Daisaku is if you follow Japanese public discourse. He's the head of a religion of tens of millions active in nearly every country who promotes pacifism and environmental protection. And there are (in my eyes) average Washington Post columnists on the list instead of him (and he wouldn't even be in my top 5-10 choices for Japanese). And "Bowling Alone"? How on earth would you justify that? Also, why no Dalia Lama? They must be looking forward to upping their sales in China.<BR/><BR/>In any case, have another look at the list - there are certainly several figures from the Middle East who have zero participation in international discussions (unless just being from the Middle East and talking about it counts as being international because Americans are concerned about it as well). It is almost like they had a "quota" with Asia getting the short end and Japan (and Korea) getting the short end of that.M-Bonenoreply@blogger.com