Too Much Respect
I'm working on a couple of longer posts, one of which just died in a computer crash, but I'm likely going to be writing a letter to the Japan Times over this story. It's an opinion piece about U.S.-Japan relations from Yoshio Okawara, a former Japanese ambassador to the United States.
Lots of interest here, but it's word choice in these two paragraphs that get me.
In a late January speech, Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma criticized U.S. policy on Iraq. He also criticized the handling of plans that have been agreed upon between the two governments of Japan and the U.S. concerning the relocation of the Futenma U.S. Marine Air Station in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, in connection with the overall plan of the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan.
In addition Kyuma made remarks that paid too much respect to the sentiments of local Okinawa residents regardless of the agreement, saying in a speech that the plans cannot be implemented unless the Okinawa governor says "yes" and that the U.S. does not understand (the importance) of spadework.
That's right, he paid too much respect to the sentiments of Okinawans. Weighty sin. These are the same Okinawa residents, you'll note, who voted overwhelmingly against this project and refuse to elect any candidate that doesn't at least pay lip service to anti-base sentiments.
