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Why does Toru Hashimoto seem like a 'spokesperson' for China?

Have you ever felt a sense of discomfort while watching television?
When the topic turns to China,
for some reason, it is always the same:
'Japan is at fault'
'Japan provoked them too much'
'China has its own side of the story'
Such words are repeated by Toru Hashimoto, a former politician and lawyer.
To be honest, this is how I feel:
Is this person not speaking from Japan's perspective?
The unnaturalness of blaming 'Japan's reaction' more than China's actions
In recent years, China has:
・Rapidly expanded its military power
・Routinely intruded around the Senkaku Islands
・Applied military pressure on Taiwan
・Committed human rights abuses in Uyghur and Tibet
They have taken all these actions.
Nevertheless, Mr. Hashimoto's argument is consistently this:
'Japan is being too aggressive'
'It is a loss to incite conflict'
'If you don't provoke them, problems won't arise'
But is that really true?
When the other side is aiming to change the status quo by force first,
will peace be maintained if we just stay silent?
Looking at history, the answer is clear.
The danger faced by the elderly who only watch television
Here, there is a more serious problem.
It is how the elderly, who get their information almost exclusively from television,
perceive Mr. Hashimoto's remarks.
・Former governor
・Lawyer
・Frequently appears on TV
Just because of these titles,
'He is a smart, reliable person'
they unconditionally assume.
As a result,
China is not that bad
Hardline politicians are dangerous
Japan is at fault for stirring up trouble
Such perceptions are imprinted without them even realizing it.
This is not brainwashing.
However, it is a state where only one side of the explanation is provided.
The biggest problem created by 'what is not said'
Mr. Hashimoto is not telling lies.
But there is too much he does not talk about.
・Why does China not stop its military expansion?
・Why does it ignore the rulings of international courts?
・Why does it downplay human rights issues?
He hardly ever steps into these core issues.
What is the result?
Someone who explains China's claims in a way that is easy for Japanese people to understand
He ends up looking like he is playing that role.
This is not a coincidence; it is highly compatible with 'information warfare'
Modern warfare is not just about weapons.
Cognitive warfare and information warfare have become the main battlefields.
・Do not make the enemy country the villain
・Make your own country criticize itself
・Make opposing voices seem 'dangerous' or 'extreme'
Mr. Hashimoto's discourse
is far too compatible with this structure.
I do not know if it is intentional.
But it cannot be denied that, as a result, it is weakening Japan's position.
Your feeling that something is wrong is normal
Recently, the younger generation and those who use the internet
have started to feel this way:
'Toru Hashimoto, isn't something wrong?'
That is not an emotional argument.
It is a sense of discomfort that arose naturally
as a result of comparing multiple information sources.
Rather,
the state of believing only in television might be more dangerous.
What we should think about as Japanese people
What Japan needs is not
・A policy of appeasement, nor
・Emotional xenophobia
It is the calmness to face reality and think from our own country's position.
Discourse that caters to China's wishes
will not protect Japan's future.
What do you think?
Are Toru Hashimoto's remarks 'realistic',
or have they become a 'spokesperson for China'?
Please let me know your thoughts in the comments.

#ToruHashimoto
#ChinaProblem
#InformationWarfare
#CognitiveWarfare
#OldMedia
#InfluenceOfTelevision
#JapanSecurity
#ResponsibilityOfSpeech
#noteOpinionArticle

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