Shawn’s Reviews > The Enigma of Japanese Power: People and Politics in a Stateless Nation > Status Update

Sad to learn about the pre-war state, how things might've been avoided, how the expenses for military might were unlimited, how the aims were driven and led to a war that they lost, grievously. I think Japan's lack of monotheism leaves a

"Where ends are agreed, the only questions left are those of means, and these are not political but technical...capable of being settled by experts or machines like arguments between doctors or engineers...those who put their faith in some immense, world-transforming phenomenon, like the final triumph of reason or the proletarian revolution, must believe that all...problems can thereby be turned into technological.."

Didn't realize how much I just covered this morning. The reconstruction of the pre-war system; bureaucrats hold great sway over affairs, but there are no real entrepreneurs or vocal politicians. The author suggests that things are precarious, that there is little else to hold onto outside of the uniformity and ritual.

Finished Ritual and Intimidation chapter, one of the more subtler points. I appreciate the reiteration of salient points, he builds upon previous chapters and occasionally references them. This helps to tie together the matrices of his arguments and viewpoints. It's a great book.

Moving along