While Koreans and Chinese (and some others) complain about Japanese authorities authorizing textbooks that seem to whitewash Imperial Japanese atrocities and wrongdoing, it's only fair to note Japan is not the only culprit. Korean textbooks may have a few things that would make us cringe, and Chinese textbooks, I believe, still claim that South Korea and the United States were the ones responsible for starting the Korean War.
But let's turn our attention for a moment to the other corner of Asia. The Washington Post has an interesting editorial on how Saudi Arabia's progress in removing hate-mongering from its official textbooks is really no progress at all.
What?!?!?! I'm confused. I thought the Saudis were our allies. Yeah, okay, so they don't let their womenfolk drive, and their restrictions on alcohol and religion force expats to drink and worship in private. The Iranian anti-Holocaust conference and comments about Israel get lots of ink; meanwhile we turn deaf ear to the rantings of the petroleum pushers who feed our SUV habit. Rather than just complaining, I am actually reducing my energy consumption. I kept my thermostat at 66 this winter and I walk a half-hour to work almost every day.
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