Random Thoughts

[Belacqua]

Oh look, a slam at America.

Color me shocked.

Just substitute "Japan" for "atheist" or "American" in his rhetoric. SSDD

I'm not sure what you want me to do here. 

Japanese people certainly tend to conform to strong social norms. However, pretending to be a rebel is not one of the norms. Rebelliousness doesn't have the cachet that it does in some other places. 

At the same time, there is a tradition of eccentricity being tolerated. 18th century Kyoto had guidebooks of artists and poets who were considered oddball geniuses. Today the eccentrics tend to focus on different things, but they can still be very odd. True, their lifestyles often follow a consistent pattern -- a decided way to be eccentric. 

If I say something about America, this doesn't automatically mean that Japan is the opposite, or better, or immune from criticism. 

What does SSDD mean?