Kamikaze to Kingdom Come…

After searching for some information and background on Emiko Ohnuk-Tierney, i came acorss an interview she did with the BBC in 2006. In it she talks about her then recent book about the Kamikaze pilots of WWII. A renowned commentator of Japanese soceity and dispeller of myths surrounding their culture, here, briefly, she highlights how many of the pilots genuinely did not wish to give up their life as they did not necessarily believe. They did it because they had little choice and felt that it was a mark of respect to do what one is told. In a militarized state, standing out would only have gotten you killed anyway, so they figured it was the less shameful option because they did simply what they were asked to do. This is an interesting comment on the Japanese ability to get things done and can be witnessed in other areas of their society also. Staying at work for no extra pay because they were asked to do something is part of their responsibility. To not do it, is to show disrespect. This would never happen in England, unless people were bored to the point of nihilism.

BBC4. Thinking Aloud: KAMIKAZE and CHERRY BLOSSOMS. Interview with Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney. 7th June 2006. Available from <http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/thinkingallowed/thinkingallowed_20060607.shtml> [Real Player, Online Media] [Accessed 27th August 2007]

INterestingly enough, recently i have been reading Kingdom Come, 2006 by JG Ballard. Part of his series of books exploring the notion of psychopathy, it tells the story of a motorway town moved by boredom and rounded up to destroy at will. Ballard continues to depict dystopias, worlds that i have been reading since Wimbledon, and his worlds never appear to surprise me. This would appear to sound not good but i am no position to be so surprosed by his worlds when you start to see the same words. Ballard’s stance on british culture is significantly through a Baudrillaridan lens but it is interesting to see that Ballard is exploring the next phase after simulacra. For answers to the future of capitalism, we might look to Ballard for the next sociological groupings and mechanisms. People are bored and this hedonistic disguise of boredom is dangerous. We are not talking about a world where no one cares. We are in a sense talking about people who don’t care, but they will be misguided by people who continue to think that they can make a difference. Chuck Palahnuik’s Fight Club hinted at this also. Terrorism is arguably what Ballard calls ‘willed madness’. A very interesting interview with Ballard can be found here http://www.ballardian.com/rattling-other-peoples-cages-the-jg-ballard-interview [Accessed 27th August 2007]