Russia and Japan Are Still Technically at War?

I cannot tell you exactly why, but I always think it is hilarious when I learn that certain countries never signed a peace treaty after World War I or World War II.  For example, the United States and Germany never signed a peace treaty to end World War I, so the US has technically been at war with the Kaiser for 93 years.

Japan and Russia also never signed a treaty because they have been in a dispute of four islands.

Funny that Dokdo isn't the only disputed island by Japan, and it probably seems insignificant to these other more strategic and valuable islands.  Sorry, Korea.

Dong-a Ilbo:

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made a surprise visit Monday morning to the Kuril Islands, which are at the heart of a territorial dispute with Japan.

Japan, which has claimed sovereignty over the islands, blasted the visit and could face a diplomatic cold war against Russia as well as against China.

Japanese media reported that Medvedev flew into Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the capital of Russia’s Sakhalin province, transferred to a small plane, and arrived at Kuril at 9 a.m.

He is the first Russian head of state since the era of the former Soviet Union to visit the islands. Tokyo has claimed the four southernmost Kuril Islands northwest of Hokkaido as its territory.

[...]

In a budgetary committee meeting at Japan’s House of Representatives, Prime Minister Kan Naoto said, “Japan has consistently maintained that the Northern Territories are Japanese territory, and it is very regrettable that the Russian president went to the region.”

Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, who holds a hawkish stance in diplomacy, called in the Russian ambassador to Japan to protest Medvedev’s visit, saying, “The visit to the Northern Territories has angered the Japanese people.”

You know... it is tempting to feel sorry for Japan... but they did try to conquer and enslave the entire world just a little bit.  You don't really hear Germany still complaining about losing their former eastern territories after World War II.
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Russians Smoke To Feel Better

Nearly every person I know who smokes cigarettes says that they would like to stop.  The adverse effects of smoking are obvious, both for personal health reasons and financial reasons.

However, four out of ten people in Russia smoke almost a pack of cigarettes a day, and the culture amongst Russians who smoke (and Koreans to a lesser degree) seems to be very different than most Western countries. The Russian government is contemplating what to do about the growing problem of smoking.  Russian men already have a staggering low life expectancy rate of only 58 years.  It is mostly from heavy drinking, but the smoking cannot be helping.

"The problem with prohibition is you can't change the way people think."

Indeed, I think the same is true for Korea.  People smoke to feel better about themselves.  They smoke because they are depressed and a cigarette is a quick pick me up.

Sad that it seems the people of Russia enjoy more freedom and prosperity now than they did under communism, but do not appear to be any happier.
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Pirate Party Politics in Russia?

There is a growing movement in Russia amongst internet users to legalize all non-profit file sharing websites.  In several European countries there has been the formation of new "pirate" parties that are pushing for the legalization of internet piracy and they argue the non-commercial free exchange of ideas are essential to fair and democratic societies.

Since I am posting this, you can take an educated guess at what I think.  But think about it.  When does a law have meaning?  A governing body can pass a law (that is the easiest part).  But then people have to willingly follow it.  If they do not do that you have to find a police force willing to enforce it.  If you can do that you then need a prosecutor to choose to pursue charges.  If you can do that, you then need a judge to hear the case and a jury of your peers to convict you.  This is becoming more and more difficult because people do not see the harm or injustice in ignoring copyright law.  Korea has laws, but there is zero enforcement.

The music and movie industry is just going to have to innovate and find new ways to adapt.  The global piracy trend shows no signs of stopping.  There is power in reaching more people by making music and movies free, I argue there is no loss for the artists in commercial opportunities to make great sums of wealth.  Music artists themselves are lucky anyways if they manage to see 5% of music sales.  The bloated corporate music industry is what is hurting, and people find it hard to find sympathy for them.
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South Korea's Trade with Russia Grows by 50 Times

Peace is good for trade and trade is good for peace.  After the Soviet collapse and the establishment of diplomatic and trade relations between South Korea and Russia, a healthy trade relationship has flourished between them over the last twenty years.  (Article here)

Trade between South Korea and Russia has recorded an over 50-fold jump since the two countries established diplomatic relations 20 years ago, a government report showed Wednesday.

Trade between the two countries stood at 9.98 billion U.S. dollars last year, a 52-fold increase from 190 million dollars in 1992 when statistics began to be tallied, according to the report by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance.

The trade volume between the two countries saw an over 90-fold surge to 18.1 billion dollars in 2008 compared with 1992, but temporarily declined last year due to the global financial crisis. It made a recovery to register 7.9 billion dollars in the first half of this year, up 89 percent from the same period a year before.

South Korea's exports to Russia soared 36-fold to 4.19 billion dollars in 2009, placing Russia as South Korea's 22nd-largest overseas market, while imports jumped 77-fold to 5.79 billion dollars.

South Korea had posted a trade deficit with Russia until 2005 but turned to black from 2006 through 2008, thanks to Russia's rapid growth. Last year's deficit of 1.59 billion dollars occurred due to the global financial crisis.

The ministry, meanwhile, stressed the necessity to expand economic cooperation with Russia that has high growth potential, in order for South Korea to secure future growth engines.

Strange how the amount of stuff coming in and out probably did not change by that much, but a defecit of 1.59 billion dollars can just magically appear through the act of currency manipulation.

Kim Jong-il Born in Russia?

I saw this video clip on RT and thought the idea was interesting...

If this is true, I do not think it should be anything to hide or lie about.  Kim Jong-il's father, Kim Il-sun was a communist guerrilla fighter resisting the Japanese occupation.  It is known that he was residing in the Soviet Union in 1942 when Kim Jong-il was born.  What's wrong with that story?  I guess being born on a sacred mountain in a secret military camp with the appearance of a double rainbow and a new star in the heavens is a bit more romantic.

I cannot talk about Kim Jong-il without thinking about Team America.  This song is hilarious...