The Washington Post: President Biden called Japan a “xenophobic” country during a campaign event Wednesday evening, putting the U.S. ally in a group with authoritarian rivals such as China and Russia and suggesting that a lack of immigration may be why the nations were “stalling so badly economically.”

President Biden called Japan a “xenophobic” country during a campaign event Wednesday evening, putting the U.S. ally in a group with authoritarian rivals such as China and Russia and suggesting that a lack of immigration may be why the nations were “stalling so badly economically.”

Biden calls ally Japan ‘xenophobic’ like China, Russia, at campaign eventwww.washingtonpost.com President Biden’s remarks have not elicited a formal response from the countries he named. But experts said they were likely to have offended, particularly in Japan.

I mean, Japan *does* kinda need to liberalize its immigration laws... I get why he's getting blowback for saying this, but he's not technically wrong...

I’m glad Biden said it cause Japan is one of my faves and this is their top flaw.

It's so weird, because so much of their media we get overseas has anti-xenophobia messages, so you'd think they'd internalize more of those lessons... maybe it's just that the xenophobic stuff doesn't get localized...

tangent: I kinda wish the "Xeno" series would be more explicit about the "Xeno" part of its name... I think Xenoblade X was the only one of them that I can remember to explicitly use the word "xenophobia", and not as many people played that one due to it being on Wii U...

I had the Wii U and yeah this was a great game.

Maybe impolitic, but empirically true.

I see foreign-born residents here in Nagoya all the time. There's a lot more nuance to it. I do believe Japan could do more, esp. in terms of access to services for foreign workers, but to paint it as "empirically" black & white erases every foreign worker here who is working hard to make a living.

🎯🎯🎯

*looks directly at camera*

Didn’t this dude just call people illegals like a month ago? Does the White House not have a single mirror?

Yikes. You don’t say the true part out loud to an ally

Oh.

My friend has a white dad and a Japanese mom. She lived in Japan for a while and agrees with this sentiment.

Yeah historically Japan has been Xenophobic. Like with most things I hear it’s been improving. Culture is hard to shift though.

The distortion (aka context) is not reflected in the click bait headline! Horrible journalism! “One of the reasons why our economy is growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants,” Biden said 1)

“Why is China stalling so badly economically? Why is Japan having trouble? Why is Russia? Why is India? Because they’re xenophobic. They don’t want immigrants,” “Immigrants are what makes us strong. Not a joke. That’s not hyperbole, because we have an influx of workers who want to be here..." 2))

This is about the best we could hope for. It was 50/50 whether he just loses control and demands that they thank the US for dropping the nukes on them.

He’s absolutely correct. It’s why we grew as we did and are doing economically so well now. Europe from GB to Russia is dying because their demographics are aging and they don’t let people in

Finally someone who tells the truth

Sometimes it's best to keep the truth bombs for Christmas Dinner with the family, during the port and cheese course.

having just returned from Japan, I'm irked by this.

I love Japan but it is much more restrictive than the US with regard to immigration. Like, im not sure if this is smart politics, but it is unquestionably true, no?

it's pretty insular in this sense, but xenophobic? I wouldn't go that far. in fact, it's amazingly cosmopolitan in a variety of ways.

That’s fair. I would have used a different word.

I would say the country with many businesses limited to only people from their own country is xenophobic It’s just a tourists usually don’t go there

It's a little peculiar to call a country xenophobic. But it's clear that many of its people are. Biden must've been thinking of its immigration rules, which are far more restrictive than the US rules.

I mean, so are Canada’s. Or try immigrating to, say, Switzerland

No doubt.

Yes, but there's some nuance. I have an advanced degree and a tenured position, so I got permanent residence much more quickly and cheaply than most people could in the US. At the same time, the apprenticeship type positions here are usurious and abusive. And others have no chance at all.

I mean, he's not wrong.

dude's instincts can be way wrong on things but he's definitely quite knowledgeable about the world outside the United States probably the most prepared in that arena since the first Bush

Upside of Joe Biden: Been getting foreign affairs briefings since the 1970s. Downside of Joe Biden: Has retained information and opinions from all those decades at once. Just a shotgun blast of 50 years of Democratic policy.

this is a great summation

Commentators: “To regard Japan, China and Russia the same is very problematic." "Over the top." Well, Biden listed them in the same sentence. That's not saying they are the same. Perhaps Biden's remarks were insufficiently nuanced, but that doesn't make them false, let alone over the top.

When it comes to immigration - he's not wrong.

The pearl clutching in the comments is nuts. Japan and Japanese culture is a lot of wonderful, interesting, unique things. But "xenophobic" is kind; the actual baked in *racism* is at the root.

Japan is one of the few countries outside of Africa, where, as a black person, I felt welcomed and accommodated. On the other hand, I don't think I will ever set foot in the US again after my experience on a trip to NY in 2009.

Did the PM of Japan say “ditto”?

i hope this direct and open disdain builds support for the growing movement to force US military bases out of Japan. it's a huge undertaking and the Japanese government isn't particularly responsive to public opinion, but there's Diet members actively pushing for it at the very least

I wonder what he calls US enemies.

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Oh Joe quite the comedian. Keep spending our money funding killing of innocent children.

Joe meant agoraphobic. 🙂. Like himself. The Outhouse is his hideaway.

From State Dinner a month ago to xenophobic today. Life comes as you fast, Japan!

Bro, you are given our tax payer money to fund genocide while applading crushing free speech.

Probably wouldn’t use xenophobic . A bit harsh! But he’s not technically wrong! Japan is extremely restrictive when it comes to immigration .

He is trying to promote the economic benefits of immigration and it’s exactly what he should be doing.

It's true but he shouldn't say it lmao anyway go straight to the ICC, Jack you're gonna get sued for genocide any second now