Actually, in the interests of fairness, that quote was from Mr. Oneyen himself, not from Debito. The original is on that page, Debito just pasted it verbatim onto his blog. I don’t doubt Debito agreed with the idea, he is promoting it after all, but we shouldn’t stoop to his level by putting words into his mouth (or selectively deleting words, which is actually more his style).

My dear Koan. Here is David’s comments right after the post.

“Now maybe I’m out in left field on this. My hope is that EVERY member of the international resident community all across Japan could do this kind of thing every time tax is due. Await receipt of the third “Final Notice” for the residential “Poll Tax” each and every time, and then go and pay in One Yen coins, even rolled up in 100 Yen sleeves. Hand in a copy of the document above each time, one to the tax office, and one to the Mayor’s office. Sooner or later they might just begin to see a pattern which never existed before this fiasco. Hopefully municipalities will put two and two together, and might plead with on our behalf for an exemption from the criminal fingerprinting and photographing at the airport each time.
”

And don’t bother tracking his subsequent response because it’s clearly obvious that he was suprised by the negative reactions from his fellow Debitards (thanks LB).

I agree with overthinker and others but I commend you for your courage to come out of Debito’s world and speak out for him;Debito and his men rarely come out of his blog where half-truth and lies are protected but a fair discussion is prohibited.
Let’s start fair discussions between J and NJ. Keep in mind, that is what people outside of Debito’s world is encouraging but that is what Debito’s fans are afraid to do.

I thought it was the outlet of a frustrated Charisma Man AET who naturalized but still can’t adapt to Japan because of his arrogance and ignorance (and apparent inability to learn how to read the language of his new home).

I’m sorry koan but that’s what it is and always have been, which is an outlet for English-Only speaking NJ who can’t adapt to Japan because of their arrogance and ignorance.

Yes, I “bashed” Debito. I also tried to post what I consider to be “balanced”, or at least “grounded in fact and reality” opinions to offset his space-loon “They’re out to get foreigners!” diatribes. He posts lies and distortions, and I called him on that. Was I confrontational? Yes, but you’ll just have to excuse me, I take his hatemongering racist attacks on my home and family seriously. People like Debito do not rate a raised hand from the back of the room and a “Pardon me sir, but have you thought of this?” They need to be confronted head-on, shouted down, and shown for the scum they are. That may be unpopular with the folks that like to hold hands in circles and sing Kumbayah, but then again, when was the last time they accomplished anything?

Presenting good ideas is wonderful, but I don’t see as doing so is a prerequisite for trying to demolish bad ones.

But when they cry out, Japan is a fascist, brainwashed, lawless backward country with legal system that enable torture, the Japanese think the same way to the extent you know one Japanese you know all of them, they blame the alleged Japanese rape victim a liar, while oppressing the opposing opinions in a nasty way, covering up the important facts, blocking the comments that reveal lies, one can not help but wonder why they don’t leave Japan though they have another proud country to live in.

(slightly off topic)

Surprisingly enough they want to promote positive image of NJ?

Tony Laszlo and his wife are doing a good job in promoting positive image of NJ. For some reason Debito attacks him though.
Anthony Bianchi is promoting positive image of multi-cultural Japanese.
But Debito and his fans?
I predict if his blog is entirely translated into Japanese, there will be
huge negative repercussions among the Japanese people against them and ultimately against NJ.

I still hope his group will be self-corrective.
To Debito’s fans I sincerely invite you to come to my blog and discuss.

And I recommend the readers of his blog to check the facts on their own;the information on his blog is often misleading.
　A long time ago I was asked if Americans made love outside of the house.
What????? -What-make-you-think-so? was my reaction. Sometimes, I get the same reactions when reading g English articles on Japan. (I appreciate Japan Probe for doing a good job giving vairous perspectives )
　Read laws and reliable books related to it. There are many useful books available even in English. And compare Japan’s case with your own country’s case. Then criticize with reasons as much as you want.

If possible, talk to Japanese people in Japanese, and ask what they think. Don’t be Japanophobia. I believe there are always Japanese people around you who will help you. Just a smile and a bow will do a trick.

It’s an old one, couldn’t resist

Holding taxes as protest is fine. Even if its the wrong sort of taxes. But creating a massive hassle for people who did not cause the issue and cannot fix the issue simply as they’re both “government” is stupid.

———
You don’t think that when he says “A more effective, polished idea may come of it in the end” this might imply that
1. the idea in the linked article is ineffective
———
No, as he says “more” effective. He does not say “well, this guy’s idea is really stupid and is attacking the wrong people, so let’s think of a good way.”

1. the idea in the linked article is ineffective
2. “let’s get our thinking caps on and come up with some effective ways to protest” ?

I don’t agree he is promoting the original idea at all.

(Trying) to withhold taxes has been the centuries old method of protest. In this day and age in Japan, it’s the least effective. The modern way is a viral clip on YouTube. Would that work in Japan ? How would you engage the Japanese population ? How do you fight the “it can’t be helped” attitude ? How about if you used such a clip to encourage tourists to not come to Japan because of fingerprinting ?

Well, I guess the first thing that would happen would be the posting of many threads on various forums where people like yourself declare the instigator to be a moron.

I notice you have posted several times in this thread without making any suggestions of your own and all but one post is bashing Debito.

While browsing debito.org at the weekend (first time in months) I caught the thread you are complaining about. Seems to me you walked into it by posting on the site in the first place.

I think you should get over the fact that it’s his site, he can post what he likes and ban whoever he chooses and if you go there you are going to read a certain amount of outrage, protest and contentious opinion because that’s what it’s about and he admits to it himself “But I reckon the Debito.org blog will inevitably wind up as a bit of an outlet for people who feel they’re having a raw time”

It’s the same with the No to Olympics (which had turned into a 9/11 Truther anti-Semitic loon site last time I looked at it), he does not come out and support it directly so he always has an out. There’s actually very few times he actually takes a stance on something that doesn’t relate directly to him, which does annoy me somewhat.

Oh, and his Tony Lazlo insult was so, so, childish.

And where does my tax money go? more fat contracts for construction companies to make unused public buildings, bridges nobody uses, and turing every riverbank in Japan into concrete? Paying for the state to re-try on appeal and imprison people who were found innocent? NOT to fund, say, 24-hour emergency rooms?

It’s a great tax protest. Don’t see what is has to do with fingerprints. A good fingerprint protest would be to demand an alcohol wipe be used on the pads before you touch the grubby thing. Everyone should.

Reads to me like he likes the idea, even if he isn’t saying “everyone go and do this”. He is promoting this moron, which is to say, he is condoning the idea.

I don’t think he chose the best way to protest. I suppose he is just angry and frustrated and not very good at expressing himself.

You guys are wasting your time bashing him, you should be asking “how can you effectively protest against practices that you find discriminatory ?”

I find it hard to believe giving a flyer to the guy on the immigration desk is going to work.

And did anyone read Debito’s post ? The one where he is basically saying “here’s an idea, what do you think ?” NOT “here’s an idea I condone and recommend”.

Kind of sums up this douchebag and those that are alike (Debitoons). And as if these city workers are going to read his “English text written letters”. Sorry douchebag. It’s your letter that should be placed in the shredder.

Oh, why do I bother sometimes….

There is no freedom of speech on this site. If one of the admins notices a comment that violates the discussion policy, it is deleted.

Many of your past comments had been deleted because they were hate comments against an entire nationality. Perhaps if you’d learn to read the discussion rules on this site before spewing hate at all Americans because of a rape committed by one soldier, your comments might have been able to see the light of day.

If they want to appeal to Japanese society, if they really want to settle the issue they feel they are facing , I for one think they should have open discussions in Japanese and talk to the Japanese people

E.P Lowe, Mark in Yayoi, or whoever, in English or in Japanese, I will be waiting on my blog. You will be welcomed, and probably you are being welcomed by most of the Japanese, Hikikomori will not do. Let’s start discussions between J and NJ.

Hes also a naturalized citizen in Japan so in the numerous years he spent living in Japan, of course he must have experienced discrimination to be so disgruntled about Japanese society. Why didn’t he leave then? If you can’t take it here, then leave. Anywhere in the world, you’re gonna experience some kind of discrimination. Japan is no different.

also, hello admin. either you’re taking the time to read this before deleting it – yay freespeach for everyone except those who don’t agree with admin!
or it gets stuck in your spamfilter under, “people who don’t agree with me” ..
eitherway, here’s a japanese word that you might come across : SAITEI

If it really comes down to it, he can have my TV. Good riddance!

THAT was his biggest whine about the bot wars – not that his site got taken over, but that he lost his Google ranking. Debito is pure ego….

I’d post my opinion of this one-yen plan, except Debito has banned me. My fault – walked into it. Posted an opinion he didn’t like (nor did more than a few of the tinfoil hat brigade over there), and was challenged to provide proof to support it.

Which I did, except of course the person who decides if a post ever sees the light of day is… Debito! So I can’t post to support myself, but when I complain about that of course THAT makes it through the Debito filter, with very nasty commentary from him to the effect of “How dare you blame me for your inability to prove your point! Now answer the charges against you or I will ban you!”

Except of course I CAN’T “answer the charges”, not on his site.

*sigh* Can we petition Hatoyama to revoke his citizenship and boot him out?

That having been said, I can’t really condone this guy (do we have a name?), or Debito for exalting his cause. His write-up makes it sound like a “blind leading the blind” situation… ignoring Japanese correspondence, making local authorities suffer over something they probably weren’t even aware of, and just how he reports on the “protest” itself.

Incidentally, cries of racism in this situation are not pertinent. Non-citizens, not non-ethnic-Japanese, are getting fingerprinted here.

The French will laugh in your face, son.