Suchergebnisse

"In two essays carried by two German daily papers, the author pointed out that Japanese nuclear energy development is inseparably tied to re-militarization. Despite (or perhaps as a result of) being a three-time victim of United States nuclear weapons (Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the Lucky Dragon 5 fishing boat incident), the Japanese people have been unable to recognize the essential connection between military and 'peaceful' uses of nuclear power. Nevertheless, their attitude towards 'peaceful' uses of nuclear power has been noncommittal. Conservative politicians have long believed that to boost the Japan's status as a 'first-class power', they must maintain the option of possessing nuclear weapons. In support of this Position, a boss within Japan's media concern has actively worked to dissolve the 'nuclear allergy' of the Japanese people through newspaper and television. Yet, in keeping with the motto 'It must be safe because the government says so', the Fukushima nuclear disaster has again made clear the inherent danger of blindly trusting those in authority. The time has come when Japanese must overcome the way of thinking that has been systematically indoctrinated into them and manipulated through profit- and power-orientated media conglomerates. Their success depends on the ability of civil society to reflect and learn." (author's abstract)

"This chapter will shed some light on the main reasons behind the need for a European Charter of Fundamental Rights, explaining why it was considered necessary to foster the EU's credibility and power on a local as well as a global scale. The Charter is in fact considered to be the most influential instrument to boost the legitimacy of the European Union both in its internal and external dimensions. Such reflection will be important in providing an idea about the Charter's added value on a global scale and the EU's aspirations to be recognized as an emerging supra-national power in world politics and the global order. The EU has made human rights a central aspect of its internal as well as external policy and relations. The debate concerning human rights protection in Europe is directly linked with the debate concerning the EU's ethical-legal and cultural identity. The Charter is being considered equally as an instrument to make rights more visible for the citizens of the Union, while at the same time compensating the democratic deficit existing as a permanent defect of European institutions. The Charter is eventually aiding in the evolutionary process of the Community and its gradual transformation from an economic to a political organization. It should be therefore listed as the most significant part of this process, providing evidence of a European "constitutional moment."" (publisher's description)