E-News＆Songs7月活動報告

１．スイスイ英語の部

毎月第二木曜日午後に銀座にてスイスイ英語を開催しています。今回は５名のメンバーが集まりトピックを語り合いました。まずはAI・量子コンピュータ”究極の知の融合”を産業技術研究所が開発の方向性を発表し人知をはるかに上回る超知能superintelligenceの夢のような、同時に怖い話で盛り上がりました。続いて、中国政府による新規の「規制」についての話がありました。これは国民読書促進条例というもので「書香社会」・・読書の普及を通じて国民の素養を高め文化的気風を育む社会の構築を進める。社会主義の礼賛のきらいはあるものの、なんと素晴らしい高邁さ。米国でトランプ大統領自身および行っている政策との違いが際立ちます。失われたかつてのアメリカの良さを語り合いました。最後に三島で丹精込めた茶懐石の話。料理の内容、場のしつらえ、料理人の方々の説明で日本料理の魅力、料理人の丹精を教わりました。また、懐石料理にまつわる諸々のことを知ることができました。

後は、Songsに張り切って移りました。

２．「しっかり英語の部」報告　

５月２５日土曜日　グーグルミートによるオンラインにて、ニューヨークタイムスの記事（イエール大学法律・政治学のHathaway教授著）をもとに討議をしました。

教材の記事：You Can’t Be a Superpower Without Allies

内容は米国によるイラン戦争をイスラエルだけと相談して開始したが、戦果なく、ホルムズ海峡の解放は困難になり、イランの核開発を抑制することもできない状況に追い込まれている。改めて米国の強さをもう一度冷静に確認してみると、それは戦争を起こさない仕組みを経済的にも軍事的にも作り上げ、それを可能にする経済力と軍事力を構築してきたからである。しかし、結果としてトランプが取っている行動は米国にどんなダメージを与えたのかを確認した。米国の取るべき方向を模索しなければならないと感じた。

最初に教材の要約

Chapter １　イランの非対称戦略の結果はどうなったか。

Iran‘s　asymmetric strategy was successful

President Trump started the war illegally and Iran decided to close illegally the Strait of Hormuz by threatening to attack ships that would enter. England and NATO nations were unwilling to join the war though they suffered from the crippling economic effects from Iran’s response.　

Chapter 2 本当の米国の力とは何であるか。

Trump wants to make America great again, but he does not seem to really understand what has made America great. It was not its power to achieve its ends unilaterally but its singular ability to build international institutions to prohibit use of military force． US established UN and drafted UN Charter which prohibits any attack by the use of force for territorial expansion. Bretton Woods Institutions and agreements were developed by US and fueled US global economic dominance in the postwar era.

Chapter 3 結果として米国のダメージは何か。

Trump decided to step away from its historic role leading global institutions and agreements such as WHO or Paris Agreement. China took place of US seats, instead. Since Trump has thrown away Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to which members of UN security council plus Germany agreed, the new possible agreement, if agreed, will be only between two countries. The profound damage done by Trump is that nations are making trade agreements that do not include US. Trump’s threat to return to bombing in case the agreement is refused will make US left to go it alone. Damage to US position will be unthinkably serious.

討議内容

各章別に読んだ内容について感想を自由に述べ、全体討議をおこなった。

全体の感想 General impressions

イラン戦争について米国メディアはどのように受け止められているかを知りたいと考えNYTimes に掲載されている特集記事を読み解いた。これを一読していずれのメンバーも米国の常識は我々の常識と一致していると感じた。即ち、米国はイランを攻撃し、結果としてホルムズ海峡の閉鎖により、海峡の開放はおろか、核兵器の開発阻止も難しく、同盟国の協力を得られない状況になっている。米国のダメージは極めて深刻である。米国の本当の強みについても歴史的観点からきっちり認識されている。米国の今置かれているダメージの認識も妥当である。　

A The contents in this article seem to be all generally common-sense in Japan though it describes like fresh idea.

B Trump‘s actions extend far beyond not just destroying world systems which are favorable to the United States, annoying England and other allies, bombing adversaries, but throwing rather he whole world into chaos.

C This Article boldly expresses what many people think of and feel about Trump‘s words and actions, not just from a political perspective. Since it’s published in the New York Times, I am very interested to see what kind of reaction NYT has received from the readers and whether any reactions have ever reached Trump’s ears.

各章の感想 Impressions by chapters

第一章　

①Why didn’t the US coordinate with its allies beforehand? It is impossible to discuss such strategy as assassinating the top leader, such as the prime minister or president, of an opposing country for any requests to let them agree. Trump skipped or neglected this matter.

② US could not have predicted Iran‘s decision to again close the Strait of Hormuz in return. Probably they should have thought of it, but they neglected to think of it, how careless!

第二章

①The power of the United States alone is limited.　The source of the United States’ power must have been its unique ability to create a system that embodies its own values and interests (system that other countries want to participate in).

② Successful individuals increase in a country where ambition, will to act, and an optimistic belief in the rewards of risk-taking are deeply cultivated. Penetration of democracy and Christianity is another important factor, in addition to immigration policy and vast fertile land covering two big oceans. International agreements and systems value the earth, prosperity, peace and no war which are based on above two factors.

第三章

①Trump selected by himself the strategy which makes America great again, but now confuses the world and might weaken America than before. He is no longer a leader of the world due to the fact that he does not appear to understand the human right, importance of life and influence of global climate　change.

② As Winston Churchill once said,　“Great things are simple and many can be expressed in a single word: Freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.”　Trump has trampled on all six of these fundamental human and social elements, resulting in a situation where no one in the political world respects or even acknowledges them.　The resulting mutual distrust and short-sighted strategy of military action are sadly shallow and thoughtless, and have led the world to a truly worrying and alarming situation.　

③The war with Iran has got into a mess, driving Iran‘s status to a dictatorship state.

④　Change in US regime is inevitable.

⑤ US damage is so strong that the world would be in chaos.

⑥　Trump is one human, and he has been educated on the earth. His existence is a product of present social system. In other words, we have made him and we selected him under the law. These recent difficult problems he caused are not only his responsibility but also ours as behaviors and actions.