圣诞节的一周是儿子进行“每天20分钟计划”的第二周，我建议儿子观看各国政要的圣诞致辞，来点儿文娱，他看了以后觉得没有什么引发人思考的观点，自作主张地又选了一个政治新闻：安倍参拜靖国神社。

News: Abe’s Visit to Yasukuni War Shrine

Theme

    Japan, a neighbor not as mysterious as North Korea, is the focus of this week. Its Prime Minister Abe has recently visited a place named Yasukuni shrine, causing protest and condemnation from China and Korea and “concerns” from America.

News

1. The Guardian: Chinese media attacks Japan's Shinzo Abe for visit to Yasukuni shrine

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/27/chinese-media-attacks-shinzo-abe-yasukuni-shrine

2. The Guardian: Japan's Shinzo Abe angers neighbours and US by visiting war dead shrine

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/26/japan-shinzo-abe-tension-neighbours-shrine

3. BBC: Why Japan's Shinzo Abe went to Yasukuni shrine

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25518137

4. CNN: Japanese Prime Minister Abe visits controversial Yasukuni war shrine

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/25/world/asia/japan-pm-war-shrine/index.html?iref=obinsite

5. China Daily: Abe's shrine visit draws condemnation

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2013-12/27/content_17201777.htm

    The Guardian news seems to be a plain report (or translation) of our nation’s reaction on this political event, while the second one reports the reactions of both China and South Korea. The BBC news focuses on the possible intentions of Abe as the CNN report covers several aspects. China Daily, its style different from the uninspiring western media, represents the Chinese media’s attitude towards this serious condemnation-drawing event.

Comment

Abe’s visit to the shrine, together with other events in the recent past, provoked tension in East Asia. Through worshipping the enshrined war criminals, Abe tried to have Japan’s “militaristic aggression and colonial rule” beautified.

First the historical understandings are revised. Then a revision of the historical facts would be established. Why does this sound so familiar? It reminds me of Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-four.

I would say that such action of Abe has created an image of a threatening Japan. And while the Chinese media reacted angrily, the western media seems “uninterested” in this political event. The Guardian report writes, “he attempted to strike a conciliatory note”, indicating that they do not support Abe. But their attitude towards this event is rather bland on a whole, as they used the word “disappointment” to express their feelings towards one’s worshipping of Fascist murderers and deadly war criminals.

Language

    The vocabulary involved in this theme is still related to politics.

I have discovered some precise and useful expressions like “fundamentally damages the stability and co-operation”, “shrewd political calculus”, “widespread massacres of civilians” and “historical revisionist”. These phrases can be utilized while analyzing history and politics.

The news reports also strengthened my memories of several words and phrases, including “agenda”, “express outrage” and so on. The frequency of the utilization of such words may increase in my written and spoken language.