Graeme Jarvie's Nov. 20 spoof of Japan's new photo and fingerprinting immigration laws, entitled "Regarding the 'gaijin' formally known as prints," was brilliant. An anonymous high-ranking official of the "Ministry of Injustice" was quoted as arguing that the new immigration laws, by keeping foreigners out of Japan, will benefit Japan by setting aside more jobs for Japanese, encourage the development of foreign countries by ensuring that their citizens stay at home and work, and reduce the stress on Japanese to learn English since they are said to learn English only to help foreigners in Japan.
The brilliance of Jarvie's piece lies in part because the logic of its argument is not so far-fetched. I have 16 years experience teaching writing, logical argument, persuasive presentations and so forth in Japan, and can testify to many encounters with the tortured reason that Jarvie spoofs so well.
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