Op-Blogs

Commentary/opinion pieces and blog posts on current affairs by Truman Factor’s staff and collaborators.

Good Intentions: Volunteer Work In Developing Countries

Good Intentions: Volunteer Work In Developing Countries

Why is it that such standards seem to disappear in the developing world simply because somebody wants to be a volunteer?…

Numbness, Rage and Hope: The Cambodian Children in My Life

Numbness, Rage and Hope: The Cambodian Children in My Life

Eradicating that disease of worthlessness starts with expectations... Poverty doesn’t mean you lower expectations, it means that they must be even higher because of the myriad of challenges that the children have to maneuver through in their lives.…

Amakudari: Japan’s Fallen Angel

Amakudari: Japan’s Fallen Angel

The Japanese long-standing business practice that puts the interests of politicians, bureaucrats and large corporations before those of the civil society.…

Self-Censorship and Saving Face: Japanese Media and the Aftermath of Fukushima

Self-Censorship and Saving Face: Japanese Media and the Aftermath of Fukushima

Freedom of the press does exist in Japan, but there is much greater self-censorship among Japanese news organizations than among their overseas counterparts.…