Considering the myriad of urgent needs a
nation might have, do you agree or disagree that allocating funds to preserve traditional
culture is a priority? Why? Why not?
☆Let’s Think
1.
Name
traditional Japanese cultures.
e.g Old temples
and shrines, kabuki, noh, gagaku, sumi-e, classical Japanese literature, washoku,
tea celemony, traditional festivals, etc.
2.
Are
your answers to Question 2 significant in modern society?
☆Hints for Points
Yes
1.
The
national identity and the traditional culture are the
foundation of our lives.
2.
Humans
don’t just live on food. They need mental and spiritual support.
No
1.
Pressing
issues like climate crisis and nuclear disarmament are to be prioritized.
2.
Protecting
the subsistence of all people should always be the top priority.
3.
Saving
the poor saves traditional cultures, so the former should be prioritized before
the latter.
Neither
1.
We
should stop spending on military instead.
2.
We
can do both based on MMT, which is an economic theory that the government spending
can be almost infinitely as long as the currency is owned by the country and inflation
is avoided.
☆Sample Response
Sample 1: Preservation of the
traditional culture should be a priority because it protects being human as
well as the identity of the people. Traditional
culture shows what the people is and what is human.
Through learning traditional culture and learning how our ancestors ate,
dressed, sang, danced, celebrated, or said farewell to the deceased, we
understand what is in the core of our existence and see what is the true
priority in our life. Modern life is homogenized and it dehumanizes us. We live
and work in comfortable but tasteless buildings, wear functional but plain
clothes, and are fed with impressive and beautiful enough but not stunning or
heart-wrenching art, music, or movies in this world controlled by capitalism.
As a result, we now have deteriorated to the point where we consume others’
private lives, tragedy, or catastrophe as the medium for stress release or
sublimation because modern culture doesn’t fulfill our spiritual hunger. In
other words, modern culture is barbaric and perverse. To rediscover and
restore humanity, we need to consult what our ancestors left. Traditional
culture is the treasure trove for this purpose. Therefore, I agree with
prioritizing preservation of it. (192 words)
Sample
2: I agree with Kristy’s point that protecting traditional cultures is important
to maintain a sense of identity and continuity, and I think it is all the more
imperative to spend resources on ensuring the continuity of the communities that
sustain traditional cultures. Today’s major issues are so pressing that the
doomsday clock is now set at less than 90 seconds to midnight, meaning the
extinction of the human race can occur at any moment. We need to allocate a
large part of our budget to avoid catastrophes such as nuclear war, effects of
climate crisis, and disruptions by artificial intelligence. To solve these
problems, intentional budget-allocation is necessary, while traditional
cultures are organically protected as long as the people exists. Especially,
the impact of climate change and wars are wiping out minority cultures at this
very moment, while the cultures of the wealthy are well protected. For instance,
the islanders of Tuvalu are forced to leave their island due to the sea level rise,
while Vienna in Austria is dealing well with flood impacts thanks to the
abundant technical and financial support. As a result, the traditional cultures
of Tuvalu are lost, while those of Vienna are saved. Palestinian cultures being
lost in the genocide by the colonizer Israel, whose raison d’être is
supposed to protect its own tradition, is another but significant example. It
is vital that financial supports on the subsistence of the marginalized come
first. (238 words)
Write your response in 10 minutes. Show each other your responses.
Write down questions or suggestions to each other’s response.
DRAFT
