No.0101：Tell on - Communicativity
April 30,2022

When I was a child, the word “tell on" meaning to tell a teacher, was frequently used. I had a lot of experiences of being told on and being scolded by teachers, and at that time, I had a sneaky image of telling on people.It's terrible that my opponent would secretly tell on a teacher with overwhelming power only my negatives, and I would be punished based on that! I thought.But in most cases, I am not without fault, and in some cases, I think I was fully responsible for the situation. Like the poor tyrant who is unilaterally executed by the revolution without a trial. When I was a kid, I was greatly repulsed by the idea of an adult intervening in a kid's world and exerting overwhelming influence, even if it was my own fault.
 
However, now that I am an adult and have gained a great deal of experience, I have a completely different view of ”tell on”. What I mean is that people, especially those who are strangely overly conscious of their influence on others, become strangely dirty when people are not looking, on the other hand, they strangely try to be seen as good people when people are looking. Everyone has a little of that, but when someone with a strong tendency to do so attacks the weak, and it is done quietly and under cover, sometimes “tell on”,  in other words, making it widely known what is being done and gaining many allies, can act as a check or deterrent to the attack. Thus, “tell on" can be very effective from time to time.
 
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a sinking feeling just by coming in contact with news reports. At first, Russia tried to complete the invasion quickly and secretly by destroying Ukraine's telecommunications capabilities so that its own evil activities would not be exposed. However, due to Ukraine's strategy of emphasizing information warfare, 80% of communications are still being maintained. Information on Russian atrocities coming from the president, soldiers on the battlefield, and residents who have been attacked has fostered an image of sympathy for Ukraine and hatred of Russia, and has succeeded in shaping international public opinion in support of Ukraine and sanctions against Russia. The many small pieces of information being disseminated by people without power, including through smartphones, are more than even with the self-righteous information strategy of Russia, which boasts overwhelming power. It is a wonderful thing that the evil that tries to proceed secretly in the shadows is checked by being made public.
 
The MeToo movement, which exposed forced sexual relations with actresses by film directors and other authorities in Japan and the U.S.  has gained momentum. ) has gained momentum. When a tiny victim alone defies an authority figure with overwhelming power, she is easily crushed. It is only when many small people who are suffering from similar pain band together, disclose information, and make public opinion their ally, it is possible to call the authority figure to charge. Where the eyes of the masses are shining, the bluff, pressure, and other tricks of the authorities are powerless.
 
I sometimes feel that the role of the news media, such as television, which should serve as a check on power through the disclosure of such information, is not functioning properly because they have become more power-oriented. When I see the attitude of the news media as if they are catering to corporations that pay them money or politicians who boast of their absolute power, I feel that it is better not to get involved with them anymore. Because as a result of spending my precious time, I am fed unbalanced information, and if I am not careful, such information may lead me to make a wrong decision. Like the Russian regime's fake information toward its citizens, which justifies its aggression by overstating the damage suffered and hiding the crimes they are committing.
 
An attack by overwhelming force against a tiny, weak person, carried out quietly, hidden from the public eye. It is truly a dirty practice. It can happen anywhere people gather: schools, businesses, communities, etc. In order to increase the number of people who understand and to resist the attackers, the weak need to spread the message of their harshness, sneakiness, and dirtiness in an easy-to-understand manner. We must have the courage to change the situation, even though we may face such brakes as fear of retaliation, fear that if we endure the situation quietly, it may eventually stop, or fear that we will be thought of as a strange person by everyone. Gorbachev, the last leader of Russia's former Soviet Union, actively promoted glasnost, the disclosure of information, in order to reform a system that had reached an impasse. As a result, the public became aware of the many systemic frauds, leading to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Now, I would like to pay tribute to President Zelensky and the people of Ukraine, who are risking their lives using their ability to disseminate information as a weapon to fight against the deceptions that would justify the invasion and restore the illusion of the Soviet Union as a great power through the manipulation of information.
 
Hope is a state of mind, not of the world. Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously heading for success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good.