Everyone is weighing in on the United Airlines incident, from internet memes to celebrities — and now a Japanese official has joined the conversation.
Last month, during a speech at New York City’s Columbia University, Japan’s deputy prime minister Taro Aso praised his country’s strengths.
Despite ongoing economic challenges, Aso said Japan’s “social fabric has not been torn apart” and that “the sense of pride among workers is still intact.” He added a pointed remark about airlines: “Airline crew will not beat you.”
That comment was an obvious jab at United Airlines following the widely shared video from the previous month showing a passenger forcibly removed from an overbooked flight. The footage, which captured the man with a bloodied face and damaged teeth, spread quickly online and sparked global outrage.