Earthquake and Tsunami in Eastern Japan - Largest since 1900

[JR8]

Whack the freakin whackos!

Whack them
whack them
whack them
whack them!

(We haven't had any birds mud-wrestling for a while, I rather miss it)

[bathad]

The below is a good article on Japan.

A rare reformist zeal is emerging in post-quake Japan. The government ignores it at the country’s peril
http://www.economist.com/node/18712196

[bathad]

Japan is dying.

Where Will Tomorrow’s Workers Come From?
By Larry M. Elkin Feb 18, 2011, 9:21 AM

Unlike the U.S., Japan has already started to shrink, and its
population decline is likely to continue picking up speed in the
near future. Already, a quarter of Japanese are 65 or older. But
instead of preparing the next generation of leaders, Japanese
companies, driven by rigid hiring policies and cultural norms,
are shunting young people into poorly paid, dead-end jobs while sheltering older employees.

http://wallstreetpit.com/62794-where-wi ... -come-from

[sundaymorningstaple]

bathad, you have a one-track mind don't you. Still haven't figured out your scam, but have no fear, we're watching.......

[nakatago]

And now for something completely different...

Just goes to show how bad-ass the Japanese can be. The Japanese elderly offer to takeover cleanup of the Fukushima power plant. They cite they don't have much years in them left anyway so they're unlikely to develop cancer in their life. They want the young ones to focus on rebuilding.

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2 ... ar-cleanup

Hats off to these fine people.

[Wind In My Hair]

Hats off to these fine people.

+1

[ksl]

"I am 72 and on average I probably have 13 to 15 years left to live,"

I've no idea of what the odds are of dropping dead after the age of 55, but you can bet your life, the insurance companies have it all covered.

The fact's are probably more will die than live, otherwise no money in the pot and Insurance companies go bankrupt, which is probably why the pension age is going up.

The fact that medicine keeps you a live longer, only minimises the risks, it doesn't really allow you the edge to plan 10 or more years in advance at the age of 60 especially if genetic factors are involved, the risks are lowered even more.

Immune system is deteriorating and cancer would be more likely and more quickly, though yes, why not give them the job of cleaning up, once the dangers are explained to them.

You have to admire the selflessness of people willing to put their lives on the line for others. +1

[earthfriendly]

The BBC correspondent who interviewed Yamada was on radio yesterday. The participants felt that they themselves have benefited from the nuclear policy and should not leave the cleanup burden to the younger generation. And when asked what his wife thought about his involvement, wife was very supportive and wanted to join him. Wife is in her 40s. Shared burden and destiny! And a sense of fairness.

The Japanese have a great sense of community. You hear from gaijin (foreigners) on how they misplaced their wallets or possessions in the train, only to find its way back to the owner a week later. The items had traveled a long distance, thru many police jurisdictions to eventually track down the owner. The police do not see it as a waste of taxpayers money or their time to take part in this community building exercise. The glue that helps to bond this community has been set in place. It is strong and powerful. And when a disaster like the tsunami strikes, there will not a shortage of helping hands.

When people feel connected, there is less need to indulge in illegal activites, freeing up the resources of law enforcement. Less time spent on catching crooks = more time spend on helping the community.

What goes around comes around. It is a cycle.

[l'ange qui passe]

Japanese people are individually admirable. The refugees who once experienced the hell and have lost everything still are collected, considerate of others and can behave with dignity. They will never give up coping with the adversity. There have been few lootings and no riot by the panicking people. I found a funny article in a paper… a notorious motorcycle-gang based on the devastated area has decided to dissolve the party, because they thought this was not the time to cause troubles but they wanted to do more meaningful and productive things for people. They confessed their intention to be engaged in volunteer activities instead of harassing people!

It is understandable that the 9-year old kid who had lost everything still had compassion for others; or the elderly offered to take over the dangerous roles for the nuclear plant for the sake of younger generations. All represent the Japanese Spirit. They have such a high-standard human dignity as long as they are ordinary and faceless people…

On the other hand it was hopelessly shameful that the executives of TEPCO (that had been considered a blue-chip corporation for a long time) including the CEO had been hiding somewhere and tried to escape from their responsibilities for many days since the earthquake. It took a long time for them to get aware of the seriousness of the disaster and the following consequences. Their initial concern was not knowing/disclosing the reality and protecting human lives, but how to avoid spoiling the plant and losing the business, and that led to the refusal of the rescue offers from the USA and France.

Another shameful thing is the current big mess of the Japanese government. It also has little awareness about the reality of the county they govern, but what they are doing right now is trying to drag down the current prime minister, while there is an urgent need for them to work together and form a cooperative structure to overcome such a national worst crisis. They just use the disaster for the development of politics for their own benefits. It is not the time for infighting but they have to do more meaningful and productive things on a mission to save the country (they do not realize the fact that even the gang boys did!)…

As a Japanese, I am proud of the high spirit of ordinary people, but I don’t understand why they turn out to be idiots once they get some social power and statuses. Too extreme…

[earthfriendly]

l'ange qui passe, it is nice to hear from the Japanese perspective. Are you now in Japan? An American Japanese friend would say some international press has overblown the story while in Japan, most parts are unaffected and still goes about their daily lives. The magnitude and triple disasters sound bad enough to me. The press coverage in Japan is more subdued?

As a Japanese, I am proud of the high spirit of ordinary people, but I don’t understand why they turn out to be idiots once they get some social power and statuses. Too extreme…

Some occupations and positions tend to attract certain personalty traits like the power hungry or control freaks. Political arena being one of them.

[earthfriendly]

I found a funny article in a paper… a notorious motorcycle-gang based on the devastated area has decided to dissolve the party, because they thought this was not the time to cause troubles but they wanted to do more meaningful and productive things for people. They confessed their intention to be engaged in volunteer activities instead of harassing people!

I have also heard of yakuza (gangsters) issuing public apologies when people complain about them making a noisy racket in their neighborhoods. They may be gangsters but they are also gentlemen. There's no conflict there .

They just use the disaster for the development of politics for their own benefits. It is not the time for infighting but they have to do more meaningful and productive things on a mission to save the country (they do not realize the fact that even the gang boys did!)…

It is an insult to the gangsters to be compared to the politicians . Even gangsters know the difference between what is right and what is wrong .

[bathad]

The Japanese tend to become dumb once they form a group.

They have a strong cliquish nature as a people, hold fast to vested interests, create inefficient systems and rules, avoid competition and new comers, have xenophobic attitudes, restrict everything and have a strong gruop mentality. But I think that's more or less natures of Confucian groups.

The BBC correspondent who interviewed Yamada was on radio yesterday. The participants felt that they themselves have benefited from the nuclear policy and should not leave the cleanup burden to the younger generation. And when asked what his wife thought about his involvement, wife was very supportive and wanted to join him. Wife is in her 40s. Shared burden and destiny! And a sense of fairness.

The Japanese have a great sense of community. You hear from gaijin (foreigners) on how they misplaced their wallets or possessions in the train, only to find its way back to the owner a week later. The items had traveled a long distance, thru many police jurisdictions to eventually track down the owner. The police do not see it as a waste of taxpayers money or their time to take part in this community building exercise. The glue that helps to bond this community has been set in place. It is strong and powerful. And when a disaster like the tsunami strikes, there will not a shortage of helping hands.

When people feel connected, there is less need to indulge in illegal activites, freeing up the resources of law enforcement. Less time spent on catching crooks = more time spend on helping the community.

What goes around comes around. It is a cycle.

[bathad]

The Japanese are very xenophobic by nature. Because they want to maintain the unity of a group, they tend to avoid new comers, foreigners, immigrants, etc. They are not interested in increasing the diversity of a group. They would rater maintain the unity of a group.

PHOTOS OF PLACES IN JAPAN WHICH EXCLUDE OR RESTRICT NON-JAPANESE CUSTOMERS
http://www.debito.org/roguesgallery.html

In Japan even Japanese-descent Brazillians are being discriminated against.

Brazzil - People - September 2003

Japanese Brazilian, Stay Off Japan!
A Japanese Brazilian living in Japan must have a strong heart,
and stomach, and a strong sense of oneself, in order not to get
lost and crazy in the sea of Japanese coldness and rejection.
When the Japanese cannot avoid seeing that these Brazilian
Japanese do have a culture, their reaction is disgust.
http://www.brazzil.com/2003/html/articl ... 0sep03.htm

Brazilian files discrimination suit
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ ... 902a9.html

[bathad]

American comments on the earthquake:

http://i.imgur.com/uZbK6.jpg

[bathad]

Singapore calls India "stupid", Japan "fat loser"

http://news.oneindia.in/2010/12/12/sing ... egate.html

In one of the cables, Singapore's Ambassador Tommy Koh called Japan "the big fat loser" and "stupidity, bad leadership and lack of vision" for Japan's position in Asian region.