looting :Japan VS US

in my opinion..if americans were in japan, from low income citys, citys in japan would look just like katrina and sections of bronx and brooklyn.. like a bomb just hit and thats human damage! let alone reactor damage!

reply to post by AdAbsurdum


Do you even know what humanity is? I don't mean it like "aliens will destroy humanity":

1.
all human beings collectively; the human race; humankind.
2.
the quality or condition of being human; human nature.
3.
the quality of being humane; kindness; benevolence.

reply to post by WhizPhiz


Yes, I do know what it means.

It means that the actions taken by westerners during Katrina was also an expression of human nature.

While you may hold one view as higher than another, that doesn't make it so. The cultural outlooks are different but while some actions are altruistic one should be careful to not confuse that with nationalism.

reply to post by AdAbsurdum

Yes, except it is shame as a result of guilt....their culture condones suicide (hari-kari or sepuku) for failure. I could add something else but it would be deemed racist.

reply to post by Rocky Black


But the looting that they are talking about im assuming is non-essential looting of stuff that isn't essential to survival.

Survival of the fittest is such a stupid way to look at it. I for one would help anyone I could no matter how unprepared they were in comparison to myself. Working together for the good of those in your community is far more important than just looking after yourself

reply to post by ThaLoccster


Not only that they will try to break in your house and steal your stuff.


Come on they will kill you for looking at them. The japanese have a totally diffeent mind set. They are a very nice people. If I were there at this time I would then again be looking for shelter from the us embassy or a local friend as they are very friendly. Here if there was a catastrophy then our peeps are a little more hostile as we have a serious crime problem. The japanes really punsih bad people in a way that makes them think twice about commiting the crime. In our prisons we make more brutal killers rapist and haters.

Our society is much different from theirs is.


I miss Japan it was always nice to go there. I just hated the flight as it was so long.

reply to post by CosmicCitizen


No, it isn't as a result of guilt.

Ritual suicide is performed to "save face".

Essentially you know you have failed those that relied upon you to serve out your duties. By taking you own life you make the greatest of apologies and others are spared for your shame because you took it upon yourself.

Katrina in New Orleans was an aberration.

Compare instead the San Francisco earthquake of 1989. While it was not anything on the scale of this year's Japan earthquake, it was still enough to shut down the city, with no electricity or water for most of the area's residence. There was only a tiny amount of looting. And the whole of California and much of the nation worked hand-in-hand to rebuild the city. I just googled and found lists of banks and even law firms(!) that donated cash to the search and rescue and recovery efforts.

Or the "Great Flood of 1993" that devastated St. Louis, MO. An example of a metropolis practically wiped out by the worst flood in 75 years. No significant looting took place, even though St. Louis has a large urban underclass just like New Orleans.

So it isn't the case that "Self-centered Americans" never cooperate in the wake of tragedy. Sometimes, they aren't lazy and wicked.

The Japanese people are of a higher quality and don't take to looting, or crime very much if at all. They are just a higher class of quality people. My buddy lived and worked in Japan, and he said it is very rare for any crime to happen, and one can walk the streets at any time in safety. While murders are an every day affair in the US, he said it was extremely rare and made national news whenever it happened there.

after katrina, i wouldn't call taking food,medical supplies and things that be might need to survive looting.
it was needed, and i'm sure the people who lost this kind of stuff to victims, although hurt, understood the need.
what i do call looting are the one who took 50pairs of nike's, or washing machnes, dryers, tv's and stereo's, jewelery, clothes that are extremly expensive and inappropriate for wearing in the situation they were in.
i mean what you gonna do with it, it's gonna be month's before power is back on, and you ain't gonna go to any party's. people whole took these kind of things are nothing but plain out thieves.

now as far as the japaneses go, there old way of life back before cook sailed in, was based a lot on honor, and they took pride in the way they lived. i believe that a lot of them still hold on to that tradition and thats why you don't see it there.

also japan is pretty well emergency ready , and they respond to thing pdq. but in some thing as big as this no country can be 100% prepared.

Reply to post by Rocky Black

"Listen when catasrophy strikes your on your own. it is called survival of the fittest."

This might be the real difference between US and Japan mentality. Japanese don't think they're on their own, they unite. You automatically imagine that others would make profit on your resources, therefore you would make profit on other's resources too.
The snake biting its tail.

And this survival of the fittest thing, I see it a lot of times, and it is caricatural. It's like people don't have other values than the ones shown in disaster movies.

Well, Japan proved that a disaster can be endured without looting, but I guess that won't stop other countries to loot if the same happens.

(we're talking about US here, but I'm pretty sure it would be the same in France, Africa, UK, Spain, etc)


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

I think Americans panic and go overboard too quick. But it's not surprising with your media and news.

The second any fabric of authority leaves, you all start panicking, shooting, looting and going mental - thinking that every day is the last. And try and prove me wrong here, but almost every god damn survival thread on here is by an American.

But you're a young country, Japan is a lot older than you and has had time to mature, this isn't the first or last disaster they've had. Whereas (a lot), of Americans seem to exist in a strange state of Christian-induced end time paranoia. Which is slightly amusing, but ultimately a little bit worrying.

Isn't that the reason you all have guns, because nobody trusts each other in the USA?

No offence intended to anyone, I like Americans, you're a bit quirky and a bit wet behind the ears, but ultimately good people. But stop thinking the world is ending, learn to love your neighbours and start growing as a community and you won't go far wrong.

Why is there no looting in Japan?

It is at times of true crisis that we find out how civilized we are. I wish this would get more coverage because right now the Japanese people are schooling the rest of the world in how to be civilized. Nothing is more worthless than a human who would take advantage of a crisis to steal from his fellow humans. A civilized human would accept death without complaint before he snatched food from someone who needed it.

Originally posted by larrydavid
Too many people in America don't care about others or even themselves. They have no respect or honor.

To put it bluntly, alot of Americans just don't give a s##t. They have nothing, so they feel like they have nothing to lose.

bull#. you weren't in nyc on 9/11. we came together as a people and helped each other. we mourned together.

reply to post by clintdelicious


How funny to hear you say that.

Does you no good when you end up dead.

I for one would protect my family first at all costs then protect my self.

I am no good to my family dead.

You not going to be able to help anyone because your going to be dead on the side of the road or dieing in a hospital from rad poisioning. Which is a very bad way to go.

Just get prepared and don't say I ddin't know. The more you know the better off you will be.

At first I thought the news was just not reporting the incidents as Japan is notriously minialistic to negative news stories. Then I watched a report of various areas running out of food. They showed the lines at the markets and the people leaving. They were calm and *only took what they needed immediately.* I would almost guarantee if something of that magnatuide happened in the US people would not be standing in orderly lines and would scoop up all they could possibly carry and thensome. Not only that, the stores themselves would inflate prices to an absurd amount thus causing the panic, looting, and the 'it's all mine' mentality. Since the 80's, perhaps earlier, we have become a nation of NOW and MORE. These things get taken from us and we freak. A lot of this has to do with marketing and availability but in the end, the way we behave is ultimately our responsibility.

Originally posted by reluctantpawn
I find it interesting to see theat there is little or no looting that appears to be going on in Japan, even after the most devastating disaster to hit the country. If this were the US I am sure it would be different. All we have to do is look at the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, and the pics and vids of the looting that went on there.

What is the difference between here and there? In my opinion it might be the work ethic of Japan VS the entitlement mentality of the people of the US. The people of Japan cannot comprehend taking something that is not theirs even in an emergency situation. On the other hand the people of the US feel that they are entitled to help themselves to anything that is not bolted down, particularly in the urban environment.

However, one thing I have noticed that is comparable to both countries is the lack of preparedness of the people.

Does anyone else here have any other idea on these differences?

respectfully

rreluctantpawn

Ever seen the movie Lord of War? The people in Africa loot and take apart an entire plane in a night. If that doesn't tell you something...

reply to post by dr_strangecraft


Correct and it usually takes a life altering event for them to see that they are very little in the grand scheme of things.

Like I said a life altering event. It kind of makes you think twice.

reply to post by AdAbsurdum


They are all related...if you didnt feel guilty you would have no shame and if there was no shame then no need to save face or try to make amends by self sacrifice (ritual suicide).

Originally posted by Rocky Black
reply to post by mayabong

 

Listen when catasrophy strikes your on your own. it is called survival of the fittest.
And I can say I am pretty fit to say the least.

And that... ladies & gentleman... is exactly why America is failing.

IRM