5 ms·

I have great respect for Patrick, and usually agree with him, but in this case I think his conclusion is far off-mark. Japanese citizens need our help, on a ma

by portman 16y ago

I have great respect for Patrick, and usually agree with him, but in this case I think his conclusion is far off-mark. Japanese citizens need our help, on a massive scale. The government may not need any assistance, but the families and communities ravaged by the disaster have an unbounded need for aid. I've lived in Uganda and Cambodia, two countries which get a disproportionate share of Western aid. Yet still, even with all those development dollars, a $50 gift can completely transform an individual's life. I've seen it happen. If your house, your church, your community, and much of your extended family has been annihilated, and you're rebuilding your life from scratch, then you need our help, no matter how well-equipped your government is. Please give, and give generously.

Lost_BiomedE 16y ago
The government is in a bad situation. Their finances weren't great going into the disaster. They have an aging population and have to import everything. This is going to spark an economic disaster as well. http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20110314-japan-persian-gulf-energy http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20110314-japan-persian-gulf-e...
- iujyhgtfhj 16y ago
  But enough about your own problems - how is Japan?
grasshoper 16y ago
I was going to donate to aid organizations to help supply food and water, but I guess I should send some nuclear engineering textbooks and maybe my old exams from Nuclear Engineering 101. That's obviously the best and only way for the average American to help, what with our expertise on these matters. I've also included this link[1] to the wikipedia article discussing the current situation involving the threatened nuclear reactors; hopefully, this will elucidate matters for Japanese officials. Maybe someone can help with the translations. We should also send them the most insightful reader comments from CNN.com, reddit, and YouTube. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Japanese_nuclear_incidents http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Japanese_nuclear_incidents
- angus77 16y ago
  My deeply-ingrained image of the Ugly American get the better of me here. I actually thought you were serious until halfway through the post, and was mentally preparing a response to rip you a new asshole.
- adrianwaj 16y ago
  Dodge tsunami charity scams http://www.atg.wa.gov/BlogPost.aspx?id=27544 http://www.atg.wa.gov/BlogPost.aspx?id=27544
donw 16y ago
Japan is the third largest economy in the world. Uganda and Cambodia don't even make it into the top hundred. Most of those 'development dollars' never even make their way remotely close to the people in third-world countries; the graft and corruption sees to that. I live in Tokyo, and it's pretty insulting to hear this kind of shit. Japan can certainly use the short-term help, especially from trained rescue workers, as well as helicopter pilots (as long as they come with their own helicopter). Help is definitely appreciated. But with or without 'our' help, Japan will recover. The real problems here are the disruption in the supply chains. The oil refineries and stores along the east coast are all offline, and in the three hardest-hit areas, many roads are unusable. This makes it really hard to get supplies in, even though there's plenty flowing in from the rest of the country. On the social side, Japan is a group-oriented culture, with deep ties stretching all over the country. The refugees have the entire nation behind them in rebuilding their lives, homes, and communities. Speaking of communities, people here don't go to church. Shinto-buddhism doesn't really work that way. While there are Christians here, they're a small, and very tough, minority. I'm probably going to eat a bunch of downvotes for this, but it's irritating as hell that everybody overseas thinks that we're either all dead, or that I'm living in a tent.
- pyre 16y ago
  This is like saying that people in New Orleans didn't need help after Katrina just because I lived nowhere near Louisiana. Don't take your frustration at 'the West' for thinking that people in Tokyo are as hard hit as the areas to the north out on others. Just because life goes on in Tokyo does not mean that there is no crisis to the north. Your entire post comes across to me as high arrogance. If by Shinto-buddhism, you're referring to Shin Buddhism (aka Jōdo Shinshū), then yes. People go to Temple and celebrate different holidays than Christians, but to say "people here don't go to church" is quibbling over the terms "church" vs "temple," IMO. You probably see a different side in Tokyo, b/c as I understand it a lot of people move from the country to 'the city' and don't donate back to the temples that they originated from. In a lot of ways, they are probably like non-practicing Christians or Agnostics (i.e. not going to services regularly, but maybe going on holidays, or requesting last rites on their death bed). That comes across to me as less about the religion and more about urbanization.
mc32 16y ago
I'm going to agree with you (portman). I think it's obvious that hopping on a plane and thinking one will be of any use on the ground is grossly misguided. Yes. Absolutely. However to dismiss aid saying "we're a rich country, we can handle it" sounds strange. On average, the country is rich, yes. On the ground, each one of the people huddled in shelters is not rich (wealthy). These are people who will not have jobs for some time to come. The government itself is massively in debt (over 200% of GDP). So, to assume the voice for the whole country, especially the devastated areas, while seated in a comfy 2DK in Tokyo rings a little hollow. A bit like the emperor going on TV _days_ after the event and pretty much just saying, I'm with you, persevere, we're all suffering, look, I'm even forgoing the convenience of electricity for two hours a day (what? what? what does that even mean?) I'd say give aid organizations which can help in the affected areas. People are going to be displaced for a _long_ time, they will need food, medicines, supplies, etc. This is not going to be over in a month. Money will be needed to help these people survive while they sort their lives out. In addition, Japan being a country of relatively old people, there are quite a few who have no relatives. Or the relatives live very far away and cannot help. I know you're proud of Japan. I would hope all foreigners in every country would adopt their new homeland they way you have. Still, I think you should drop the pride a little and understand the gravity of the situation with a little more humility.

by portman 16y ago

Lost_BiomedE 16y ago

The government is in a bad situation. Their finances weren't great going into the disaster. They have an aging population and have to import everything. This is going to spark an economic disaster as well. http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20110314-japan-persian-gulf-energy http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20110314-japan-persian-gulf-e...

iujyhgtfhj 16y ago
But enough about your own problems - how is Japan?

grasshoper 16y ago

I was going to donate to aid organizations to help supply food and water, but I guess I should send some nuclear engineering textbooks and maybe my old exams from Nuclear Engineering 101. That's obviously the best and only way for the average American to help, what with our expertise on these matters. I've also included this link[1] to the wikipedia article discussing the current situation involving the threatened nuclear reactors; hopefully, this will elucidate matters for Japanese officials. Maybe someone can help with the translations. We should also send them the most insightful reader comments from CNN.com, reddit, and YouTube. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Japanese_nuclear_incidents http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Japanese_nuclear_incidents

angus77 16y ago
My deeply-ingrained image of the Ugly American get the better of me here. I actually thought you were serious until halfway through the post, and was mentally preparing a response to rip you a new asshole.
adrianwaj 16y ago
Dodge tsunami charity scams http://www.atg.wa.gov/BlogPost.aspx?id=27544 http://www.atg.wa.gov/BlogPost.aspx?id=27544

donw 16y ago

Japan is the third largest economy in the world. Uganda and Cambodia don't even make it into the top hundred. Most of those 'development dollars' never even make their way remotely close to the people in third-world countries; the graft and corruption sees to that. I live in Tokyo, and it's pretty insulting to hear this kind of shit. Japan can certainly use the short-term help, especially from trained rescue workers, as well as helicopter pilots (as long as they come with their own helicopter). Help is definitely appreciated. But with or without 'our' help, Japan will recover. The real problems here are the disruption in the supply chains. The oil refineries and stores along the east coast are all offline, and in the three hardest-hit areas, many roads are unusable. This makes it really hard to get supplies in, even though there's plenty flowing in from the rest of the country. On the social side, Japan is a group-oriented culture, with deep ties stretching all over the country. The refugees have the entire nation behind them in rebuilding their lives, homes, and communities. Speaking of communities, people here don't go to church. Shinto-buddhism doesn't really work that way. While there are Christians here, they're a small, and very tough, minority. I'm probably going to eat a bunch of downvotes for this, but it's irritating as hell that everybody overseas thinks that we're either all dead, or that I'm living in a tent.

pyre 16y ago
This is like saying that people in New Orleans didn't need help after Katrina just because I lived nowhere near Louisiana. Don't take your frustration at 'the West' for thinking that people in Tokyo are as hard hit as the areas to the north out on others. Just because life goes on in Tokyo does not mean that there is no crisis to the north. Your entire post comes across to me as high arrogance. If by Shinto-buddhism, you're referring to Shin Buddhism (aka Jōdo Shinshū), then yes. People go to Temple and celebrate different holidays than Christians, but to say "people here don't go to church" is quibbling over the terms "church" vs "temple," IMO. You probably see a different side in Tokyo, b/c as I understand it a lot of people move from the country to 'the city' and don't donate back to the temples that they originated from. In a lot of ways, they are probably like non-practicing Christians or Agnostics (i.e. not going to services regularly, but maybe going on holidays, or requesting last rites on their death bed). That comes across to me as less about the religion and more about urbanization.

mc32 16y ago

I'm going to agree with you (portman). I think it's obvious that hopping on a plane and thinking one will be of any use on the ground is grossly misguided. Yes. Absolutely. However to dismiss aid saying "we're a rich country, we can handle it" sounds strange. On average, the country is rich, yes. On the ground, each one of the people huddled in shelters is not rich (wealthy). These are people who will not have jobs for some time to come. The government itself is massively in debt (over 200% of GDP). So, to assume the voice for the whole country, especially the devastated areas, while seated in a comfy 2DK in Tokyo rings a little hollow. A bit like the emperor going on TV _days_ after the event and pretty much just saying, I'm with you, persevere, we're all suffering, look, I'm even forgoing the convenience of electricity for two hours a day (what? what? what does that even mean?) I'd say give aid organizations which can help in the affected areas. People are going to be displaced for a _long_ time, they will need food, medicines, supplies, etc. This is not going to be over in a month. Money will be needed to help these people survive while they sort their lives out. In addition, Japan being a country of relatively old people, there are quite a few who have no relatives. Or the relatives live very far away and cannot help. I know you're proud of Japan. I would hope all foreigners in every country would adopt their new homeland they way you have. Still, I think you should drop the pride a little and understand the gravity of the situation with a little more humility.