http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/edwest/100079703/why-is-there-no-looting-in-japan/ This could get...interesting...real fast.
The Japanese are diciplined people. Besides, if you tried to loot something, the Ninjas would kill you immediately.
Has to do with culture and the way they are raised. It has nothing to do with ethnicity or skin color. The Japanese are among the most law abiding people I have encountered anywhere. Even their organized crime class, the Yakuza, operates under a strictly rigid code in some ways similar to Bushido.
I remember the power outage shortly after the 9/11/01 attacks in New York, instead of looting most folks simply sought candlelight comfort from fellow New Yorkers.
I'm sure there is some looting but certainly not on the scale that would happen in America or other countries. Also they are being very careful to not show any bodies either. I've yet to see one dead Japanese. Not that I'm looking for it but usually in such a large disaster like this it's hard to not see them on the news.
The Japs don't raise generations of chavs addicted to welfare as is done in Britain. When you raise people to claim everything in life free of expense, it's hardly surprising they'd think looting in times of adversity is acceptable.
There are many factors. But for one thing it is cool weather. Hot weather has been directly associated with the outbreak and intensity of social disorder and chaos for centuries.
It is definitely a cultural thing. I think it has very much to do with honor and not insulting the honor of yourself and your family. I remember when I visited there, they do not even card people when they purchase alcoholic beverages, because to violate the law by purchasing it when you are underage would be un-honorable.
Conversely look at the pressure that level of conformity puts that culture under and the ensuing price that winds up being paid. Their suicide rate is through the roof. I think that if you ever wanted an example of a monolithic culture Japan would be close to being THAT model.
I recently read an interesting distinction about looting, and on reflection I think I agree with it. It read something like this: "In times of disaster, there are looters and scavengers. How do you tell the difference? A scavenger is the guy coming out of the grocery store with a case of bottled water and canned goods to feed his family. A looter is the guy coming out of WalMart with a 52" inch plasma TV on his shoulder. You help scavengers. You shoot looters." On the whole, I don't find much argument with that statement. Of course, I haven't heard of either one going on in Japan.
That's really the good and the bad of it right there. I expect them to rebuild stronger than ever, after they examine what went wrong and what went right with their emergency planning and building codes. Interesting side note: I watched NBC Dateline last night and one of their reporters mentioned that the Japanese are surprised and gratified that the world cares about them. The reporter said one elderly woman hugged them and thanked them for being there. I don't which would be harder emotionally as a reporter, seeing a society collapse in chaos in the face of disaster the way Haiti did or trying to remain detached in the face of such patient, orderly endurance of such a terrible tragedy in Japan.
Up until you get to the part where culture and the way you're raised have a great deal to do with ethnicity and skin color.
True, but if you could, say, take one 'problem' ethnicity, separate 'em from that culture at birth and then raise them with the proper values, they would be culturally indistinguishable from the one that raised them. The welfare mentality, the extremist mentality- these things aren't genetically coded. They are learned behaviors. If you learn 'em the proper behavior when they are young, then these issues don't come up. Or at least they are FAR more rare. There's always the occasional 'bad seed' no matter what the circumstances of childhood are.
I doubt anything went wrong with their emergency planning and building codes. There isn't much that will stand up to a 9.0 earthquake. Might as well try to resist an asteroid strike.
I've seen pictures showing lines of people lined up for water and supplies. The line must have stretched for a half-mile but the people were patient and respectful. I can't see anything as orderly here in the states if we had a similar situation.
Can't really disagree with that. However, I guarantee that the Japanese are extremely thorough and will look at all possibilities for improving their preparedness and response.
I guess it depends on what level of preparedness you are talking about. On the personal level I dont think there is much that can be done to improve that. Here is a perspective on it: In light of this I have to wonder how far apart the Japanese are from the Haitians?
I have a hard time believing the Japanese weren't a lot more prepared than the Haitians. The comparison seems kind of strained to me.
Well, it's not the only factor, that's all. The level of societal trust in Japan is probably orders of magnitude higher than in Haiti. Societal trust involving citizens trusting their neighbors and being willing to turn to them for mutual assistance, trust in emergency services, etc. Let's also not forget that Japan is a wealthy, westernized, industrialized nation compared to Haiti. They are far better off in the wake of this disaster than Haiti could possibly be, and the people know there is no real need to panic or what not.
Yeah, but they ain't got a half dozen reactors melting down, either. People tend not to loot in areas that are radioactive wastelands. Perhaps they should loot what they can before it has a half life of 1000 years.
Yeah perhaps you should shut the fuck up and think before posting in the future. There is no radioactive wasteland.
