Why is there no looting in Japan?
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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
In the wake of Japan's deadly earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power
plant explosions, we have witnessed the almost indescribable chaos that
follows a disaster of this magnitude: loss of life, severe injuries,
homelessness, lack of water, food and proper medical care, the physical
destruction of towns and cities, and a growing fear of radioactive
contamination from power plants that seem beyond anyone's ability to
control.
But one heart-wrenching byproduct of disasters like this one has been missing in Japan, and that’s looting and lawlessness.
Looting is something we see after almost every tragedy; for example:
last year's earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, the floods in England in
2007, and of course Hurricane Katrina back in 2005. It happens when some
people who've seen life as they know it get tossed out the window feel
that all morality has been tossed out too. It's survival of the fittest
and whatever you can get your hands on is yours, no matter who it
belongs to.
But that's not happening in Japan.
Journalist and social commentator Ed West wrote in the UK Telegraph
yesterday how struck he was by the Japanese culture throughout this
ordeal. He observed how supermarkets cut their prices in the days
following the quake and how vending machine owners were giving out free
drinks as "people work together to survive." And West was most surprised
by the fact that there was no looting.
Many have pointed to the popularity of Japan's distinctive Buddhist
and Shinto religions as well as how the values of conformity and
consensus are considered virtues in their culture. That's one
explanation, but it probably has something to do with remaining true to
your moral code even in the darkest hours.
Here’s my question to you: Why is there no looting in Japan?
Read More: http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/15/why-i...
Top Opinion
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Disko Pickle 2011/03/15 23:11:38
The Democrats have created a worthless entitlement junky class that resorts to violence around every corner as well as demanding that the government do everything for them. These people look for every excuse to attack and abuse their fellow Americans because they have done so their entire lives. The Democrats blame other Americans and create hate for other Americans and these people look for every excuse to rise up against their fellow Americans.
I am not too sure why others seem to think they are secret and closet "socialists"
One poster said :
"value community over the individual."
Don't socialist tend to put more importance on the community over the individual?
The very same poster said right after that:
"it'd be unthinkable to screw someone else over for personal gain."....
Doesn't "collectivist" advocate taking stuff from others by force for the "personal gain" for the other members of the "collective"?...
ignoring the hypocrisy and irony there, now is not the time to try to push your "ideology"..
My prayers go out to those in Japan..
But mostly it's because of the Japanese ethical system promoting self-sacrifice in favor of the community. This is when it shows up at its best. When any nail that sticks up is beaten down, it's where the system fails.
Unfortunately, there are no perfect systems.
Western "guilt" societies like the US or the UK teach us to think individually and develop our own moralities (within a very broad general one.)
On the other hand, traditional Eastern societies such as Japan and China which emphasize interpersonal relations and collectiveness are said to have a “shame culture”
"Guilt" is feeling that you have done something wrong by your own standards.
"Shame" is when everyone else tells tells you you are wrong.
Westerners tend to feel bad for themselves. Japanese tend to feel bad for everyone else.
> If they steal something there is no place to take it to.
> No way to steal in private.
> Nothing to steal.
And apparently they are inherently decent enough not to do certain wildly unacceptable acts in this set of horrible circumstances.
In America we are more like Cowboys, Rugged individualists.
This is good for us but the Japanese work on a whole different thought process.
For example here in America one would be either Liberal or Conservative but in Japan it would not be considered strange to be both.
The Japanese are an unusual and special people.
They will share and make what they have with the resources they have at hand.
Part of this may have come out of the war. Hard times like that tend to bond people together.
They work together in a way similar to ants. Working together for the benefit of the whole.
Americans would be more like cats. They do what they want when they want.
And those shoes.... I want them.
something for nothing. Looting is like wealth distribution, and the Japanese are hard
workers and a proud people.