Why The Japanese Aren't Looting

American Thinker ^ | March 15, 2011 | Thomas Lifson, editor and publisher

[2ndDivisionVet]

Very interesting.

[exnavy]

The United States was very much like that when everyone carried a firearm, everywhere.

[Berlin_Freeper]

The Japanese have a high sense of self honor.

While in other places people have a high sense of self.

[4rcane]

Maybe because most Japanese have been thru many earthquake drills already. They were taught what to do and where to go to many times. No doubt most have emergency supplies for themselves already so theres no need to loot

[tsowellfan]

Maybe because most Japanese have been thru many earthquake drills already. They were taught what to do and where to go to many times. No doubt most have emergency supplies for themselves already so theres no need to loot

Yeah, next time we have a disaster I sure do hope they add HDTVs and 12 packs to the emergency box. That way we too can avoid having looters.

[Ronin]

Ironically, this Sunday I was scheduled to join my wife and some friends on a 25 kilometer walk from the center of the city to a small town called Ome as part of a yearly evacuation drill that is one part of the nation’s countless Earthquake preparations.

The quake hit on Friday... Saturday afternoon we checked the website and found the evacuation drill had not been canceled, it was simply postponed until next weekend.

[tsowellfan]

You in Japan now?

[mmercier]

The Japanese are not looting because they are a solidified united culture.

An alien concept here, and a factor that made them such a formidable adversary.

[Lancey Howard]

"Japanese people," he told me, "are like passengers on a cruise ship. They know that they are stuck with the same people around them for the foreseeable future, so they are polite, and behave in ways that don't make enemies, and keep everything on a friendly and gracious basis."

"Americans," he said, "are like ferryboat passengers. They know that at the end of a short voyage they will get off and may never see each other again. So if they push ahead of others to get off first, there are no real consequences to face. It is every man for himself."

[tsowellfan]

The Japanese are not looting because they are a solidified united culture.

How about Italy? Same? (hmm... now that I think of it, maybe Italy's not such a good example as I heard it was once a bunch of different little countries)

[DGHoodini]

No Democrats?

[tsowellfan]

I’ve never been to Japan but I’ve heard it’s very high tech. I was in Hong Kong and was amazed at all the high tech and gadgits I’ve never seen before. I wonder how Japan compares to Hong Kong in that way?

[4rcane]

Even if you want to loot, theres nothing to loot. All the valuables are either out at sea or damaged. All the places hit by the tsunami were flattened. 5 Tonnes trucks, cars and even houses were towed out to sea

[tsowellfan]

True

[Vanders9]

The United States was very much like that when 90% of the population lived in communities of less that 500 people. In other words, before the majority adopted faceless and souless urban living.

[mmercier]

Read some Machiavelli, the Discourses.

Italy is a freak show.

England during WWII would be a better example, but no longer today.

Japan is a highly insular culture. The people accept and desire uniformity. They have nuclear reactors blowing up everywhere at this moment, yet there is no panic.

The message from the government is calm and consistent. There is little panic and no civil unrest.

If we had one reactor blow off its outer containment in California, half the state would be Idaho within a week.

[tsowellfan]

However, I do think the people from New Orleans would be able to find SOMETHING worth taking there. They're great waders too. We should offer them to Japan for a few weeks. While scavenging through the piles they may be able to find some survivors the dogs miss.

[mmercier]

Be in Idaho.

Typing in the dark with no ability to read my dictionary... A snoring wife, and a frigging dog and cat sleeping on me.

Another mistake.

[Ronin]

Yep. And I was here last Friday, too.

[lmr]

"Americans," he said, "are like ferryboat passengers. They know that at the end of a short voyage they will get off and may never see each other again. So if they push ahead of others to get off first, there are no real consequences to face. It is every man for himself."

I love this country as much as everyone else, but we have become a bunch of rude assholes these days and it's getting worse. I have to agree with what he's saying to an extent. It's true in quite a few places, not everywhere, at least not yet but we are getting there quickly.