Topic: Major tsunami damage in N Japan after 8.9 quake

[kadosho]

Been catching up with friends of mine residing in the area(s) affected. Doing okay, made it to a safe area.
News all around the net, even ANN is helping http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/

[Mooning Freddy]

It's almost always "Here's some big news... but check out how it affects US because we know that's what you really care about".  Or, at least that's the way it is implied.

I really hope that's not how the news networks in America work... While America IS quite an egocentric country, still...
My country is a very egocentric country, no argument about that. Yet even in my country the day the tsunamis started Israeli Channel 2 (the most popular news network) reported exclusively about Japan. And it's not like Israel even has strong connection with Japan, hell, I doubt think we even have an embassy there.

And you know what else? There has been a terrorist attack here two days ago. A terrorist found his way into an Israeli settlement and murdered an entire family. 5 people, including small children. That's not an event which happens here every day.
Nevertheless, I think Japan received just as much coverage, plus Channel 2 sent their top reporter there.  

Maybe that's a bad thing after all. People in my country are so used to seeing killings that it's not as shocking anymore. A national disaster in the always strong and stable Japan seems so much more surprising than continued violence between Arabs and Jews.
I wish nature was the only thing humanity would have had to deal with.  

[uzo]

I'll just leave this here.

http://www.dimondsoft.com/hotlink/1299918227713.jpg

[Abnormal Freak]

Holy shit, ha ha. I could only get through a few of those before feeling like vomiting, but for some reason I find it kind of funny—sort of "hee hee" laughing at their stupidity and heartlessness kind of thing. The Pearl Harbor bombing was so damn long ago; two or more generations of adults since then. Sheesh. What now—a disaster in Germany, with posts of, "FUCK THOSE NAZI DOUCHEBAGS!"?

:|

[Grim_Creeper]

People are tired of america's involvement being insisted upon in things that THEY see as a waste of money. You'll note that THEY is all caps. Don't get to flaming me.

While I agree that a home state takes priority, I do believe we should be doing something about the reactors, since they are a danger to that whole area and possibly us too. And to an extent they ARE correct. Federally collected tax money WILL be spent on getting the situation under control.

[X]

That a very sick read there uzo. The only reason why they'd think that in the first place is because they were brought up believing it.

"Remember Pearl harbor" nuff said 

I remember Pearl harbor but do I act like them? Hell no! I love Japan and I think they have a very vibrant and wonderful culture. I would love to visit that country someday.

-X

[X]

Sorry for the double post, but today I saw on the news that they've already started the emergency venting on their nuclear reactors. At first I thought that one of the reactors had blown as you see this mushroom-type cloud erupt out of the structure, but fortunately that's not the case. Whew!

-X

[Mooning Freddy]

I'm terribly sorry in advance...

(click to show/hide)

(Stolen and translated from "Ho-Lo", a Hebrew black humor comics site.) 

[Bloodreign]

Uzo, that picture rather sickens me, none of those fucks were even around for Pearl Harbor, I'd say the two A Bombs we dropped on them was punishment enough.

I don't even know why you posted it to begin with dude, it's tasteless.

[Kale]

Uzo, that picture rather sickens me, none of those fucks were even around for Pearl Harbor, I'd say the two A Bombs we dropped on them was punishment enough.

I don't even know why you posted it to begin with dude, it's tasteless.

No kidding, one guy also got his history completely wrong. Japan didn't nuke pearl harbor, US nuked hiroshima.

[X]

The nuking of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was never necessary to begin with. The only reasons why the Americans did it was A: A science experiment. To see the effects of such a weapon on human life and major metropolitan areas. To this day those scientists regret ever having participated in such a bastard experiment. And B: America wanted the whole world to know just what kind of new weapon they had up their sleeve. To deter others countries from going against their so-called great nation. Japan didn't need to be nuked as defeat was already inevitable, but america wanted to make a statement and they did so in the worst way. What uzo showed us is exactly what is wrong with the US. It's a sick read but it rings true about the current conditions within that country. The youths are taught in ignorance and can't even really think for themselves. They're forced by the older generation to remember things like pearl harbor, and in such a negative light that they just become a part of the problem rather then the solution. Personally I can't wait for their current government to collapse...which might be around nine years from now if they keep going the way their going.

-X

 

[Grim_Creeper]

Sure. Bash America outright.

I wasn't there and I don't presume to know for certain why they did what they did. But I think the idea that they did it out of blatantly base reasons is false. More likely that they needed to do it because they knew,

A - That every japanese person there would be fighting them, and that the war would drag on for years and years longer.

And

B - That the soviets were poised to go to a WORLD ENDING war footing with the US and needed a reason to not do so.

This information was given to me by a veteran who was actually THERE. Who was alive, and IN the military, AND in the South pacific, at the time. If he didn't know what he was talking about, no one does.

[Successor The Cruel]

I think the fact of the matter is that you rarely get to the top of the world by being Mr. Nice Guy all the time.  I hold that if another country was in America's shoes, they would behave similarly - maybe some a little better, and many others terribly worse.  Just look through history.  Ever since, hell, I dunno', Egypt, world powers have done what they can to gain power and hold onto it.  I don't really consider myself all that much of a patriot, but what bothers me sometimes is when Europeans get a holier than thou attitude and it wasn't that long ago that they had huge empires and oppressed/took advantage of practically everyone in the southern hemisphere, not to mention they were pretty much behind the worst wars the world has ever seen.  I'm not accusing anyone in this thread, just kind of thinking out loud.

Also, I really care about what happens in my home state, where I and the people I really care about live.  When our beaches are closed and we have warnings that a tsunami (!?!?!?) could hit us, and that our boats are sinking, then I don't mind seeing that on the news... if I really watched the news, that is : p
Not that I'm saying our situation is comparable at all with Japan's, but still.

[darkjak951]

The situation in japan is pretty grave but what pisses me off is that a lot of people i know including are more concerned about anime/manga/giant gundam statue collapsing. I find that to be extremely heartless, I bet they wouldn't react the same way if it happened to us

[Kale]

Well, duh. It's something far away that isn't a direct impact to their lives. I would think they thought the same about 9/11, if not, they're hypocrits (unless someone they know died in that and not this). By the way, I can't say I got more sympathy than them... Yep, I'm pretty heartless... I don't wish them ill, and I do hope they get together better, but I'm not one to go out of my way to help either.

Also, most people are always, omg it's so sad..... but they don't do anything, so they aren't much better either.