This article was lifted from Jack Cafferty's blog on CNN Politics by Ashley Manglona, a student at the University of Nevada, La Vegas, who posted it on her Facebook page. The responses to Mr. Cafferty's question about the nature of crime in the days following extrodinary natural disasters seemed refreshingly critical in their spontaneous condemnation of American morality against the backdrop of Japan's current example of civil obedience during its most severe national crisis since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. As usual, I am suspicious when so many people repeat the short list of possible explainations for a social phenomenon as complex as organizing order from the rubble of chaos. Here is an exerpt from Jack's blog followed by a sampleing of views of the situation from average citizens ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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? -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
and here are some of the responses to Ashley's post:
Kevin Blank Yes, I've read about this in the news over the past several days. It's wonderful to know that at least some of us have evolved into a higher order of society for what ever the reasons, i.e. the comments posted at the end of this article. A friend of mine reminded me of a hurricane that we experienced in the latter part of the 80's on Long Island. It wasn't even a nasty hurricane at that. People were fighting on line to get into restaurants. I don't know how we've evolved into spoiled people with a sense of entitlement but it's disgusting.
Jim Mauro Answer - because they understand the meaning of the word, respect.
Steven Albanese the Japanese people show "Grace under pressure." In the US, when our teams win we light fires in the streets. I've seen more fighting on line at the A&P.
Jeff Thomas Japanese corporate executives work at companies equal in size to some of the largest and most successful in the United States yet earn salaries that would hardley excite a job hunting graduate from one of our Ivy league universities.Looting and selfish behavior are not simply impulses the Japanese pride themselves for avoiding, but most vexing to the children of our Western /Christian /Capitalistic struggle for the liberation and perfection of the individual, are actually manifestations of a vaccuum of such impulses, perhaps analogous to a nomad from the Sahara desert avoiding the impulse to make a snow sculpture. The Japanese have developed shame the way we in the West have cultivated guilt. The former serves to balance one's place within the greater community while the latter has the power to destroy an individual from within. Our sense of personal entitlement has enabled us to achieve many good things, one of which is a relatively advanced tolerance for diversity, from which we stand to gain the widest variety of progressive influences. We have always held disdain for those cultures with less to offer than we have to give. Our closest historical allies have always been from a relatively small and homogenous collection of European countries, yet our roots grow deep into the soils of many third world countries with plentiful natural resources. The Japanese on the other hand, have only recently addressed the eight hundred pound gorilla in the room, which is how to accept the idea of cultural diversity from the perspective of many centuries cultivation of the community as the unit measure of an individual's identity. We in the West have much to atone for; the sackings and plunder, the genocides and the swindling . . . and the slaves . . this is the price paid by those we have converted to our Christian/Capitalistic sensibilities who had little technological wampum to trade. Our entitlement was bestowed by Christ and has hovered ever since as our challenge. It will take much less than a hurricane for typical Americans to perform like underfed fighting dogs if so much as a rumor were leaked of a disruption in the supply chain. To engage in the world economy, old xenophobic traditions must fall behind the costumed sense of a new world enthusiasm for diversity. This is the current situation we are witnessing in Japan. The sense of being Japanese has always meant th...at one's intrinsic meaning was inseparable from the achievements of the community and hence the Nation. The hardest thing you can ask from an average American is to sacrifice his individuality for the good of his community or Country. This is simply a collateral consequence of our traditional need to be an individual in the eyes of our God, our community and/or our selves.
Ashley Manglona What do you mean by tolerance for diversity?
Jeff Thomas I use "Cultural diversity" as a term to describe the integration of useful techniques and expressions from areas outside the arena of traditional Western philosophic sensibilities. It was not my intention to suggest that our embrace of Jazz or the Japanese wood block print is a testament for our embrace of the same people who inspired these discoveries and suffered under our prejudices.
Kevin Blank So, in other words, the people of Japan can be just as sinister as you and I (not that we're sinister at all) but prefer to conduct their dark side activities as a group for the benefit of all as opposed to the benefit on the one, right? Wh...y attack within as we'll only hurt our selves? They're society functions as a group, not as individuals making up a group, as does the ant. (no insult intended) After reflecting on my initial response and doing a bit of reading I find myself aligned with your thoughts on this matter. You’re so good, jt. They are no better or worse than you and/or I. They've been raised differently. The potential for ruthlessness as a group isn't any more respectful or honorable than ruthlessness as an individual. Just the same, it is nice to see what appears to be people getting along, wouldn't you say?
Jeff Thomas It is not my intention to level the playing field by directing more light onto the darker sides of our respective natures. I am simply fed up with individuals who lack the sensitivity for a direct challenge of the subtleties of any situation; those individuals who base an impulsive analysis on a superficial impression, yet fail to recognize the need to keep their half-baked opinions in the oven. I am simply a guy who fails to believe that any culture achieves an advantage before rationalizing the price of its success. I believe it is simplistic to assume that the code of discipline and cooperation represented by the Japanese people during this recent crisis can be adopted by societies like our own here in the west by merely emphasizing a collective inventory of our own moral intelligence based solely on the superficial behaviours observed during the current crisis we witness on our Television screens. The cry for a return to mutual respect among Americans is pointless without recognizing first that our Judeo/Christian definition of respect is profoundly alien to the principles indoctrinated into the Japanese culture; a dramatic disparity begun across the span of many centuries. Our Western crime of mutual antagonism, our anxious competition to out-perform our neighbors must be weighed against the very catalyst of its existance, our indoctrination into the cult of the individual. For all its substantive credit during times of crisis, Japan's long history of supression of the individual for the benefit of the greater community has rendered the assimilation of cultural diversity virtually ineffective, empowering the core of its unified identity but only at the cost of those traits which made the Western world singularly diverse and materially profitable. When my neighbor Bob, drove his brand new car up his driveway it was natural and reflexive of me to look over at my ten year old Jeep and wonder. Taking the time to analyze the benefits of my situation against Bob's recent good fortune was all it took to regain confidence in my ability to direct a sober action plan. Our situations were dissimilar enough to support the conclusion that I could either welcome his unique advantages and celebrate his good fortune or draft an strategy to achieve a similar goal. To simply look at Bob and curse my situation is not helpful. I am aware also that in my attempt to shake the situation somewhat, in the hopes of inspiring some of you other people to dig a little deeper and try to learn from the Japanese example, I have used gross generalities which open my flanks to criticism. I implore all of you to force my hand and see what the dealer is holding. That is what is called a dialogue in the truest and most American fashion. This, for all our faults, is what we do best.
Linda Frederick-Magee May I? A people groomed with far more self discipline....
Jeff Thomas
1] What features of self discipline alone could answer for this perpetual resistance of the sexier, more natural instinct to collect and possess that which is desirous and essential, as is offhandedly accredited to the Japanese society?
2] Would the economic achievements of the European/American civilization have been as fruitful without being as traditionally self serving?
3] Could our level of cultural and scientific development throughout the centuries have survived on equal terms in the absence of the philanthropic stimulus of our financial tyrants?
4] Where might Japan be today without a leg-up from scientific and technological/industrial achievements hard earned by Western scientist, technicians and tycoons?
5] Now that Japan has adopted a taste for the bitter fruit, what influences are unique enough to the Japanese culture to prevent a deterioration of the same culture of self-discipline which basted for centuries in the mutual suppression of the citizen as individual, the driving force of our western achievements?
6] Are we happier?; Are they happier?; What is the true measure of happiness?
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