

The power of culture - Why Japan will prevail. - eugenem
http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/03/14/tanimoto.trust.japan.quake/index.html?hpt=C2

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wmeredith
WTF? Is anyone out there actually thinking that Japan will go away? I'm not.
As an outsider (fat-American here) making blanket statements, they seem like
one of the most industrious and resourceful groups of people on the planet.

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sixtofour
Is there anyone thinking that Japan will go away? No.

Take this as one man's defiant fist against nature, and his pride in what his
culture and country can endure and produce.

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honm
I admire Japanese culture, it's a shame that with their extremely low birth
rate they might eventually disappear. This is not an exaggeration, the current
rate just has to continue as it is for a few more decades and there is no
reason to believe it will change.

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sebkomianos
Will we be still reproducing with the standard method in "a few more decades"?
I highly doubt it.

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honm
The birth rate is below replacement level, in fact it's almost nearly 1 which
means that the population halves every generation. At least you are lucky and
your politicians don't flood your country with immigrants making sure that
your culture and gene pool stay intact.

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HSO
> At least you are lucky and your politicians don't flood your country with
> immigrants making sure that your culture and gene pool stay intact.

Erh, I hope I'm misreading this here. I'm sure there are no racists hanging
out on HN?

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autarch
I don't think the answer to why Japan is handling this so well is "culture",
it's preparation and organization. I recommend everyone read Patrick's blog on
Japan ([http://www.kalzumeus.com/2011/03/13/some-perspective-on-
the-...](http://www.kalzumeus.com/2011/03/13/some-perspective-on-the-japan-
earthquake/)). I think that gives some real perspective on exactly why Japan
will prevail.

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genki
No, I think the author's point is that the Japanese culture is the reason that
there isn't panicked looting and rioting in the streets. Civil disorder is not
uncommon after a natural disaster, especially when basic necessities are on
the line. I think Japan as a country has done as well as it has because it is
a culture of acting in the best interests of the whole, not of oneself (mostly
as a result of its dense population, I would wager).

The preparation and organization played a large part in ensuring a minimum
number of casualties, but there's no doubt that it was a culture of doing
one's duty/service to society that ensured that all the preparation and
organization actually came into play when disaster struck.

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rubashov
> Civil disorder is not uncommon after a natural disaster

Is that really the historical case anywhere in the industrialized world? Seems
less a matter of "individualism" in your culture than not having many of the
sort of people who loot and riot.

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markietalkie
Much of a last glory.

