JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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- Translator
- ZAIHON, Inc. (日本財務翻訳株式会社), Tokyo
- Salary: ¥6.0M / Year Negotiable
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- Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in Kanto region
- RCS (RCSコーポレーション), Kanto
- Salary: ¥180,000 ~ ¥250,000 / Month includes performance bonus
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- Assistant Language Teacher - TOKYO - late-March start
- Interac, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥230,000 ~ ¥255,000 / Month
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LFRAgain
Herefornow,
I'm not asking you for evidence of someone having typed something here. I'm asking for proof that would support your assertion that the agricultural system Japan currently employs is somehow inferior to whatever system you imagine to be better. What is it specifically about Japan's system that strikes you as so "feudal"? How exactly would a free trade agreement make things better for Japan?
After all, you are aware of the inherent contradiction in complaining about Japan's ubiquitous one-hectare (10,000 sq meters) plots in the context of being remnants from feudal Japan, aren't you?
As a metric unit, hectares were adopted effectively by Japan in 1951. Doesn't get too much more modern than that, particularly since most of the world also uses hectares to measure its farmland, including the EU. Interestingly, the United States as the world's largest agricultural producer still sticks with the "acre" as a unit of measurement, and that hasn't seems to slow its farmers down one bit.
You complain of inefficiencies and one-hectare plots. Are you envisioning Japan adopting farming techniques on par with the United States' average farm size of 450-hectares?
How, pray tell, is this to happen in a country that is notoriously mountainous, with but 11.9 percent of its land surface suitable for farming (versus 19 percent for South Korea)? Mega-farms are never going to happen in Japan. There simply isn't enough room for them.
Posted in: Japan to decide on joining TPP by next month
4
LFRAgain
First off, a eunuch is a male who's had his testicles removed, not his penis. Not the same thing as what happened here.
In staying on-topic, while I certainly wouldn't condone going out and cutting off someone's appendage as retribution for slights, I can see a judge might cast a lenient eye on a woman who suffered physical and emotional abuse from a drug-abusing asshat of a husband for the better part of two years. Drugs and the propensity to hit things make for a monster in the domestic sphere, and that will likely be taken into consideration.
On the other hand, it does seem like she was angrier about the infidelity than the physical abuse. Otherwise, why not cut off a finger or a hand, as others have suggested? The penis seems like a very specific target to address a very specific grievance, and for that, I suspect the judge won't be as forgiving, evidence of physical abuse or no.
I also have to say that given the nature of their relationship, it’s a considerable stretch to compare this act in any way to Type III Female Genital Mutilation. Rooted in asinine patriarchal, misogynistic, religious hoodoo, FGM is an evil in a category all its own. Trying to compare its victims to this drug-addled, wife-beating, philandering fool is grossly disrespectful to the some 100-140 million females, most of them children, who have had to endured the horror of FGM throughout the world.
Posted in: Vietnamese woman cuts off husband's penis
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LFRAgain
What in the world kind of government rules could possibly exist that would involve prosecution for coming to the aid of someone in need?
If such government rules do indeed, exist, that may explain why some folks were reluctant to help.
But it doesn't explain why others wouldn't simply do the human thing, give the government a hearty middle-finger salute, and help this poor child.
Tragic and wrong on so many levels, it makes me want to weep.
Posted in: Outrage as bleeding Chinese girl left on street
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LFRAgain
Nowhere in my post did I indicate I had a problem with U.S. food aid. But you already know that. Care to eleborate on where this "seem to" comes from?
I do, however, have a problem with obscene waste while people within our own borders haven't got enough to eat, U.S. farmers require taxpayer-funded subsidies to stay in the business of farming, and the 1 billion people in the world who are currently starving right now are nowhere close to becoming fed, much less self-sufficient, despite the stated goals of U.S. Food Aid to halve world hunger by 2015.
And all of this on top of the U.S. government looking desperately for other markets for our produce, even if the introduction of that produce will effectively destroy the self-sufficiency of any nation foolish enough to enter into what is inevitably going to be an unequal exchange, at least as far as food goes.
The U.S. needs to stop producing and wasting so damned much food. But it seems you don't have a problem with that.
Posted in: U.S. farmers celebrate approval of free trade deals
1
LFRAgain
Sailwind,
Your usual condescension is always appreciated, but " . . . the concept of trying to keep a steady food supply between" bumper crops and drought seems to have been lost on most of the agricultural industry in America.
Unless, of course, you're suggesting that throwing away double what's produced is all part of the "plan."
Well, that's a pretty stupid plan, considering the repercussions ranging from bleeding out soil nutrients all the way to the seepage of pesticides into our water supply. Not to mention the obscene amount of water wasted to produce food of which, again, half will simply be thrown away.
Posted in: U.S. farmers celebrate approval of free trade deals
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LFRAgain
American farmers are among the most efficient in the world in terms of sheer output; We produce so much grain that the American taxpayer PAYS farmers to let it rot in silos. According to some estimates, we throw away almost half of ALL food produced in the U.S.
But apparently, tossing it into landfills issomehow more preferable than giving it to people who actually need it, like the 1 billion people currently starving throughout the world at this very moment.
Which suggests at the very least that maybe Americans ought to be first looking at how we farm before trying to cram ridiculously underpriced produce down the throat of the world.
Americans often tout the virtues of Free Market economics, claiming it forces a fair economic balance for both manufacturer and consumer. But if this were truly the case, then why aren't more Americans demanding farmers scale back production to meet real demand? No other industry in the Unites States is encouraged to, much less can succeed, on a formula of, "Make Way More Product Than We Could Ever Possibly Sell and See What Happens." Why then do we encourage farmers to do precisely that through the enticement of government subsidies? Conversely, why not allow produce prices to rise to more realistic levels so that farmers wouldn't need subsidies in the first place?
Posted in: U.S. farmers celebrate approval of free trade deals
1
LFRAgain
Herefornow,
You provide absolutely no basis or proof for these claims.
And you can disagree with me all you'd like, but I eat plenty of fruits and veggies on a daily basis and my quality of life is quite fine, thank you. A bit presumptuous of you to claim otherwise, not being me, don't you think?
No, it has more to do with food self-sustainability. Sure, you'll get no argument from me about JA having a headlock on the agricultural industry in Japan. But being a government entity (I have many friends who work for JA) it certainly isn't for profit, a point which certainly lessens the impact of any suggestions of grift or corruption.
At the end of the day, you want to pay unreasonably low prices for food in Japan. And Japan's taking the reasonable position that to make this so would significantly damage a CRUCIAL economic and manufacturing sector of society. Again, it's not all about 20-yen apples. The people who bring those apples to market, from the farms to the packing plants to the markets, have every right and reasonable expectation to recieve a decent wage for their work. Free trade agreements like the TPP would make that difficult if not impossible, considering the vast differences between the players at the table.
Posted in: Japan to decide on joining TPP by next month
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LFRAgain
Global security experts would strongly disagree with you . . . Respectfully, of course.
Posted in: Japan to decide on joining TPP by next month
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LFRAgain
And Japanese farmers would be correct to be concerned.
Prices don't need to be lower. The price structure as it stands helps support a braod swath of society by ensuring people can make a living wage in ways that 20-yen apples can't possibly do.
Japan, like any nation, needs to maintain an acceptable level of food self-sufficiency. With it's current self-sufficiency rate hovering at approximately 40%, the lowest among industrialized nations. A free trade agreement that would essentially result in Japanese farmers leaving the profession because low prices make it impossible to survive does nothing to help Japan maintain the ability to feed itself. Why would anyone insist it hurry this kind of security crisis along?
Just as I don't piss and moan about taxes, pretending roads and police and sewage magically appear from the land of sprites and faeries, I know that paying what some might consider a lot for produce here has not impacted my quaility of life in Japan in any significant way.
Japan IS thinking about its future with its reluctance to hop on board this agreement. Contrary to popular opinion expressed by the gradual Wal-Mart-ization of the free world, it's really not all about making sure people have the cheapest goods in the world, no matter, ironically, the cost.
It's also about ensuring the people who make those goods receive a livable wage for their labors. That can't be accomplished by forcing a country like Japan with its 40% self-sufficiency rating to flood its markets with vastly cheaper food from a country like the United States with a 125% food self-sufficiency rating and food it can essentially let rot in storage due to its over-abundance.
Posted in: Japan to decide on joining TPP by next month
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LFRAgain
I feel sympathy for the families of the abducted, but quite frankly, the abductions are not even remotely near the top of the PMs list of priorities right now.
Quite honestly, I take issue with a small but vocal group effectively highjacking foreign policy with every incoming PM. These families have seen Noda twice since he entered office last month. How? Why?
And what about the needs of the other 127.6 million Japanese living in this country, particularly those living in the quake-ravaged areas of North-Eastern Japan?
Posted in: Noda promises families of abductees he'll do all he can to resolve issue
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LFRAgain
Taka,
I was going to jump on that as well, except Serrano made that comment while shilling for that belligerent asshat Herman Cain, who is, in fact, black. So perhaps Serrano only reserves these kinds of derogatory comments for blacks he doesn't like.
Posted in: Sarah Palin says she will not run for president
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LFRAgain
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Palin is scrambling to figure out how to explain what will happen to all that money she solicited from doners at her SarahPac website, knowing full well she wasn't going to run since at least June 28th.
Posted in: Sarah Palin says she will not run for president
1
LFRAgain
Let's clean up that last parapraph:
Posted in: 2 U.S. soldiers accused of raping teenage girls in S Korea
1
LFRAgain
Folks, while I agree wholeheartedly that local media places a disproportionate amount of emphasis on foreign soldiers raping locals, versus locals raping locals, I can't really see why anyone here is truly surprised.
I mean, really -- A foreign soldier, ostensibily here at the invitation of the host country's government, and by extention the civilian public that gives that government mandate to extend such invitation, abusing that courtesy by raping a local citizen. Yeah, I'd be pretty pissed off about it too, particularly when the invitation isn't one the civilian population isn't 100% behind in the first place.
Think of it this way: You invite a friend over to your house to watch TV with you and your siblings. Your younger brother doesn't particularly like that he has to give up his seat to this friend when he's there, but hey, he'll deal with it since the friend is a guest. This friend suddenly decides to punch you in the mouth for no particular reason. Meanwhile, your younger brother decides to unch you as well. Who do you think you're going to be more angry with? Who do you think the parents should take greater issue with?
"Us versus them" and the concepts of "in-group" and "out-group" really aren't that difficult to understand and apply to why foreign soldiers raping locals garners such over-the-top media attention. Guests assaulting the host will usually get that, I would think.
And it certainly doesn't help when the common and reasonable assumption that a local raping a local will almost certanly face justice fs caught (regardless of whether or not we as outsiders agree with how that justice is dispensed) goes out the window when the assilant is a foreign soldier. Which again, would do a lot to garner a severe reaction from the locals.
Posted in: 2 U.S. soldiers accused of raping teenage girls in S Korea
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LFRAgain
If these guys are found guilty, then they should rot in a South Korean jail according to Korean law for it. None of this extraterritoriality crap that manages to protect dirtbags like these two soldier from a rightful dispensation of justice according to the laws of the country in which they commit the crime.
It's no wonder Koreans are angry. They can already see these two getting off the hook because of unfathomable rationale like that posted here Oct. 08, 2011 at 06:04PM JST .
Posted in: 2 U.S. soldiers accused of raping teenage girls in S Korea
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LFRAgain
CalvinMontblanc,
Thanks for the stern rebuke, however, you followed it up with:
Capped off with . . .
Talk about wild assumptions. You even manage to sneak in a scarcely disguised suggestion that this poor girl may have even liked being prostituted out to a 72-year-old-man.
Allow me a moment to indulge in an emphatic, "What the hell . . . ?!"
Posted in: Woman prostitutes daughter to 72-year-old man for years before discovery
2
LFRAgain
Because if he's done it with this girl, research indicated there's a 25%~50% that he'll do it again with another child at some point within the next 10 years. That he was able to get away with it for "years" with the full cooperation of the mother suggests, at least to me, that he'll seek out a similar arrangement elsewhere if he can.
Posted in: Woman prostitutes daughter to 72-year-old man for years before discovery
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LFRAgain
That's a tough call. It's just so completely twisted and warped on both sides of the equation.
Posted in: Woman prostitutes daughter to 72-year-old man for years before discovery
1
LFRAgain
Beangry,
Do you have private chatroom going on here at JT that no one else is aware of? I've been following exactly what everyone else has been following here. And if you post in a public forum, then you'd better be prepared for anyone to respond to one or all of your posts -- particularly when they are designed specifically to incite.
Regarding "that nonsense," you want accuracy? Here you go, and I quote:
Who's this "he" you referance not once, but twice, if not Noda? You suddenly jump from a question to assumptions about Noda's intentions and commitment in the very same paragraph. Don't get upset with me for simply responding to what YOU wrote.
And if this isn't the impression you meant to leave, then perhaps you should brush up on your communication skills and learn to say precisely what you mean, rather than letting the meaning be muddied by your efforts to appear hip and politically saavy with a drive-by posting of a YouTube snippet .
Posted in: Public support for Noda falling
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LFRAgain
Beangry,
I didn't see Noda laughing anywhere in that video you posted. Blaming him personally while ascribing attitudes and policy stances based on ministers Fujimura and Adano laughing in a very short YouTube clip isn't particularly compelling.
Yes, that's right. It is. And that hasn't been accomplished yet. Ms. Akira Matsu read a letter to the Diet composed by a woman living 200km from the Fukushima reactor who provided and anecdote that has been neither confirmed nor denied. Hearsay at this point. I'm not saying she's lying, but a letter does not constitute actionable evidence in this situation.
Well, actually, you took it upon yourself to post an incriminating 1:30 video clip of what was actually a much longer exchange between Ms. Matsu and the members of Noda's cabinet, then followed up with a direct accusations that the government is indeed implicit in somehow forcing school children to consume irradiated milk.
No, it may not be your "job,", but it certainly is your responsibility to provide more evidence than simply posting a YouTube clip and washing your hands of any questions raised.
Defend your position, sir. Refusing to do so makes your argument specious at best, and libel at worst.
It bears noting that in the longer 34-minute clip of the same exchange located in the YouTube sidebar, Mr. Noda appears to be listening very intently throughout, and as the camera pans across the gallery to the opposite side of the Diet where opposition party members are seated, you can see two members of Ms. Matsu's own party having a laugh themselves. Context is everything.
Posted in: Public support for Noda falling