UnagiDon's past comments

  • 2

    UnagiDon

    DIsillusioned;

    Strange! None of this appears in the Sydney news report, which is where this article came from. Would you call this added tag plagiarism or sensationalism?

    Cletus;

    Yeah its funny isnt it, even in a story about something completely unrelated the JT crowd even manage to turn it around to be about Japan. What's even funnier is they have quoted another media outlet, even put their AFP symbol at the bottom but have slipped in their little Japan bit without acknowledging they have altered the story to their own little slant.

    Here's a crazy concept, maybe the Sydney report removed the paragraph about Japan, and the original AFP article does mention it? Ever considered that before resorting to conspiracy theories. I'm no fan of JT's journalistic standard but come one, use your brains for a sec. You know that it possible, right?

    A Google search for the offending paragraph took me 10 seconds and confirmed that JT posted the original AFP article in its entirety, unless you want to believe that the Bangkok Post, Malay News, and Google News all conspired together with JT to insert the exact same plagiaristic paragraph about Japan? Fiendish devils!

    Posted in: Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson arrested in Germany

  • 0

    UnagiDon

    tmarie;

    Unagi, the difference is that the countries you listed, with the exception of south Korea, have plenty of immigration that is helping them. Japan and south Korea are screwed.

    I doubt that Taiwan has a lot of immigration, and Singapore has lots of expats (which is different). Germany, even with substantial immigration, has a comparably low fertility rate to Japan, meaning that if you take out the effect of immigrants (who tend to have a higher fertility rate), then Germany actually has a lower "native" fertility rate than Japan. Why is that, I wonder?

    The more educated a woman, the fewer kids she has. Why?! I could give many suggestions but mine is the lack of child care and career worries. Give more educated women child care and job sercuity and I think more would have kids.

    Bingo! This applies to Japan, Germany, and all developed economies, it's certainly true in Canada. And that's my point, this declining fertility rate is a developed-world problem, not a Japanese one. Immigration is certainly one solution, but hardly an easy one, and may not even be needed on a large scale.

    I think a smaller population is not necessarily a bad thing. We are too mired in the old models of economic development that say big pop = bigger GDP = better economy. We have moved beyond that, and the future economies of the world should look at individual wealth and GDP, and so long as relative standard of living can be maintained, individuals should be better off in a smaller-sized populace. THAT is the real challenge, for Japan and all developed countries, not reversing a shrinking population. Japan is simply a little further ahead of the curve than others. Adaptation is what we should be doing, not attempting to reverse it.

    Posted in: Japan faces 'extinction' in 1,000 years, researchers say

  • 3

    UnagiDon

    Oh and for all the simplistic thoughts as to why this is happening in Japan, keep in mind that this is hardly unique to Japan and so not some damning indictment of Japanese society. Fertility rates are this low in many countries, even those with immigration, and are much worse in some of Japan's neighbours;

    Germany 1.41 Japan 1.39 Greece 1.39 South Korea 1.23 Taiwan 1.16 Singapore 0.78

    It's a complex issue, it's a global issue, and simplistic answers based on your problems with Japan are hardly likely to provide an answer.

    Posted in: Japan faces 'extinction' in 1,000 years, researchers say

  • 0

    UnagiDon

    Predicting pretty much anything societal beyond a few decades is an exercise in wishful thinking - technological change, social change, disasters and wars have a huge impact and cannot be predicted. To even be able to guess about the pension situation in 30 years is highly uncertain, who knows what kind of medical advances will have extended our lifespan by that point.

    Posted in: Japan faces 'extinction' in 1,000 years, researchers say

  • -1

    UnagiDon

    the people who are pushing against restarting nuclear power plants here in Japan are very normal citizens, many of them mothers and fathers with small children, who are simply horrified by the possibility of another Fukushima in their backyard.

    As opposed to the slow, gradual deterioration of our climate due to increased greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution? That's what those children are inheriting - a hotter, dirtier Earth. The problem is that gradual disaster doesn't scare people as much as sudden and spectacular ones, so people get way, more worked up about nuclear plants and the risk of a sudden disaster, than the slow gradual disaster of climate change.

    it is only a question of when not if there will be another nuclear disaster

    This is a nonsense statement which cannot be proven.

    Posted in: Japan's greenhouse gas emissions projected to rise 15%

  • -1

    UnagiDon

    farmboy;

    That's about right. Nukes were providing less than 30% of the power. Seventy percent is from other sources that can and will be ramped up.

    Yep, other sources such as coal and gas plants - welcome to 30% greater emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollution from that ramping up.

    Posted in: Nuclear-free Japan braces for summer power shortages

  • 2

    UnagiDon

    Exactly - making out Japan's shutdown of its nuclear plants as some sort of "green" victory is ridiculous. More fossil fuels will be burned to compensate for it, more GHG emissions, more global warming, People say they want to leave their children a cleaner, safer world without nuclear plants. Maybe, but increasing air pollution and warming up the planet do not seem to be things that we should be leaving our children.

    Posted in: Efficiency can't replace nuclear power

  • 1

    UnagiDon

    Chuck;

    Here in Canada, immersion is the way to learn French. When the student enters the room where French is being taught, no English can be spoken.

    That's a good point - how many years of French education did us anglos get in school, six? How many of us are actually able to use it in conversation? Probably not that far off from the Japanese. Contrast that with the Quebecois who seem to pick up English much better, but maybe because of their constant exposure to it.

    Posted in: Why are Japanese so bad at English?

  • 4

    UnagiDon

    Isn't the relatively poor level of English a good things for all you eikawa teachers out there? If the Japanese were better at English, most of you would be out of a job. The whole business model of the eikawa schools is not based on making Japanese actually able to communicate in English speakers, but making them improve just enough so that they'll pay for more lessons.

    Posted in: Why are Japanese so bad at English?

  • -2

    UnagiDon

    Yes, let's all celebrate for the REAL winners in this affair - the oil and gas-producers of the Middle East!

    Posted in: Japan to shut down last nuclear reactor

  • 1

    UnagiDon

    Cricky;

    The world didn't end...lights are still on.

    Get back to us in the middle of July on that...

    Posted in: Work begins to switch off final nuclear reactor

  • 5

    UnagiDon

    Heavens to Murgatroyd!

    Posted in: World’s first snaggletooth girl group formed

  • 3

    UnagiDon

    Harley Davidson was able to find the owner living in Yamamoto in Miyagi and has said that they'll pay to have the bike restored and returned to him. Definitely a win-win for all and a PR coup for HD!

    Posted in: Harley-Davidson among tsunami debris washing ashore in Canada

  • 1

    UnagiDon

    Thomas Anderson;

    Sad to see that there are so many homophobes in the comments section. There are many comments with very roundabout way of saying that "I'm a homophobe". Yes, you're a homophobe, and you can not logically or rationally justify your prejudice.

    Well said. It's all the more hypocritical when you consider how many of the same commenters complain about being discriminated against for being non-Japanese. Apparently certain forms of discrimination are acceptable to such people.

    Posted in: Rainbow Pride

  • 1

    UnagiDon

    Ah karma is it great.....

    People being hurt, possibly children, is great in your eyes? Why?

    Posted in: 5 injured after high-speed boat apparently collides with whale

  • 0

    UnagiDon

    Any information on trans/subway stoppages?

    The jorudan website has all the current delays in Japanese, I'd hope people can at least recognize the name of their train lines and from that figure out the length of the delays.

    Posted in: 3 dead, 306 injured in 33 prefectures by typhoon-strength storm

  • 2

    UnagiDon

    The reason Japan nor almost any other country will send observers is because that would give the appearance of legitimizing the launch. It would give NK a propaganda victory. It's a pretty simple reason, but one obviously missed by many here. This launch has been condemned by pretty much every country in the region and the UN, the only ones cheering it on are NK and those with an axe to grind.

    Posted in: Japan rejects N Korean invitation to send observers to rocket launch

  • -1

    UnagiDon

    I was going to say how one less AKB48 in the world can only be a good thing, then remembered that they'll find a replacement. Zero sum.

    Posted in: Atsuko Maeda 'graduates' from AKB48

  • 0

    UnagiDon

    Cletus;

    Yes l completely agree that Japan is entitled to shoot it down if it goes over Japanese territory but amusingly even the US doesnt believe it will go anywhere near Japan but will head south rather than east. So if Japans main ally is saying this why put on in Tokyo?

    As I said, it's a contingency. NK has already changed the planned trajectory once, do you really trust them to either launch it on the path that they've publicly announced or to not change it again? If you are in the Japanese government, are you going to put your faith in what NK says that they're going to do and not prepare for the possibility that they won't? Do you want to be the one who left Tokyo unprotected id NK changes its plan again? Politicians tend not to like those things.

    Yes by all means protect the capital. But what is having it in the capital achieving. My point is this and its really simple you place it further away to give yourself more opportunity to stop any threats that is called common sense.

    You could do this if you knew where the missile was coming from, but strangely enough the path a missile would take is not a straight line between points a & b. You need to factor in the launch angle and bearing, speed, Earth's rotation, etc., so there are multiple possible flight paths and if you had a lot of interceptors you can put them in each likely flight path. If you don't, you put them where there is maximum coverage of the capital, which would be in or near the capital. Now I'm not denying that there is some PR value to placing them by the MoD, but my point is that placing them there is not flawed when you consider everything else.

    Posted in: Gov't to deploy Patriot missiles in Tokyo

  • 0

    UnagiDon

    Armchair experts notwithstanding, it's a prudent act to do this. Your unpredictable and belligerent neighbor has stated they're going to launch a missile which may overfly your territory, in defiance of international sanctions Deploying Patriots and saying that you will shoot down a missile which threatens to fall on your territory is absolutely justified. South Korea has announced that they;re going to do exactly the same thing. Especially when you only have the word of NK for

    a) It's payload b) it's trajectory

    But there is a rational reason for Patriots in Tokyo. Surprisingly, Cletus got it half-right, except he had to toss in a conspiracy theory.

    Unless you intend to shot the missile down regardless and you are concerned that the NK will lob a response directly at Tokyo now that would make perfect sense......

    Drop the conspiracy theory and he's almost got it - you protect your capital as a contingency, for what NK might do. If this missile was judged to be a threat to Japan and was shot down near Okinawa, or even by SK or the US, you have no idea what NK will do in retaliation. If Japan does have to go ahead and intercept the missile, it makes sense to have defences in place around your capital.

    Posted in: Gov't to deploy Patriot missiles in Tokyo

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