JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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Why do Japanese change their attitude when they communicate with foreigners?
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Confrontation
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U.S. Navy investigating how parts fell off aircraft near Atsugi
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California court to decide if SeaWorld whales are illegal 'slaves'
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Kuroki reported pregnant 2 weeks after denying relationship with Akanishi
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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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- Assistant Language Teacher - Kanagawa Prefecture - late-March start
- Interac, Kanagawa
- Salary: ¥230,000 ~ ¥255,000 / Month
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dontpanic
Turned on by an Afghan policmen they were sent to train according to the BBC.
Posted in: 5 British soldiers slain by rogue Afghan policeman
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Ciffy - The Focus Designs unicycle doesnt control side to side balance and lets be honest it looks like someones chopped up an old push bike.
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Foxie - "Why was it ok for Jews to get refuge during WWII but not for Iraqis and Afghans?"
The Jews in WW11 were being pursued by a despotic government intent on shooting, gassing, starving or working them to death. Most Afghanis and Iraqis in general are fleeing fighting and economic hardship and in some cases, persecution.
Britains asylum laws and no doubt the rest of the EU too, rightly allow refugees to be given solace in the case of persecution. Those fleeing fighting need to be given help closer to home, Im sure they dont really want to leave and would be happy to return when the fightings done. Those moving for economic reasons more often than not become victims of traffickers having built up a huge debt to get to the West and then have no possibility of paying off their debts with the pay they get from illegal jobs. Thers no dream to be realised.
In this issue destroying the camp has probably only moved the location of the problem, not solved it. The EU as a whole really does need to do more in terms of both protecting its borders and promoting recovery in Afghanistan & Iraq.
Posted in: French police bulldoze immigrant camp near Calais
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dontpanic
I believe there already is a focal point, the largely successful whale moratorium. Unfortunately people with livlihoods to loose make a lot noise.
With little political will in the Med states sf2k may well be right. Perhaps Japan, as the biggest consumer could step in and limit imports? But like the Mediterranean states governments that would mean locking horns with a strong political lobby.
Posted in: EU nations fail to agree on bluefin tuna ban
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dontpanic
I say no. I see no connection with paying taxes and the vote. Taxes pay for services and no more.
Voting rights are the citizens rights to wield power. I dont understand why anyone would accept foreigners wielding power over their lives. If you wish to vote then commit to the country you live in and take up citizenship.
I agree there should be a debate on dual nationality though.
Posted in: Should foreign residents have local voting rights?
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dontpanic
"After letting the Lockerbe (sp) murder go home, shut up."
You gat that connection from this issue? You must have been daydreaming mate.
Moderator: Stay on topic please.
Posted in: EU leaders press Obama on bankers' pay, climate change
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SuperLib - "I was talking more about the public opinion polls from the UK"
Funny that, the last opinion poll I saw in the Washington Post in August indicated 51% of US citizens didnt believe the war is worth fighting. Pretty close to the 53% of UK citizens as reported in the Times last week.
The UK joined the US in its campaign against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban all those years ago for the right reasons. Unfortunately Mr Bush et al lost focus and got sidetracked. Its hardly surprising support has dwindled.
I can honestly say I've never heard anyone say the UK was dragged into America's war. Mr Blair willingly committed UK troops just one month following the 9/11 attacks on the US. I've met a lot of Americans whining on about being the worlds policeman who've forgotten that.
As for Europeans not seeing a connection between Afghanistan and the safety of their streets, I think they did, hence the support the US has received. I believe most now think the misguided Iraq affair has caused so much resentment in their home grown Muslim communities now creating support for the Taliban and insurgents in Pakistan is now the biggest threat.
Posted in: Targeted deaths curb al-Qaida's expansion
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timorborder - "Although it is (mainly) American boys and girls crunching at the hard yards, to call it America's war undercuts the fact that a great many nations are involved"
I applaud your statement and while I dont want to get into a body count competition, the ratio is roughly 60% US/40% other nations. Agreed the US is shouldering the heaviest burden but theres no shortage of getting stuck in by anyone. Doing a togh job with little or no thanks, theyre all heroes in my book.
Posted in: Targeted deaths curb al-Qaida's expansion
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cow76 - Like you and me cows fart methane, not CO2. I believe the numbers are 9% from human related farming but as methane is a stronger greenhouse gas its regarded as a 20% equivalent. Changing feed and reducing growth compounds would improve cow emmissions no end. Thats not to say we couldnt all do with cutting down meat consumption a bit.
Rajakumar - "Western european people will decrease in future,out of every 1000 people ON EARTH, in year 2060, only 98 will be europeans white anglo saxon stock"
It isnt that western Europeans will decrease in future, its that developing countries populations will increase exponentially.
You cant decry meat raising in one statement and then say people should take more milk, youre contradicting yourself. Meat rasing does take a lot of resource, but meat also delivers very well. Done in a responsible manner meat farming is fine. Its certainly not as wasteful or damaging as the constant drilling out of the water table to raise inappropriate vegetables for export as goes on in India.
Whats been missed here is that in developing nations with little access to contraception, families become large and cumbesome very quickly. This perpetuates poverty and stunts the development these countries need so badly to raise living standards. In fact if living standards could be raised to an acceptable level it would probably alleviate much of the tension that leads to the massive radicalism we see today. Just a thought.
Posted in: Birth control could help combat climate change
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4thEstateDotCom - "Pakistan exists because Great Britain and India allowed it to come into being"
In returning independance to India the Mulsims required their own state too. What would you have done, wiped them all out?
SuperLib - "America's war, eh?"
I think Britains demonstrated well enough that the US isnt the only nation prepared to get involved.
Posted in: Targeted deaths curb al-Qaida's expansion
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Bushlover - "Back when there weren't seat belt laws there were never these many kinds of accidents because people were generally more on the ball than they are today"
The three point seatbelt is considered the single most important safety related development in cars, bar none. It's so important that Volvo (it was their guy that invented it) gave the design away for free. People werent more on the ball in years gone by, many believed they were safer if they were thrown clear of the vehicle. Thats not on the ball thinking, thats over confident and misinformed.
If I carry people in my car they wear a belt, front or back. Not because of the law, because as perfect as I consider my driving to be (dont we all?) I have no control over the others on the road. If theres an accident (they do happen), that unrestrained person in the back becomes a missile and if they hit a front seat passenger you are guaranteed serious injuries.
In my opinion its not just the woman in the back who was silly, the driver too was irresponsible. And for those who think its no-one's business but their own, well, who pays to pick up the pieces after a serious acident? We all do.
Posted in: Woman, child not wearing seatbelts fall out of car at intersection
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dontpanic
Seems to me that if you have a bit more money, you'll get laid a bit more. I think it was always like this, anywhere, why are people shocked?
Posted in: Low-income bachelors victims of widening 'sex gap'
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Interesting that all those who complained so bitterly when al-Megrahi was freed havent come back to pat the UK on the back for taking a firm stand.
Posted in: 4 UK Muslims get hefty sentences for airline bomb plot
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tigermoth - The UK has had large scale immigration for way more than the last 60 years, largely successfully too. Ghettos are nothing new either. Immigration isnt the issue.
The recent anti-muslim campaign by the English Defense League is an attempt to increase membership and gain influence, they even state its Islam they're against, not other races.
The young men of Britain that fought over the skies of southern England that you mention were fighting for their country and the freedoms and democracy that it still represents today. They had no issues with the many thousands that fled to Britain to escape the nazis, and other despotic regimes since.
The attitudes you talk about come from poverty and lack of opportunity. Using half truths and spinning the image of positive action, the perception that immigrants are to blame is as easy to perpetuate as the notion that the West, and Britain in particular, is to blame for all the problems that exist in the Muslim world but no less wrong. Poverty and frustration are a great breeding ground for hate on all sides. Its that that needs tackling not one group or another.
Posted in: UK troubled by anti-Islam rallies, counterprotests
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seijichuudo9sha - "Didn't British voters recently send 2 ultra right wing politicians to the EU parliament to represent their country"
British voters in two districts elected two British National Party MEPS to represent their districts in Brussels. While I agree it's dissapointing they were elected in the first place, they do not represent the UK. You need to get some perspective.
Britain is largely ambivalent to European elections and on the last occasion there was a historically low voter turnout. As unpleasant as they are, the BNP are hardly ultra rightwing, with the exception of their racist policies they are, overtly at least, fairly middle of the road and they got in on a tiny vote. But, like the English Defense League, Muslim extremists and you, the BNP do use inflammatory language and cherry pick sound bites for their own ends. With statements like "One day it's oil for terrorists and the next it's back to Cable Street and 1936" and the one above you align yourself with all the mischief makers who want to destabilise politics.
Recent months have shown just how successful these idiots can be at gaining the ear of the ineffectual, the desperate and the dissaffected and its not for the greater good.
Posted in: UK troubled by anti-Islam rallies, counterprotests
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Taiko666 - I'd like an example of Britain introducing Sharia law, its just not the case. The British governments commitment is to allowing Sharia practices as long as they do not break UK law.
The English Defense League are using muslims as a scape goat for the frustrations of many who are having a tough time at home right now. For as long as i can remember there has always been a surge in far right support when times are hard. The English Defense League have used the illconceived and quite rightly denegrated home coming protest as a lever and found a willing audience, unfortunately.
Posted in: UK troubled by anti-Islam rallies, counterprotests
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Thats true but not for long though eh?
Your point was one of objectivity not revenge. Which is why most legal systems in the free world dont practice state sponsored killing. The Scots system took an objective view and acted on its own rules. It might seem unjust to you but thats the objective point. It seems under the guise of objectivity, you really want revenge.
If Im wrong and your problem is more with the reception al-Megrahi got from the Libyans. You should apply pressure to your local politicians to take it up with them.
Posted in: Scottish government defends Lockerbie bomber's release
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TheQuestion - "it seem's like he is being rewarded for the crimes he committed"
Well hardly, al-Megrahi was sentenced to life in prison. Whether he dies in prison or at home he cant serve any longer.
Posted in: Scottish government defends Lockerbie bomber's release
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dontpanic
Would you Adam & Eve it!
Posted in: Cockney rhyming slang to be used at London ATMs
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TheQuestion this row isnt at all objective.
The US was happy for al-Magrahi to be tried and convicted under Scottish law. The US was also happy that Scottish law rejected his appeal. Al-Magrahi's release was on objective grounds according to Scottish law. If the US legal staff didnt know the law made allowances on compassionate grounds then perhaps the US should have whisked him off to god knows where before the trial.
Neither the US nor the rest of the UK have any say in Scottish law. I have a lot of sympathy for the families feelings, but on this issue Scottish justice does not equal revenge.
Posted in: Scottish government defends Lockerbie bomber's release