Why no LOOTING in Japan?

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

All of which says that "culture" is an insufficient explanation.

Thinking critically for a moment, having a homogenous population is directly related to the group ethic. Its undeniably easier to work as a group with people who relate closely with you in terms of ethnic group, religion etc.

[^_^ 5,021]

Thinking critically for a moment, having a homogenous population is directly related to the group ethic. Its undeniably easier to work as a group with people who relate closely with you in terms of ethnic group, religion etc.

The 'relate closely to you' part is true but ethnicity and religion aren't always the best metrics by which one can measure how well one person will relate to the other.

There are plenty pf people who share my ethnicity who I have had trouble working with and vice versa.

[Captain Oates 910]

All of which says that "culture" is an insufficient explanation.

In fact it confirms that culture is everything to do with it

Looters in Haiti are tall strong young men - not so much looting for survival but to gain more

There are tall (relatively) strong young men in Japan - with nothing - but they don't loot

Culture and economics and education are not necessarily related - evidence the willingness of Germans to gas children

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

The 'relate closely to you' part is true but ethnicity and religion aren't always the best metrics by which one can measure how well one person will relate to the other.

There are plenty pf people who share my ethnicity who I have had trouble working with and vice versa.

cultural upbringing might have been a better word.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

In fact it confirms that culture is everything to do with it

Looters in Haiti are tall strong young men - not so much looting for survival but to gain more

There are tall (relatively) strong young men in Japan - with nothing - but they don't loot

Culture and economics and education are not necessarily related - evidence the willingness of Germans to gas children

Well not really Alan.

Firstly you have to define exactly what you mean by "culture" at present it's being put out there as some throwaway term to avoid actually going into any detail about what exactly it is being used to describe.

Secondly, you then you have to establish exactly what is different about the people of Japan Vs. the people of Haiti without bringing in external (present as well as historical) factors such as socioeconomics, religion, politics etc. etc.

These things over time define may define cultural attitudes - but to say it's just "culture" is simplistic to say the least.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Well not really Alan.

Firstly you have to define exactly what you mean by "culture" at present it's being put out there as some throwaway term to avoid actually going into any detail about what exactly it is being used to describe.

Secondly, you then you have to establish exactly what is different about the people of Japan Vs. the people of Haiti without bringing in external (present as well as historical) factors such as socioeconomics, religion, politics etc. etc.

These things over time define may define cultural attitudes - but to say it's just "culture" is simplistic to say the least.

Its not simplistic, its just broad. Clearly its not one specific factor, but many within the umbrella of the term culture. So the only accurate statement that can be made is that it relates to culture.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Its not simplistic, its just broad. Clearly its not one specific factor, but many within the umbrella of the term culture. So the only accurate statement that can be made is that it relates to culture.

It's simplistic to say "culture" is the reason why one group of people are different than another - that's what I was getting at.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

It's simplistic to say "culture" is the reason why one group of people are different than another - that's what I was getting at.

Culture IS how you define one group from another, its not simplistic at all, in fact, its quite complicated.

Edited March 16, 2011 by Sousuke

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Culture IS how you define one group from another, its not simplistic at all, in fact, its quite complicated.

Yes, I know. What exactly are we disagreeing over?

That culture is complex - or the use of the word culture without any discussion of exactly what it means?

Edited March 16, 2011 by fishdude

[mawilson 2,133]

But I would eat Liz Hurley first

She's too skinny.

[Afrikan Queen 11]

Why is there no looting in Japan?

The landscape of parts of Japan looks like the aftermath of World War Two; no industrialised country since then has suffered such a death toll. The one tiny, tiny consolation is the extent to which it shows how humanity can rally round in times of adversity, with heroic British rescue teams joining colleagues from the US and elsewhere to fly out.

And solidarity seems especially strong in Japan itself. Perhaps even more impressive than Japan's technological power is its social strength, with supermarkets cutting prices and vending machine owners giving out free drinks as people work together to survive. Most noticeably of all, there has been no looting, and I'm not the only one curious about this.

This is quite unusual among human cultures, and it's unlikely it would be the case in Britain. During the 2007 floods in the West Country abandoned cars were broken into and free packs of bottled water were stolen. There was looting in Chile after the earthquake last year – so much so that troops were sent in; in New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina saw looting on a shocking scale.

Why do some cultures react to disaster by reverting to everyone for himself, but others – especially the Japanese – display altruism even in adversity?

I was expecting to hear that. They are a more civilized people, IMO.

[^_^ 5,021]

They are a more civilized people, IMO.

The rape of Nanking

Edited March 16, 2011 by \

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

So has anyone heard the stories coming out of some parts of the region today?

People running out of food, unable to leave the area and no information from the authorities about what's happening.

[mawilson 2,133]

They are a more civilized people, IMO.

The rape of Nanking

Civilized people only rape foreigners.

[Ban Hammer 13,110]

Actually I would eat Liz Hurley even if I wasn't in a plane crash