Armed Polite Society
Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: CSM Kersh on March 19, 2011, 10:53:26 AM
-
Even the bad guys have a bit of decency.
http://tinyurl.com/4pz5hsb (http://tinyurl.com/4pz5hsb)
Yakuza to the Rescue
Even Japan's infamous mafia groups are helping out with the relief efforts
and showing a strain of civic duty. Jake Adelstein reports on why the police
don't want you to know about it. Plus, more coverage of Japan's crisis.
The worst of times sometimes brings out the best in people, even in Japan's
"losers" a.k.a. the Japanese mafia, the yakuza. Hours after the first shock
waves hit, two of the largest crime groups went into action, opening their
offices to those stranded in Tokyo, and shipping food, water, and blankets
to the devastated areas in two-ton trucks and whatever vehicles they could
get moving. The day after the earthquake the Inagawa-kai (the third largest
organized crime group in Japan which was founded in 1948) sent twenty-five
four-ton trucks filled with paper diapers, instant ramen, batteries,
flashlights, drinks, and the essentials of daily life to the Tohoku region.
-
Good for them.
-
Wow- I don't even know what to say.
I'll just +1 Fistful's "good for them"
-
The Inagawa-kai has been the most active because it has strong roots in the areas hit. It has several "blocks" or regional groups.
That makes sense. They want to take care of their people. Maybe just the usual patron/client sort of relationship?
-
from a soldier there
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2011/03/19/japan-tweeting-from-fukushima/
-
When the "scum" of another society out-do the average US citizen in terms of response to a disaster, you know something is very wrong. With us, not Japan.
-
you think the yakuza outdo americans
-
i think omg tey do outdoo americans lol
Use punctuation, capitalization, and proper grammar or I shall mock you a second time.
-
When the "scum" of another society out-do the average US citizen in terms of response to a disaster, you know something is very wrong. With us, not Japan.
You hit that nail square on the head. There has been no Japanese on TV screaming that the .gov needs to come get them.
-
Organized crime has an extensive record of patriotism and helping out during disasters. Remember, I'm referring to organized crime as opposed to terrorist/killers such as Hamas. Although they do not get much publicity any more (last time iirc was WWII) the American Mafia has done much in the way of contributing to disaster relief efforts both with money and with exerting influence to smooth the way for stuff getting from Point A to Point B without interference.
I would expect the same, but on a higher scale, from the Yakuzai given the nature of Japanese society.
It is strange to hear about it. Not something I'd expect the press here or over there to pick up on.
stay safe.
-
yup we have freshness dating on milk courtesy of al capone. he made it happen quick. tammany hall was corrupt as can be but got into power and stayed by delivering for its support base.
-
i think omg tey do outdoo americans lol
Use punctuation, capitalization, and proper grammar or I shall mock you a second time.
Damned, some never get over being a kid making fun of others. ;/
-
This doesn't surprise me at all. There is a long record of organized crime organizations being helpful and beneficial, just like how the government is sometimes helpful and beneficial. The only real difference between mafia organizations and governments is that they are smaller and compete with the established government.
-
Yeah, and they don't deny their actions are often criminal. :facepalm:
-
Damned, some never get over being a kid making fun of others. ;/
I don't really put up with trolls who don't use punctuation, no. I'm simply tired of it. No offense intended toward you - don't be so sensitive.
-
and they operate at the grassroots level without a lot of red tape.
i am in the same boat as mb as regards to the folk who regard the japanese unrealistically/mythic-ally. my family on that side is one i'm proud of but not delusional about. many if not all the things that inspire the zomg are cultural/societal. they do in fact put on their pants one leg at a time. and interestingly enough you take a westerner and immerse them in that culture they behave the same way and vice versa to a great degree. or at least once you overcome a certain amount of cultural inertia. the most "japanese" man i've ever know is an old china marine who settled down in japan after he got disabled. and genetically hes a georgia cracker. hes revered by his family over there and is the clan patriarch which is quite amusing since hes a great thin stringbean of a man well over 6'4 (hard to tell exactly now hes hunched over a bit) with what used to be bright red hair and hands big enough and strong enough to palm a 15 pound bowling ball. he gets some odd looks in the city but in his hometown he was known to all and no one regarded him as anything other than ojiisan to all.
just as mb chuckles at the awe some folks have for the jews in regard to their society so do i when the nippon worship occurs
-
You hit that nail square on the head. There has been no Japanese on TV screaming that the .gov needs to come get them.
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110318p2a00m0na008000c.html
-
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110318p2a00m0na008000c.html
lol but but but......
there is a serious socialist party in japan as well
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Democratic_Party_%28Japan%29
there is usually no need to scream gimme to the gov, they are confident its already on the way.
its truly a study in how far politeness will get you. the japanese can mask some pretty gnarly stuff by being polite about it.
-
Giving a phone interview and being critcial of being treated like a mushroom is a far cry from looting and burning your own home while your self proclaimed "protectors" steal your weapon of self defense and break your arm in the process.
The only real difference between mafia organizations and governments is that they are smaller and compete with the established government.
Nope. The real difference is that the former wants to sell you stuff you want to buy, be it chemical joy, sexual joy or the chance at financial joy; while the latter wants to deny you those same joys and steal you stuff to pay for its efforts to deny you those joys. Both will kill you if you get it its way, but the mafia knows it needs you in the end and so commerce must flow, while the government thinks you need it and commerce can get stuffed.
-
You said it better than I could have.
-
you attribute more altruism to the yakuza than they merit. both sides want you on the hook. they wanna bleed you long term not kill you off
-
you attribute more altruism to the yakuza than they merit. both sides want you on the hook. they wanna bleed you long term not kill you off
Probaby true. Remember, Al Capone set up soup kitchens for the Depression-ravaged poor of Chicago, and it wasn't because he was working for the Red Cross. ;)
-
there was a similar rush for folks to attribute the mafia helping us in sicily to patiotism. my cynical nature thought it was because Mussolini was a real threat to the mafia. since he didn't fight fair either
-
Mussolini OMG SUPPRESSING the Mafia is a bit overstated.
Anyway, traditional mafia groups often develop 'codes' and 'rules' that limit how completely evil and bloodthirsty they can be. While the group will act in an altruistic manner tactically, the codes are designed in such a way - not by a deliberate designer but by the pressures of reality - to benefit the group's survival long-term.
-
Nope. The real difference is that the former wants to sell you stuff you want to buy, be it chemical joy, sexual joy or the chance at financial joy; while the latter wants to deny you those same joys and steal you stuff to pay for its efforts to deny you those joys. Both will kill you if you get it its way, but the mafia knows it needs you in the end and so commerce must flow, while the government thinks you need it and commerce can get stuffed.
Epic win.
-
The real difference is that the former wants to sell you stuff you want to buy, be it chemical joy, sexual joy or the chance at financial joy; while the latter wants to deny you those same joys and steal you stuff to pay for its efforts to deny you those joys. Both will kill you if you get it its way, but the mafia knows it needs you in the end and so commerce must flow, while the government thinks you need it and commerce can get stuffed.
A joke I've been hearing more and more is that it would be cheaper to pay the mob protection money and work through that channel than it is to pay the gov't their 30%+ of all earnings. Sadder still is that it's quite true.
-
lol but but but......
there is a serious socialist party in japan as well
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Democratic_Party_%28Japan%29
there is usually no need to scream gimme to the gov, they are confident its already on the way.
its truly a study in how far politeness will get you. the japanese can mask some pretty gnarly stuff by being polite about it.
Yeah, I was gonna say... The Japanese might at times be rugged, but the culture is not one that celebrates the individual as does ours.
-
Sorry, was away having a life and all.
Closed for personal attacks not relevant to the discussion.
Chris