I think I've already generated a sort of response in my head, but I wanted to bring the question up with any one who is actually reading other posts. The recent earthquake and subsequent tsunamis that have hit Japan have decimated their country in a way very similar to Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans. It's hard to make too general of a statement, but I think that the recent activity in Japan will end up being much worse than Katrina. Consider the numbers. The final death toll for Katrina was estimated to be about 4,081 where Japan is already looking at 3,400 lives lost. That same article is touting the disasters in Japan to eventually cost more than Katrina as well considering only about 14-17% of Japanese residences have earthquake insurance.
Despite all of these facts and figures about which was worse, there was another comparison that I am interested in, and that's the looting that occurred in Katrina. If this is bound to be so much worse than what happened in 2005, why is the response so different? Part of my assumption lies in the cultural differences. When you compare both countries, the US' crime rate is much higher but its overall altruism when looking at how trustworthy its people are is much lower. If you look at those same questions regarding Japan, you find the opposite. I feel that there is a stronger sense of solidarity in the East as well. The Western world boasts a DIY sort of mentality where you pull yourself up by your bootstraps and do what you need to to stay afloat. That same mindset does not exist as prominently in a culture that values honor in their society.
With that being said, there is also the fact that other natural disasters have struck our country that did not result in the sort of looting we saw in Katrina. This brings up the idea of the effects of such a disaster on a community that largely lives below the poverty line. For those who still question "why did these people loot?", I think you need to start looking at it as if you were in their position. Despite the fact that you need to survive, think about the inequalities that surround you as a person living in poverty. As harsh as it may sound, looting can lead to less prosperous peoples gaining amenities they might never have dreamed of owning before. I don't mean to cast judgment upon the residents of New Orleans saying that they attempted to capitalize on the disaster, it's just that I can see justification for it on so many levels, I don't understand why the question is "why wouldn't you loot?"
Just thought this might pose some interesting discussion considering what has happened in Japan so recently.
love matty!
Richard
4 years ago
What a coincidence that we are talking about Hurricane Katrina and then a similar incident happening in Japan. Our instructor was just talking about an earthquake hitting the bay area and the disaster hits Japan, causing a tsunami. There are millions without electricity and the death toll is already in the thousands. To make matters worse, the Japanese are being exposed to radiation because of the explosion of the nuclear plants. The radiation is in the air and the rescuers may have been exposed to it as well; it can even reach other parts of the world including the United States.
ReplyDeleteAs for the citizens of Japan, they do have different cultural values that make them react differently in times of crisis. There was no looting and the people were really calm. Everyone lined up in an orderly manner while getting supplies and they all took care of each other. This subject was brought up in my other class and my professor was also talking about the calm reaction of the Japanese. She told the class a story about someone leaving a pair of gloves at the park and when they return for the day, it was neatly folded at the same spot. Maybe it was a good neighborhood, or maybe the glove didn’t fit? However, I do agree with you that the reason is because of the location of the natural disaster striking and the different values people believe in.
Japan is known as nation that is always prepared and they were for the earthquake. The buildings held up to the 8.9 magnitude but who knew the ocean would flood the mainland. This makes me think about the bay area and our position of a natural disaster. Are we prepared for a long-due earthquake, what kind of destruction will it cause, and who will suffer from it? Think about the people living along the fault lines and their homes. Are we ready?
I love your point about valuing honor. I agree: this is a fairly large cultural difference. That is not to say that some people, some families, or some communities in the US don't value honor. But, you've got me thinking about social frames and how one large culture in the US can shape the mindset of so many different people in so many vastly different communities. Sometimes I wonder if the people in the US would be better off if the US split into two or more separate countries. I also like to imagine a world in which we could split up the country into a "red" country and a "blue" country, just to see what would happen in each. Maybe that's an idea for a novel...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I hear your point about class differences and the "bootstrap" mentality too. This myth--that anyone can be anything, as long as you just "try your best!"--is something that the poor, working poor, and displaced know is a myth. It seems to be the rest of the US who violently believe that if the poor would just "try harder" then they too could be successful. As with everything, the situation is, of course, not that simple.