Lurker > Yi_Long

Yeah, a 2010* (I think) Honda. It was an automatic, so that was new for me, but it was a nice ride.

Yes, from Holland to Asia numerous times. No real interest in visiting other continents right now.

zebatov posted...

Except in the example out of incredibly-strict Japan that I gave, and where stabbings are then through the roof. In Japan you have to collect your casings to buy more ammo. Which means theres a legal limit.

Try again.

I don't have to.try again. Japan has one of the lowest crime/murder rates in the world, and the stats between the USA and countries who do have rational/strict gun laws, speak for themselves.

"oH, bUt ViOlEnT cRaZy FoLkS wIlL jUsT gEt A kNiFe AnD gO oN a StAbBiNg SpReE!"

Maybe, so what's your point? You believe those would result in similar numbers in terms of innocent victims as if the crazy person had used a semi-automatic?

gUnLaWs DoNt AcTuAlLy Do AnYtHiNg except in all those places with rational gun laws where stats very clearly tell you that they do actually do something.

I like guns as much as the next guy or girl, but obviously that doesnt mean there shouldnt be rational and strict gun laws.

I'm in a country where ideally no-one has a gun, and realistically only a few percent of us have guns, and we have strict gun-laws, and in comparison to the USA, very very few gun deaths. Although pretty much every country in the world has low gun deaths compared to the USA.

I believe most folks in the USA, both left-wing as well as right-wing, are very much in favor of reasonable rational gun laws.

I was there at the very beginning of the show, I think when Conan took over from Greg Kinnear, and Conan was/felt very awkward and a bit nervous in those first few years, so Andy being there, mostly just a very funny, relaxed guy, was a good contrast. Always loved Andy. Conan has definitely improved over time.

BlackJackCat posted...

Japan does still have a particularly concerning suicide rate that has been linked to the work culture. Though that could also be a symptom of something different, I remember NHK reporting on this within the last five years.

I think that has more to do with some kind of honor code where you dont want to be a nuisance or failure to those around you, so when you feel you cant succeed and meet expectations at work and in life, and see no more positive outcome, then yeah, in the West we might have more of a safety net and we reach out, while they will want to deal with it by themselves instead of worrying/bothering their loved ones, or society. Basically, they feel strong about not being a burden on anyone.

In Japan, suicides are high among men who recently divorced, or lost their job. Bit ironic, btw, because the narrative is so often that suicides in Japan are high because of work-related pressure/stress, but being WITHOUT a job and thus losing that stability and status is a big cause of ending your life.

In South-Korea, its mentioned one of the reasons its suicide rates are so high, are because some older folks will choose suicide over becoming a burden on family.

Belgium has a higher suicide-rate than Japan, although that could be linked to euthanasia being legalized there.

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/suicide-rate-by-country

I think in the West most of us were kinda brought up with the idea it will get better. After rain comes sunshine, and all that. Maybe those in certain Asian societies feel that the stain of temporary failure (a divorce, losing a job), will forever stick to them, and they cant/wont live with that image.

jiffdiff posted...

Don't South Korea and Japan have pretty severe social expectations of working yourself to death? Like having never lived there it's hard to know what's bullshit and what's real, but Japan especially seems like a nightmare place to try to make a living because of that.

Pretty sure both those countries, in general, have much better working conditions, expectations, hours, workers protections, livable wages, etc, than the USA has.

I think the stereotype of the overworked salary-man in Japan comes from the 80s or something, but has changed/improved significantly since, while in the USA we see a whole lot of folks having to work multiple jobs simply to survive.

Yellow posted...

Our country is treated like an economic powerhouse with a job to do over an ideal place to live.

At least, that's how they constantly justify privatizing almost everything and putting corporations on a pedestal. Anything that threatens the income of a corporation is treated as a national threat. It's a pattern that repeats itself everywhere, even our streets were lobbied by automobile manufacturers so that public transportation just doesn't make sense. What you call corruption these people call a positive thing. They say we can't fall behind China, or fall behind on the world stage.

It's probably the reason why, even though we are culturally basically the same as Canada or England, they have much more solid welfare safety nets, because they don't worry about being the most powerful country on Earth. Or at least use that as an excuse to let CEOs walk all over them.

I just prefer a society where government works for all its people, where common sense and the common good prevails over individual greed and selfishness, and where life, in general, is made as comfortable as possibly in terms of services.

I think modern countries in Asia offer that, while Western countries have mostly dropped the ball, with governments abandoning (selling off) their responsibilities to private/corporate greed, and as a result, we see many institutions like healthcare, postal services, etc, now failing in numerous Western countries. Theyve been completely hollowed out and made far more expensive for the people.

When Im in Japan, or Taiwan, or whatever, it just makes sense. Public transportation is good, affordable, dependable, etc. The streets are clean. Going out is safe and affordable. It all just seems to work as it should work. It seems like the system is fair to the vast majority of the people. That not to say its 100%, of course there will be flaws and bad exceptions, but in general, it seems theyve got their priorities straight on how to be a modern functioning society.

agesboy posted...

so it's like when people make racist jokes and the only other people who "get" it are racist fucks themselves

No, racist jokes seem to exist to place one group beneath others, with the intent to mock, insult, disrespect and/or belittle that group.

Here the joke is that its simply wildly inappropriate to dress up as a sociopath, and everyone is, or should be, aware that its wildly inappropriate You can perhaps compare it to Stephen Chow casually wearing a Saddam Hussain shirt in a scene in one of his movies.

Youll always have folks making some choices with their halloween costumes which are in poor taste

FatalAccident posted...

United States
United States
United States

This. I love your pop-culture, food, and the country is no doubt beyond gorgeous in places, but I really wouldnt do well there.

Its just a specific type of humor. You dress as something/someone because you KNOW its so wildly inappropriate, and as a result, that gets laughs from those who get the joke, and of course those who dont get it, are wildly offended.

Is it disrespectful? Yeah. Thats part of the joke.