I read a lot about how Japan's social order hasn't broke down in the wake of a major earthquake, tsunami, nuclear disaster, thousands of aftershocks and an ongoing power shortage but I have to disagree. Signs of stress and social breakdowns are less extreme but easily visible.
In western cities drug abuse is blatant, thievery is rampant and gang violence isn't uncommon. When you consider this as the null state a social breakdown must mean mass riots, looting and a complete breakdown of the economy. Anything less wouldn't even register.
Japan, like many East Asian nations, is highly ordered. Rules are strictly enforced and breaking social or legal conventions is severely punished. Children learn from a young age to follow rules. As an elementary school teacher I can say that the overlying theme of primary education here is to produce Japanese adults. Education as we think of it , the three 'R's is incidental to creating another generation with the same values as their ancestors.
With that in mind one needs to pay more attention to see the break down of Japanese society. By comparison it seems ludicrous but some of the examples that come to mind are people are standing on the wrong side of escalators, more people are walking while smoking and some staples are still sold out at times. I have even heard discussion of government ordered changing of company dress codes to reduce energy use this summer.
It isn't the riots or looting we see during hurricanes in America but when you consider the starting points it is a similar escalation of anti-social behaviour.
Saturday, May 07, 2011
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Why you Should or Should not vote for Harper
A quick sample of my friends online activity shows that about a third of them vote conservative. About half of those are either voting conservative for the wrong reason or are unwilling to admit publicly why they are voting conservative. Many of my friends have business or economics backgrounds and flatly state they are voting conservative because the conservatives are better equipped to run an economy.
This, to paraphrase PM Harper, is simply not true. If we look historically the economies of Canada and America almost always grow quicker when the liberals or Democrats are in power. Furthermore the government tends to run a more balanced budget under left leaning governments.
This shouldn't be surprising when we think about the fact that most famous, well respected, Nobel prize winning, influential economists are all liberals. Right wing policies from supply-side economics to the trickle down theory have all been proven wrong. Even the bread and butter of almost all economic beliefs, that consumption taxes are more efficient-both in collection practice as well promoting savings-was flatly ignored by PM Harper, despite his economics background as he cut the GST as part of his platform in 2006.
Now if you are voting for the conservatives because of their Christian leanings, you have a moral belief that spreading wealth through taxation policy is wrong, you are anti-gay marriage or anti-abortion then you are voting conservative for the right reasons. Those last two might not be on the table now but only because it was the reason the Canadian Alliance lost their first two elections.
I would mention the irony of voting conservative for Christian reasons is that if you remember what Jesus preached about being charitable so perhaps the NDP are the most Christian. Although economically speaking they might create a welfare state that proves to be too heavy of a burden.
How did I vote? I voted for a local candidate, not a party. If I was in a different riding I would have voted for a different party. Likewise if we had a different system, proportional representation for example, I would have voted differently.
This isn't meant to be an attack on the conservatives, although I would love to see PM Harper out of power, but just to read a little deeper than the party's one line philosophy when you choose to vote.
There is no party I agree with completely. Despite living near a nuclear disaster I think that, unlike the Green party, it shouldn't be the first target in the energy industry for dismantling.
I like that the conservatives are offering money to subsidize sports and gym memberships. Another step would be a stronger Canada food guide. Ignatieff is an accomplished writer who would surprise most people if they actually read one of his books. He is the Canadian Noam Chomsky.
Anybody who completely rejects one Party's platform has fallen into the trap politicians set for you. If the other person came up with it, it must be bad.
This, to paraphrase PM Harper, is simply not true. If we look historically the economies of Canada and America almost always grow quicker when the liberals or Democrats are in power. Furthermore the government tends to run a more balanced budget under left leaning governments.
This shouldn't be surprising when we think about the fact that most famous, well respected, Nobel prize winning, influential economists are all liberals. Right wing policies from supply-side economics to the trickle down theory have all been proven wrong. Even the bread and butter of almost all economic beliefs, that consumption taxes are more efficient-both in collection practice as well promoting savings-was flatly ignored by PM Harper, despite his economics background as he cut the GST as part of his platform in 2006.
Now if you are voting for the conservatives because of their Christian leanings, you have a moral belief that spreading wealth through taxation policy is wrong, you are anti-gay marriage or anti-abortion then you are voting conservative for the right reasons. Those last two might not be on the table now but only because it was the reason the Canadian Alliance lost their first two elections.
I would mention the irony of voting conservative for Christian reasons is that if you remember what Jesus preached about being charitable so perhaps the NDP are the most Christian. Although economically speaking they might create a welfare state that proves to be too heavy of a burden.
How did I vote? I voted for a local candidate, not a party. If I was in a different riding I would have voted for a different party. Likewise if we had a different system, proportional representation for example, I would have voted differently.
This isn't meant to be an attack on the conservatives, although I would love to see PM Harper out of power, but just to read a little deeper than the party's one line philosophy when you choose to vote.
There is no party I agree with completely. Despite living near a nuclear disaster I think that, unlike the Green party, it shouldn't be the first target in the energy industry for dismantling.
I like that the conservatives are offering money to subsidize sports and gym memberships. Another step would be a stronger Canada food guide. Ignatieff is an accomplished writer who would surprise most people if they actually read one of his books. He is the Canadian Noam Chomsky.
Anybody who completely rejects one Party's platform has fallen into the trap politicians set for you. If the other person came up with it, it must be bad.
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