Obama: To be thanked for blamed for Japanese earthquake

I was tempted to make a joke about whether the earthquake was Obama's plan to boost the US economy or his plan to ruin the world economy. I can't figure it out. Should he be praised or blamed?

However, I changed my mind. To all the lives that were lost, I am sorry. I lived through a less severe earthquake where many died, and I know of the feeling -- but not nearly the physical challenges. We never lost our water. I don't remember whether power was out for a day or more.

My best wishes are for the families of those who are in Japan. I hope for the fastest recovery.

Actually I did think back a bit to how people like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell blamed 9/11 on gays, blamed Katrina on abortion, and blamed the Haiti earthquake on a voodoo pact with the devil. Can't wait to hear what they come up with for this one.

We already have this clown, who fears this all might be "warnings from God against the Japanese people's atheism and materialism."

Glenn Beck feels similarly, of course.

But you know who we haven't heard from yet? Rev. Fred Phelps. Think we could convince him that he needs to go picket over in north Japan, personally? Maybe near one of the reactors?

- Jeff

Japanese are atheists and materialistic? Does this person know any Japanese people -- other than what they've seen in TV sit coms?

with all the on-going horrors,
and with nothing getting better,
with temps in the mid- 20's,
we haven't heard of one incident of looting in Japan.

NC, I was thinking the same thing today.
This happened last Friday, folks, and these honorable people have really kept their sh*t together.
I hope things improve quickly for them.

That was my point. That's a culture that identifies strongly with the community as a whole.

I did not hear it myself, but I understand an NPR story by Jason Beaubien this morning mentioned looting in the earthquake- and tsunami-affected areas of Japan.

There were many cases of rape in the aftermath of the K?be earthquake in 1995.

I worry that right-wing American fanatics may claim that a lack of crime in Japan in the aftermath of this disaster demonstrates a supposed-superiority of racially homogenous societies. I hope I'm wrong, but in my experience these fanatics' arguments don't depend on facts.

You have some link or proof for that "Many cases of rape" in the aftermath of the Kobe quake statement? I just can't imagine how an earthquake brings out the Japanese rapists.

No, not really. I have heard it from two Japanese friends I trust, one who was in Japan during Kobe.

Looking now, I see some internet posts by persons who were in Kobe describing an increase in rapes in the wake of the quake, and an NGO report, but no straight news reports.

Example
Another
And Another

Not the best evidence, I admit, and worthy of your skepticism, but not nothing.

That is interesting...especially since you know someone who corroborates it. Although one of those sources is blaming "day laborers and clean-up crew volunteers who descended on Kobe after the quake"...and I'm guessing they're tacitly referring to foreign nationals. The other story mentions 37 rapes. In a city of 1.5 million it's hard to say if that's abnormal, especially since we don't know what time period it's reported in...a day, a week, a month...several months.

But regardless it's clear there is no widespread looting. I'm sure in the aftermath of a similar disaster here or in many other countries there would be looting. It's not because of race. It's because we have more criminals. Lots of reasons for that...Culture, Values, Economic and Social Class Stratification, Education, Drug and Alcohal Abuse. I'm beginning to convince myself they're just better people than us.