The Japanese are a proud race - though insulated by their geography and history. The island culture of the Japanese provided them with a unique understanding of their environment, their shared destiny and their vulnerability - significantly affected by their location on a seismic faultline that is active, intense and unpredictable.
Earthquakes and tsunamis (a word from the Japanese language and reality) are familiar to the people of this land ; is a normal part of their lives ; and something that they have learned to live with - through or without advanced technology.
Japan is the most seismically retrofitted society in the world. An earthquake of 7.0 magnitude, that killed over 200,000 people and devastated the entire country of Haiti, would have been well managed in Japan, and might not have caused any deaths. But an 8.9 magnitude earthquake is a different story. Such an earthquake would be difficult, as Indians say, "even for the Gods and the Goddesses to manage". (Kindly read Dr. Srinivasan's article "Earthquakes, Our Environment and Economic Activities, 2011, on the growing concern with increased frequency and higher magnitude earthquakes, available on this blog).
There has been a lot of analysis on how Japan's aging population, their huge debt and their economic stagnation have led to "poor innovation, management and administration" - even of its infrastructure. The Daiichi nuclear reactor, built in the 1970s, that is causing a lot of concern and panic (over a possible meltdown), has been under watch for both safety lapses, as well as general fragility associated with age and obsolete technology.
America need not turn this disaster into a "Look how great we are!" attitude, with a tendency to gloat about our infrastructure, youthfully aging population and better disaster-preparedness.
There are commercially several hundred nuclear reactors in the United States that currently produce electricity. Most Americans do not even know where they are located. Reactors that were once constructed to produce enriched uranium for bombs are no longer operational - as America has already used them to produce large numbers of nuclear weapons.
The United States has the largest pile of nuclear warheads, more than 1,500, pointing all over the world. The START treaty has not come close to reducing this stockpile - that could destroy our entire planet within minutes if some extremists, Christian, Muslim, Neo-Nazis, etc..., got hold of it.
An 8.9 magnitude earthquake would have turned many communities and countries, including many towns in the US, with nuclear reactors into a dangerous toxic radiation rubble. Japan in this regard has coped and managed this problem well - though the general damage and death toll (as of March 2011) may still be large, compared to what Japan has had to contend with in the recent past.
Japan spent much of its last seventy years building its economy rapidly...allowing America to be its military eye and protection (through its bases - like in Okinawa), and to monitor its rise to power.
Japan, for all its celebration of its history and culture, is one of the most Westernized societies in the world. Japan has made the three piece suit its national attire and its kimono a mere museum piece (for cultural tourists and nostalgic elders).
Japan invented, modified or improved every gadget, gizmo and go-go technology for nearly forty years. This helped push the Japanese economy into the forefront - even to the envy of many Anglo and American men, who spent copious amount of time in many universities studying "Japanese corporations, business culture and its organizational efficiency".
Now...Japan looks old, jaded and a bit over-bought and over-sold. As a Japanese social psychologist once noted, "We were never that efficient, that aggressive or that innovative as we were made out to be. We were never that American either...But the US needed to sell that dimension of us for their own economic, geo-political and psycho-social reasons!"
Years ago I wondered how countries, that have a different topography, geography and history than the United States, can borrow, imitate or embrace models of development that are not suitable for their environment, culture or demographics.
Japan, being on one of the most seismically active zones in the world, should have chosen an energy-generating plan that successfully harnessed its waves and wind, rather than pursue nuclear energy - that require the storage and control of dangerous chemicals which could be easily released into the air, water and soil during a major earthquake, tsunami and/or volcanic eruption.
Iceland, a small island-country on one of the most seismically active zone (the mid-Atlantic ridge), much like Japan, has effectively harnessed its natural thermal emissions, produced by volcanic gases beneath and all around its ground, to produce and deliver heat to its citizens and residents. A nuclear reactor would be dangerous in a country where volcanic eruptions are a reality.
Simply borrowing and following American business models, social development theories, economic plans, its technology priorities and its youth culture are neither sensible nor useful for countries with a very different history, culture and geography.
If one simply follows, imitates and mimics other cultures, countries and their economic plans, without realizing its long term effects, which can be harmful rather than useful to one's economic stability, culture, social welfare and independence, one is likely to be driven by the excitement and energy of development rather than its true effects and costs.
An Indian spiritualist once stated, "If you merely take Yoga as an exercise routine or a meta-physical ritual, without understanding, appreciating and integrating the relevant culture behind it, and the complex thoughts and philosophies that helped develop it, then Yoga becomes just another Pilate-routine or a mumbo-jumbo that people neither truly understand nor appreciate".
What one borrows without full knowledge, or without knowing its relevant usefulness to oneself and our societies, is going to do more harm than good.
In a globalized world knowledge should flow in many directions - not just West to East, North to South, White to non-White or Rich to Poor.
In a globalized economy capital should trickle down, be better shared, be better distributed and evenly rewarded for its generation..not just get concentrated in the hands of a few or selective institutions.
In a globalized environment there should be a better understanding of diverse and unique environments. We should not assume everything is America, everybody is, or should be, American, and everything American is relevant or makes sense for the world...and for America itself.
Japan should be admired for handling its devastation admirably...as an 8.9 earthquake is severe and will have serious reprecussions no matter where it occurs. On the other hand, we must also take time to reflect on a country that emulated America too much and too quickly...without realizing that it is a small island country in the Pacific Ring of Fire with a different history, culture and geography than the United States.
"Japan", as one Asian social worker noted, "was too tied culturally and economically to the West. Its seismic fault line divided it from the Western half of the Pacific, but its social and cultural fault line divided it from the rest of Asia. Japan is learning that it was, for too long, 'part of Asia while being apart'."
I guess what she is saying is that Japan must now join the rest of Asia to come up with better solutions for its domestic faultlines - not just related to its earthquakes, but to its economy and environment.
Nevertheless we, America and the rest of Asia, can learn a lot from Japan's extraordinary disaster preparedness and management.
Earthquakes and tsunamis (a word from the Japanese language and reality) are familiar to the people of this land ; is a normal part of their lives ; and something that they have learned to live with - through or without advanced technology.
Japan is the most seismically retrofitted society in the world. An earthquake of 7.0 magnitude, that killed over 200,000 people and devastated the entire country of Haiti, would have been well managed in Japan, and might not have caused any deaths. But an 8.9 magnitude earthquake is a different story. Such an earthquake would be difficult, as Indians say, "even for the Gods and the Goddesses to manage". (Kindly read Dr. Srinivasan's article "Earthquakes, Our Environment and Economic Activities, 2011, on the growing concern with increased frequency and higher magnitude earthquakes, available on this blog).
There has been a lot of analysis on how Japan's aging population, their huge debt and their economic stagnation have led to "poor innovation, management and administration" - even of its infrastructure. The Daiichi nuclear reactor, built in the 1970s, that is causing a lot of concern and panic (over a possible meltdown), has been under watch for both safety lapses, as well as general fragility associated with age and obsolete technology.
America need not turn this disaster into a "Look how great we are!" attitude, with a tendency to gloat about our infrastructure, youthfully aging population and better disaster-preparedness.
There are commercially several hundred nuclear reactors in the United States that currently produce electricity. Most Americans do not even know where they are located. Reactors that were once constructed to produce enriched uranium for bombs are no longer operational - as America has already used them to produce large numbers of nuclear weapons.
The United States has the largest pile of nuclear warheads, more than 1,500, pointing all over the world. The START treaty has not come close to reducing this stockpile - that could destroy our entire planet within minutes if some extremists, Christian, Muslim, Neo-Nazis, etc..., got hold of it.
An 8.9 magnitude earthquake would have turned many communities and countries, including many towns in the US, with nuclear reactors into a dangerous toxic radiation rubble. Japan in this regard has coped and managed this problem well - though the general damage and death toll (as of March 2011) may still be large, compared to what Japan has had to contend with in the recent past.
Japan spent much of its last seventy years building its economy rapidly...allowing America to be its military eye and protection (through its bases - like in Okinawa), and to monitor its rise to power.
Japan, for all its celebration of its history and culture, is one of the most Westernized societies in the world. Japan has made the three piece suit its national attire and its kimono a mere museum piece (for cultural tourists and nostalgic elders).
Japan invented, modified or improved every gadget, gizmo and go-go technology for nearly forty years. This helped push the Japanese economy into the forefront - even to the envy of many Anglo and American men, who spent copious amount of time in many universities studying "Japanese corporations, business culture and its organizational efficiency".
Now...Japan looks old, jaded and a bit over-bought and over-sold. As a Japanese social psychologist once noted, "We were never that efficient, that aggressive or that innovative as we were made out to be. We were never that American either...But the US needed to sell that dimension of us for their own economic, geo-political and psycho-social reasons!"
Years ago I wondered how countries, that have a different topography, geography and history than the United States, can borrow, imitate or embrace models of development that are not suitable for their environment, culture or demographics.
Japan, being on one of the most seismically active zones in the world, should have chosen an energy-generating plan that successfully harnessed its waves and wind, rather than pursue nuclear energy - that require the storage and control of dangerous chemicals which could be easily released into the air, water and soil during a major earthquake, tsunami and/or volcanic eruption.
Iceland, a small island-country on one of the most seismically active zone (the mid-Atlantic ridge), much like Japan, has effectively harnessed its natural thermal emissions, produced by volcanic gases beneath and all around its ground, to produce and deliver heat to its citizens and residents. A nuclear reactor would be dangerous in a country where volcanic eruptions are a reality.
Simply borrowing and following American business models, social development theories, economic plans, its technology priorities and its youth culture are neither sensible nor useful for countries with a very different history, culture and geography.
If one simply follows, imitates and mimics other cultures, countries and their economic plans, without realizing its long term effects, which can be harmful rather than useful to one's economic stability, culture, social welfare and independence, one is likely to be driven by the excitement and energy of development rather than its true effects and costs.
An Indian spiritualist once stated, "If you merely take Yoga as an exercise routine or a meta-physical ritual, without understanding, appreciating and integrating the relevant culture behind it, and the complex thoughts and philosophies that helped develop it, then Yoga becomes just another Pilate-routine or a mumbo-jumbo that people neither truly understand nor appreciate".
What one borrows without full knowledge, or without knowing its relevant usefulness to oneself and our societies, is going to do more harm than good.
In a globalized world knowledge should flow in many directions - not just West to East, North to South, White to non-White or Rich to Poor.
In a globalized economy capital should trickle down, be better shared, be better distributed and evenly rewarded for its generation..not just get concentrated in the hands of a few or selective institutions.
In a globalized environment there should be a better understanding of diverse and unique environments. We should not assume everything is America, everybody is, or should be, American, and everything American is relevant or makes sense for the world...and for America itself.
Japan should be admired for handling its devastation admirably...as an 8.9 earthquake is severe and will have serious reprecussions no matter where it occurs. On the other hand, we must also take time to reflect on a country that emulated America too much and too quickly...without realizing that it is a small island country in the Pacific Ring of Fire with a different history, culture and geography than the United States.
"Japan", as one Asian social worker noted, "was too tied culturally and economically to the West. Its seismic fault line divided it from the Western half of the Pacific, but its social and cultural fault line divided it from the rest of Asia. Japan is learning that it was, for too long, 'part of Asia while being apart'."
I guess what she is saying is that Japan must now join the rest of Asia to come up with better solutions for its domestic faultlines - not just related to its earthquakes, but to its economy and environment.
Nevertheless we, America and the rest of Asia, can learn a lot from Japan's extraordinary disaster preparedness and management.
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