Greed spills over
Have you seen Whale Wars, the TV show? It sensationalizes the situation and makes Japanese whalers seem like demons. I’m not saying it’s right for Japanese to overfish whales or any other resources from the sea. You have to be responsible, and not wipe out animals. But, just as the Native Americans revere and respect what they kill and eat, so do the Japanese. They really do respect what they catch, and eat with respect and thanks. In Japan, they say ‘Itadakimasu’ before they eat a meal. It means ‘I am receiving’, and thanks both the farmers/fishermen who brought the catch, as well as meaning that they are receiving the soul of the animal/plant. Shinto belief is that all things in nature have a soul.
Now, compare that to what the greedy American corporation has done in the Gulf. They have spilled thousands of barrels of oil into the ocean, killing EVERYTHING in that area: plants, animals, fish, and the environment. Just imagine how long it will take the environment to recuperate. Imagine the millions and billions of fish and plants that have died, including birds from the sky. The ocean and the air are one. What is ironic is that these oil companies weren’t interested in the ocean at all. They were only interested in oil and money.
Again, I’m not saying the whalers are right, but I do believe that it’s much more overblown than what these bastards in the Gulf have done.
whale wars
May 23rd, 2010 at 11:14 pm
what the…this argument has so many holes i don’t even know where to start. get a clue
May 25th, 2010 at 9:58 pm
jasper, what are you crazy? i feel the capitalistic American mind has made a mess out of the world. Greed has destroyed the economy, and the rich people are not accountable. This spill was a result of that, just as was the housing crash and bailout. American capitalist culture is evil.
June 13th, 2010 at 9:15 am
how can you connect whales and oil? That’s like saying shoplifting a candy bar is ok but, shoplifting a watch isn’t.
Second, you think American capitalist culture is evil. What about Chinese “Socialism”, or Japanese greed? How many examples do you need about how Asians consistently break or bend laws for capitalist gain?
At least America is regulated. You can’t say the same for China and other parts of Asia.
Also, last time I checked Japan, Korea, and China are the largets consumers of oil. Their demand is forcing oil companies to take bigger risks and produce more oil…dipshit.
June 14th, 2010 at 10:30 am
Nope, I think you’re the dipshit. US consumes more than all those countries combined.
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/ene_oil_con-energy-oil-consumption
Again, I think it’s a matter of degrees of evil. Don’t you see that the damage and amount of money a Goldman Sachs will steal is in the Billions, while any sort of Japanese crime wouldn’t be close to those figures? These executives STEAL so much money it’s really astounding. (Regulations my ass.) As for Chinese, I dunno anything about their issues, but they seem pretty moneygrubbing, too.
Greed is everywhere, but the US breeds greed because you are raised at an early age to value yourself above others, whereas in Asia you’re taught the value of community and family… dipshit.
June 18th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
So I don’t agree entirely with the writer of this post.
It’s a little premature to draw the correlation between Japanese overfishing whales AND American capitalism and the evils it brings.
I agree, oil companies are all about profit, greed, and more profit. Often abandoning social responsiblity and environmental protection for profit and money. This is pretty obvious and not new. They take shortcuts to avoid costs but sacrifice safety, the environment, and animals. they make special deals with the government and many government officials are in bed with them. we all know this. if you don’t, you’re an idiot.
capitalism can be evil, yes. because its main purpose is profit. and at times, this can damage things such as the environment. and the entire housing market.
but to express that it’s ok for Japanese to whale and kill whales because the american capitalism is evil is not reasonable.
June 18th, 2010 at 10:14 pm
But….the reason why there is a backlash for the japanese whalers is that they kill whales in a brutal fashion.
There is a very good documentary called “The Cove”- where it exposes japanese fishermen killing dolphins. It’s very disturbing and heart breaking. everyone should watch it.
and i agree about the japanese respecting the food that they catch. but you forget….fishermen also make money from whaling. it is their livelihood. the fish and whale meat they catch gets exported to other countries around the world. it’s a huge billion dollars industry. so there is a profit motive there too.
and if the fishes or whales or dolphins that are being slaughtered are protected, meaning, they are dangerously close to being extinct…then i think it’s better NOT to overfish them.
check out the clip from “the cove”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KRD8e20fBo
June 18th, 2010 at 10:16 pm
Johan, i agree with you but you are wrong about the oil consumption of countries. U.S. consumes more oil than all those countries you listed combined. yes, this is true. U.S. consumes 30% of the oil production in the world. Will China or India surpass the U.S.? maybe. but U.S. consumes more than anybody in the entire globe. as they say, america is addicted to oil.
June 18th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
I think this is 2 different subject matters: japanese whaling or overhwaling AND capitalism evil.
June 18th, 2010 at 10:23 pm
but i agree with REF SAM about all the corporate greed, wallstreet bailout, evils of capitalism, american consumerism, etc.
and for any american living here who don’t understand what’s really going on, you are ignorant, uneducated, and unaware. not informed. you need to educate yourself by seeking and learning and reading the facts/news.
your very average ass works 8 hrs a day to get that small paycheck so you can pay off your mortgage, bills, and a new car. meanwhile, these wallstreet guys pull in millions every month. they are at the top of the food chain. and they keep the rest of us down here, to continue to serve their interests…which is take more out of the pie. they get more and more and we get less and less. and our own government works in bed with these guys. so both benefit. while americans are losing their house, get laid off, and can’t afford shit.
June 20th, 2010 at 5:59 am
Dude, are you saying that bp and other big oil companies don’t get a negative image in the public and media? Get a fucking clue.1
June 22nd, 2010 at 8:56 am
http://animalnewyork.com/2010/06/if-bp-doesnt-kill-all-of-the-whales-asians-will/
August 8th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
1) British Petroleum is a multi-national corporation based in London, originally incorporated as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. They hire a lot of Desis, and they don’t care what your race is, as long as you meet their employment needs. It’s hardly a “white” company.
2) “Whale Wars” is a so-called “reality show,” meaning it’s heavily cut and has an agenda. I understand that several countries harvest whales for food. Norway is one. Iceland is another. On the Faeroe Islands, if a whale beaches itself, everyone comes out with a club to beat the beast to death.
There is absolutely no necessity to kill whales, Inuits excepted. The Japanese just want another tasty treat. I read that Japan alone consumes one third of the world’s seafood. If you want to talk about overconsumption and destruction of natural resources, Japan is a big offender with their overfishing of the oceans. I don’t care much about whales, but I hate it that seafood is so expensive because it can be sold for more on the Japanese fish market.