By GI Korea on December 30th, 2007 at 5:44 am

Japanese Perpsective on Whaling

» by GI Korea in: Japan

Since people seem very interested in debating the whaling issue here is another video from Youtube I found that I think adds some more interesting perspectives to the whaling debate:

- 340 views

Sonagi
3:22 am on December 30th, 2007 1
Interesting? Groan. The only valid point made in the video is that animal abuse knows no national boundaries. The whole problem with tu quoque is that two wrongs don't make a right. Aussies who criticize Japanese whaling are hypocrites only if they do not criticize similarly cruel methods of killing animals in their own country.

That whole Crunella riots White Australia thing was over the top. And what is the connection with the whaling issue? Whoever made that video seems to have the same logical reasoning skills as certain commenters here and at the Hole.

I'm sure there are far more rational, thought-out defenses of Japanese whaling than that Youtube garbage.

I'd also like to correct a misstatement in the beginning of the video. Livestock raising is not necessarily harmful to the environment. Factory farming is extremely damaging, whether we are talking about animals or crops, but sustainable agriculture includes animal and plant foods living together in symbiotic balance. An excellent example is the prairie, once the largest biome in North America, now reduced to 1% of its original size, nearly wiped out by vast monocultures of corn, soy, and wheat. People cannot eat grass, but people can eat animals that eat grass.

I'm curious as to what has spawned your interest in this Japanese-Australian conflict?
GI Korea
4:11 am on December 30th, 2007 2
I didn't say I agreed with everything in the video it just adds interesting perspective from someone in Japan. The Crunella riots reference was definitely over the top. Though poorly executed I think the main theme the video is trying to make is the selective outrage in Australia shown towards the Japanese in regards to whaling. I felt the same way when Korea was getting bashed over eating dogs before the World Cup; it was once again selective outrage not handled maturely.

This whole whaling issue could be simply solved if governments held good faith negotiations with the Japanese who would probably agree to reduced quotas then what they are fishing for now. However, the anti-whaling lobby would rather demonize the Japanese, ram them with boats, and throw acid at them and make the Japanese submit to their world views. Is anyone surprised the Japanese have grown more stubborn in their whaling when treated like this?

This whole issue is the microcosm of the environmental movement in general. Find an issue that emotionally appeals to people even if it has nothing to do with the environment or sustainability such as whaling and then sensationalize it and let the money pour in from it. How many charlatans are out there now preaching how we are all going to die from global warming but want more government grant money and for you to make sure you buy their book before you die.

The whale issue is the same deal, people are making money off of it and scoring political points as well while simultaneously ignoring much larger and real issues.