Morality?

[Winston001]

Agreed but still.... they were not alone, and if you look at the benefit they got out of WW2 they were really the only winners. So the we did you a favor thing and all that...

I see Lou picked up on this already, and he is correct. The reason Japan and Germany survived the war and prospered to become the 2nd and 3rd wealthiest economies by 1980, was massive American investment. Ironic isn't it. They lost the war but won the peace.

[pete376403]

We have a navy (sort of) - why not send them out to "scientifically harvest" some Jap whale ship crew (for research purposes only, of course.) We would be morally one up on the Japanese, as we wouldn't sell the meat afterwards.

[SPman]

We have a navy (sort of) - why not send them out to "scientifically harvest" some Jap whale ship crew (for research purposes only, of course.) We would be morally one up on the Japanese, as we wouldn't sell the meat afterwards.

Hmm - reminds me of an old guy I was talking to in New Guinea, back in '70.
"No like Japanese fella" "oh? Why?"
"too stringy!"

[Timber020]

Ony half of germany did very well (ask any east german). Japan was rebuilt by the allies but it was the Korean war that really got it moving.

Whaling is such a crock, but lets not forget that alot of the founding of NZ was due to whaling and sealing and we were still doing in well into this century.

I wonder how many whalers would need to be torpedoed to stop the rest. Hey the rainbow warrior bombers are probably in need of a job...

[Coldkiwi]

It wouldnt be so bad if they cut the bullshit and just said they wfere actively whaling.
But for scientific purposes?
Torpedo a couple of fucking Factory ships - Fuck em!

I like the way you're thinking john!

I say again, any one seen the scientific data on these whales? And why is it we can study most other species on this planet without slaughtering hundreds of them?

[Coldkiwi]

I wonder how many whalers would need to be torpedoed to stop the rest. Hey the rainbow warrior bombers are probably in need of a job...

yeah, but they're french and were useless. Couldn't even get away from our unprepared police force for crying out loud! Wouldn't trust those idiots to go and buy a paper myself.

The russians are good at sinking things (albeit normally their own after a nuclear mishap), why don't we ask them?

[Timber020]

No the french would be perfect, we could start a franco japanese conflict. Of course the japanese would win, but think of the entertainment.

[Pixie]

The Japanese Government has a strange idea of morality. How else can they claim a "moral victory" from their defeat at the IWC.
It seems that they have made the world aware of the "benefits" of their "research" into whales.
Still, it shouldn't be surprising given their revisionist views of the war they started in 1941.
Their Prime Minister visited Okinawa for the first time since 1945 and gave tribute to the sacrifice the victims made to ensure world peace, clearly including the Japanese dead. This was a war their military started, the sacrifice was actually made by the thousands of Americans and millions of civilians that the Japanese killed.
As I said, a strange idea of morality.

You picking on the Japs now?It used to be the yanks.Next you'll be having a go at the flowers.

[Pixie]

That hippy MP Carter said on the news that the world (of hippies) finds it unacceptable to shoot a grenade at an animal,chop it up,and serve it in a restaurant.
Now,what about ramming a compressed air syringe into an animal's head and blasting it's brains into a pink foam,chopping it up,and serving it in a restaurant?
Where is it that they do that?
Not good old ,non-hypocritical NZ,surely.

[TwoSeven]

They started the war.....

What rubbish. The US slapped a total economic embargo on them - unlike Saddam - Japan could fight back.

[Indiana_Jones]

What rubbish. The US slapped a total economic embargo on them - unlike Saddam - Japan could fight back.

Yeah, and Japan attacked?...
(not being sarcastic, I don't quite follow you?)

-Indy

[TwoSeven]

Japan and china were quietly having a war with each other (and china was losing - even being backed by the US as it was). The US issued an ultematum that japan remove all its forces from china or suffer an embargo. Japan refused and the US put a military blockade on all japanese shipping.

Now the whole reason japan and china had been having a war was because they were both fighting over oil. So as soon as japan had all of its oil supplies cut off, it needed to go find more. In order to do that, it had to remove the US, then create a buffer zone, so that the US couldnt re-empose the embargo. Hence the invasion of all the other places (if you draw it on the map, you'll find its a big circle around japan).

So, the US started the war with japan by being the original agressor.

[Brian d marge]

I eat whales ..... they are tassteee
There is a good book floating around which sets out the mind set and shows why they made the decision to expand into china ... Please remember Japan has only been open to western influence for about 100 years ,,more so since the end of the war ,,,but things are done today as they were done centurys ago ( arranged Marrages ) ,,
But they didnt think hokey lets go on a asian holiday ,,as we need some more oil ...The hand was really forced ,,In fact I think america went to war over terrorists quicker and with more ease thab the Japanese did when they had their Mancunian holiday .....
That style of shoganistic thinking STILL is apart of today society ( Kiego a form of speach used when speaking to a superior or older person, is used even between friends)
The thing I find strange is that the revised text books in this years school corriculum sort of glosses over the war ,,,and PISSED korea AND china off BIG style ( students again!!!)
BUT the diet ( government ) is made up of traditional fossils who Really are the last of the samuri ...( the 5 big banks here are from samuri class )
untill they die out and younger ones come in you will have older style decitions ,,,,,
The thing I find interesting are the young people who are following western trends and on the one hand want to be Japanese but on the other want to be american its an interesting place at the moment !!
Yes eating Rabbit and deer is VERY strange to the japanese ,,,whale is a fish and the same as a cow to you ,,,
Me as long as they dont over fish , I am cool ....Now FUGU as in the simpsons is REALLY nice ....
Very nice people that I like alot ( can be a bit slow at times ,,but,,,)

Stephen

[Indiana_Jones]

Japan and china were quietly having a war with each other (and china was losing - even being backed by the US as it was). The US issued an ultematum that japan remove all its forces from china or suffer an embargo. Japan refused and the US put a military blockade on all japanese shipping.

Now the whole reason japan and china had been having a war was because they were both fighting over oil. So as soon as japan had all of its oil supplies cut off, it needed to go find more. In order to do that, it had to remove the US, then create a buffer zone, so that the US couldnt re-empose the embargo. Hence the invasion of all the other places (if you draw it on the map, you'll find its a big circle around japan).

So, the US started the war with japan by being the original agressor.

Well yeah, I did say that? (unless I'm mistaken), like you said, the U.S. were ecomoniclly crippling them. And Japan didn't want to back down in it's war in China, so they attacked. It was the Jap's call.

-Indy

[Lou Girardin]

No the french would be perfect, we could start a franco japanese conflict. Of course the japanese would win, but think of the entertainment.

The French have nukes. The Japs would have to borrow them. I'll put my francs on France.