What is Digg?93 Comments
- sciencesays, on 06/29/2008, -7/+34Their gall is really astounding - you'd think that they would just shut up and enjoy their victory, but no. They know the world doesn't care anymore (except maybe Australia) and they rub it in. Good post.
- j1337, on 06/30/2008, -0/+17Eating whale meat has been a tradition in some regions of Japan for hundreds of years. Because of legal restrictions on building large ships and the needs of the population, there was no need to travel long distances to whale.
The consumption of whale meat became popular in Japan immediately following World War II. The United States occupation authorities encouraged Japan to build a commercial whaling industry so that it could harvest high protein meat. As a consequence, most Japanese who grew up during the 1950's and 1960's have memories of eating whale meat in their school lunches and at home. It's hard for them to understand why Americans who once encouraged them to eat whale meat now consider them barbaric.
With increased economic wealth, Japanese consumers began to eat other sources of meat. Whale meat is now a rare and not particularly popular food, and only a handful of fishing towns engage in whaling.
Most people in the younger generations have rarely if ever eaten whale meat, and some might find it gross. However, most recognize that a small portion of the population has a right to eat whale meat and hunt whales if the whaling is sustainable.
Many are baffled by the arguments from Western environmentalists. The facts tend to support the claim that Japan's current whaling program is not driving whales towards extinction, and the main species harvested, the Minke Whale, is not even close to being an endangered species. They also find it confusing that Western environmentalists always mention the intelligence of whales and often equate them to humans. In the case of Minke Whales, studies have shown that they are about as smart as sheep or cattle. It is confusing for Japanese when Westerners scream about the horrors of whale slaughter while their countries engage in almost equally brutal slaughters of other animals for meat.
Few Japanese buy the argument that allowing limited commercial whaling would kill off the whales. Demand for whale meat in Japan is very low, so it is unlikely that whalers would kill many more whales than they already do through sustainable whaling research hunts. - SpicyViper, on 06/30/2008, -5/+19Some countries really need to grow some balls on this issue and make a stand without worrying about insulting Japan.
- arjie, on 06/30/2008, -2/+16Avoid confrontations? That's strange, this isn't some garden tea party. There are real issues at stake. Is it just me or does it sound like there's something wrong with that?
I'd like that job, it sounds good. I think I can avoid talking about important issues too. I mean, I'm sure it's a really hard job requiring much skill and experience, but I just think I can pull it off. - seltaeb4, on 06/30/2008, -0/+14I'd love to see an international ban on whaling, just so you know where I stand.
But as an individual who gets all of his news from English-language sources, I wonder what the attitude of the average Japanese person on whales, and the practice of whaling is?
From Western news, you'd get the idea that the Japanese government has declared whales "the cockroaches of the sea," and that the average person's lifelong desire to consume abundant tasty whale meat must forever go unsatisfied because of some bizarrely restrictive ecological laws.
This is, of course, as dangerous as quoting someone like Pat Robertson in the Japanese media, and having the Japanese reader assume that all Americans think and act like him.
So what's the real story? Please have personal or first-hand knowledge of this subject in Japanese culture. - PaulOwen, on 06/30/2008, -4/+15There is actually a lot of misinformation about the international whaling industry. I'm not defending it - but there are some aspects of the arguments which are being deliberately misrepresented.
There are two issues here - the environmental issue of hunting of endangered species of whale and the moral issue of hunting whales.
On the first count, as much as Greenpeace hate to admit it, and as much as US environmentalists* hate to say it, Japanese whaling fleets _do not_ hunt endangered species of whale - this is verified every year, and repeated at IWC meetings to the acknowledgement of the delegates attending, but only to fall on deaf ears in the media attending.
On the second count, if hunting whales is morally wrong, then so is farming pigs, cows chickens, goats (you name it) for food. So would it be more acceptable for Japan to farm whales for food? It is after all, technically possible. Think about it ...
These two separate issues are important, because countries opposed to whaling like to confuse them, as if they are the same thing. But there is no confusion amongst whaling countries.
Even this article's author notes:
"I personally am not opposed to finding a sustainable whaling solution that seeks some middle ground. Perhaps there are some species of whales that are abundant enough to allow for a minimal, token amount of whaling."
But what the author doesn't realize is that this is already the status quo.
Personally, I have eaten whale meat! I didn't like it, and I don't really understand why people want to eat it, or hunt whales for food. However the media portrayal of the arguments is currently wrong, and that bothers me.
(* yes, it is ironic that the US are happy to appeal to environmental arguments against whaling but then ignore them when it comes the Kyoto Protocol.) - chikuten, on 06/30/2008, -0/+10you're too smart for digg. run away while you still can!
- phreak79, on 06/30/2008, -8/+17It's hard to understand why they continue to make such a stand over this issue. Is the eating of whale meat in Japan of such importance that they are prepared to make so many enemies over it?
- j1337, on 06/30/2008, -12/+21If species such as the Minke Whale are abundant enough that hunting a couple thousand of them a year does not threaten their overall population, there's no good reason why the IWC should ban such sustainable hunting.
The IWC was created by whaling countries to preserve whale populations until sustainable whaling could be resumed, not to ban whaling forever. - Pixelante, on 06/30/2008, -0/+9We kill chickens in self-defence.
- inactive, on 06/30/2008, -0/+9I guess the 23rd Century wont be needing George and Gracie after all.
- PaulOwen, on 06/30/2008, -0/+8Ever tried it?
(didn't think so) - j1337, on 06/30/2008, -1/+8A brilliant propaganda campaign has brainwashed people into thinking that whales are hyper-intelligent creatures with warmer hearts than humans. These "beautiful creatures" are superior to any of those animals that we eat.
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/in_the_know_ ... - NomortaL1, on 06/30/2008, -1/+7actually japanese dont eat whale that often...
- Ryvenn, on 06/30/2008, -0/+6Huh? Hunting of people has never stopped.
It's just been the worst kind of hunting, purely recreational and occasionally contractual. - znicket, on 06/30/2008, -3/+9I don't understand really why people are digging you down for this statement. Whales have been elevated somehow to a level of mythical sanctity. Killing a whale seems to be, in some people's minds, tantamount to human murder.
When did this happen and why? Many species of whales are perfectly sustainable for hunting purposes - it is a simple fact that we humans kill animals for food. Why should whales be exempt?
What makes whales so darn holy? - SpicyViper, on 06/30/2008, -0/+6The whales don't give a ***** about that.
- bjornski, on 06/30/2008, -8/+13Yes.
You may as well ask Americans to give up hot dogs. - AnthonyN, on 06/30/2008, -1/+6Most species of whale are so polluted with various pollutants of industrial origin that I'm surprised they actually want to eat them, or that the government doesn't recognize the potentially long term hazards of it's consumption.
You think tuna is bad? - NomortaL1, on 06/30/2008, -4/+9theyre frickin animals! we kill chickens too, oh noes!
- inactive, on 06/30/2008, -0/+5What? I was talking about eating whale. Weirdo.
- inactive, on 06/30/2008, -0/+4Humans make poor eating. Skin and bones = lame.
- purpledoc, on 06/30/2008, -0/+4Amen...I feel queasy whenever I dine on any fish larger than a salmon.
- portnoy, on 06/30/2008, -2/+6How much of the whale do they actually eat? My guess is about half a pound of some really weird parts that they think are aphrodisiacs and the rest is ground up into pet food and fertilizer. These are among the most amazing creatures on the planet. There's no sane reason to kill them off.
- ShrimpCrackers, on 06/30/2008, -0/+3Grow balls? Thats what we ask people to tell China and a whole host of other nations. If they won't grow the balls to tell China, what makes you think they'll be able to tell Japan anything?
- ShrimpCrackers, on 06/30/2008, -0/+3Well grinding stuff up to aphrodisiacs is more or less China and South Asia territory, in Japan its just strictly eating the meat. They like their fish because they are an island nation.
However its just education I guess, in Japan there isn't as much emphasis on whale conservation, and frankly a lot of people don't eat them because they do know. But with such a huge population a comparatively small amount eating them, it still amounts to thousands of whales each year being hunted. Plus its a market made even more lucrative now that other nations are not hunting. When you're the only source for anything semi-valuable, you bet you're going to be rich. - bjornski, on 06/30/2008, -0/+3As long as it's profitable, it won't.
- wacomwacoff, on 06/30/2008, -2/+5So does most of the world. Welcome to 2008, where sushi's sold everywhere.
- MCA2142, on 06/30/2008, -2/+5This article makes me appreciate good type fonts.
- Pixelante, on 06/30/2008, -0/+3They simply know that nobody is ever going to sanction them. Some nations are untouchable, due to economic and/or industrial relevance and Japan is one of them.
- PaulOwen, on 06/30/2008, -1/+4@Ryvenn
Q: Where and when were the fishing borders agreed between Japan and Australia?
Go away and find out, then come back. Your perception is shaped because you only hear Australia's side.
(A: They never have been - Australian vessels fish in Japanese waters too!) - JKAL, on 06/30/2008, -0/+3I ate a NY hot dog once and vomited promptly, just because you don't like it does not mean it is not delicious.
BTW: Raw fish is called sashimi while sushi can be anything wrapped or part of a small rice snack. Which just happens to include on some occasions raw fish, and further more both are delicious, if you get it fresh. It all depends where you buy it, just like any food. - PrintScrn12, on 06/30/2008, -1/+4There isn't much demand nor is it tasty. A lot of the production is due to subsidies.
- JKAL, on 06/30/2008, -0/+3Some people really need to grow some balls and tackle whales deaths caused by Sonar and other "Defense" technologies and not just whale hunting, at least whale hunting is for "research" or eating.
new technologies tested are also killing large population of fish, I rather eat that fish than let it go to waste testing some weapon or radar. - inactive, on 07/01/2008, -0/+2Sorry I don't find raw fish delicious. Nobody I know finds it delicious. Sushi (the raw fish type sushi) is one of those overrated foods everybody pretends to like, so that the Japanese can feel good about themselves.
It's popular in north america and south east asia. That leaves the rest of the world. It is just another overrated national delicacy, everybody must try at least once, then act all polite when the japanese person who perepared it asks you how the piece of ***** you just ate tastes.
And I vomited due to fresh raw fish because it was fresh raw fish, not because it was off. Eating raw fish is like drinking contaminated creek water, you never know what kind of parasite is in there.
60% of all fish in the ocean have parasites living inside them. Enjoy the raw fish. Enjoy the parasite eggs.
I bet some of you are dumb enough to try that other japanese delicacy, Fugu, of which 300 people die each year. - moulin1, on 06/30/2008, -4/+6Honestly shocked to find so many pro-whaling comments on this thread. The issue for anti-whaling groups and their supporters is the belief that whales (and porpoises) are sentient. That they have a language, advanced social behavior, self-awareness, and an oral history. Those who think this is irrelevant as long as they are good eating make me wonder what moral framework prohibits cannibalism in their minds. The only objective of anti-whaling groups is to ban the killing of whales and porpoises forever. Not to allow the species to repopulate until it is ready for harvest.
- punkcat, on 06/30/2008, -0/+2cant go wrong with helvetica.
- PrintScrn12, on 06/30/2008, -2/+4Japan love raw FRESH fish. Important difference.
- wacomwacoff, on 06/30/2008, -4/+6The Japanese don't happily eat whale -- it's not even sold there as a food product, normally. It's sort of the Japanese equivalent of eating horsemeat... some people eat it, but it doesn't taste very good and the younger generation is generally grossed out by it.
Therefore this is just asshattery on Japan's part. - nyos, on 06/30/2008, -2/+4are you eight?
- grail1973, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1"Hey Earl, we got any blowhole back there, I'm starving."
- cheezintern, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1It must be a sustainable hunt!
- TripcodeMel, on 06/30/2008, -3/+4Mmm, more for me, then.
- MCA2142, on 06/30/2008, -0/+1exactly.
Have you seen the film, "Helvetica?"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0847817/ - noahhoward, on 06/30/2008, -2/+3Why? What harm are they doing by hunting non-endangered whales?
- punkcat, on 06/30/2008, -0/+1missed it, its been in my plans for some time though.
- lundman, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1Do you really want to know? In Japan, Whale meat is food. It tastes great, there are Whale only restaurants, and they have a long history with eating meat. For example, school used to serve it as the cheap/bulk meat.
Now, as a country who has done Whaling for a long time, and actually USE what they catch, and generally go after Whales who are not struggling.
The take the flip side, say a country that killed Buffalos only for profit, and left the remains to rot, until they were all gone. Or Dodos, or indeed, Westerners in general, killing Whales just for blubber and profit, what right do they have to force Japan to stop hunting? It was the westerners that created the problem in the first place.
Not my opinion, just showing some of the things I hear around here.
- pijalu, on 06/30/2008, -0/+1Ted Bundy Lawyer:
Why ? What harm is he doing by hunting non-endangered humans? - Hetman, on 06/30/2008, -2/+3If they are that advanced then they pose a great threat to humanity. And we should not be hunting to eat them, but hunting to eliminate there threat to humanity.
- TheGuruStud, on 07/01/2008, -0/+1Who goes out of their way to eat dolphins? Nice comprehension.
Hell, those yokels are protected by the cops over there. ***** ridiculous. -
Show 51 - 94 of 94 discussions
The Digg Toolbar for Firefox lets you Digg, submit content, and keep track of Digg even when you're not on the Digg site. Download the official 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is