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Sunday, March 20, 2011
What type of participation do you expect from Americans and what should the United States government be doing with regard to Japan?
I think the U.S. should do what we did when Haiti was in trouble. We should send them humanitarian aid. Regarding the U.S. citizens and Japan, I'd expect donations to Japan to help them get over the destruction caused by the earthquake and tsunami.
I think the U.S should offer aid to the Japanese in their time of trouble. It is what the U.S. does. We helped Haiti and the Japanese helped us after Hurricane Katrina. As for US citizens, it is a bit more difficult to say what we should be doing. Times of need like this tend to touch people and many donate money to relief organizations. But, many others just ignore the effort and go on living.
Normally, I'm against giving mass aid to other countries when there are plently of places in the US that need it as well. But in this case, I'm all for it. All the world's anime and manga comes from Japan, and trillions of children around the solar system look forward to the new issue of Shonen Jump each month. It's clearly crucial to help out as much as we can. For the children. I think America will help out a lot because I've already seen several events/organizations dedicated to helping Japan, such as the youtube Sydney Symphony (check it out) and of course the infamous method of texting your donations to Red Cross.
Since America has always had empathy for countries in need, the grim situation in Japan will be no different. I believe Americans who are able to will opt for the $10 text donation through the Red Cross because it is an easy way to help the earthquake and tsunami victims. The United States government will send humanitarian aid just like we did with the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia and with the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.
When the earthquake struck in Haiti last year, the American people showed a tremendous concern for the Haitians - recall the Hope for Haiti Now telethon and such. I expect another outpouring from the American people for the people of Japan as they try to recover from this devastation. However, I can't (nor can anyone else) know how much the American people will contribute in aid to Japan. It is of course the right thing to do - sending donations to Japan. It's just a matter of whether or Americans will actually do it enough.
The US government should also be contributing with humanitarian aid to Japan. As we have done so often in the past, it is almost our responsibility to help other nations in their times of crises. Of course we don't want to get carried away because of our own economic concerns, but I don't think that our leaders would ever let it reach that point. The US government will contribute as necessary.
I personlly believe that the US should not give as much aid as other countries. It seems that every time a disaster occurs in the world everyone turns their heads towards America and expects them to respond. I also feel that these other countries then don't offer as much aid because they think "America has it covered." We as a nation have enough problems inside our country and instead of worrying as much about what is going on outside the counrty we should help ourselves more.
I anticipate a massive output of support for Japan among our citizens. However, I am not in support of doing this. I feel as though people should support their own self-interest first. Then I feel money not needed by an individual should be used for research and advancement. People should earn their own money. Darwin's strategy of survival of the fittest is in place for a reason. No matter the circumstances, people must be able to work to survive. A bird with an injured wing must escape a disaster by itself, another bird will not come help it. In the same way, people who want independence should have to use the independence in all facets of life.
I feel the United States should be offering aid to the Japanese. We are looked upon for help when others are in need, and we usually deliver. The Japanese provided us with aid after Hurricane Katrina, and we should help them in their time of need. I feel the U.S. citizens need to donate money to help the cause as we did with Haiti. The $10 Red Cross text donation is a great way for citizens to help.
I believe that the U.S. should keep sending troops and aid to Japan like we currently are. After hurricane Katrina, many countries helped us out when we needed it, so I believe we should do the same. In the United States, many people have a lot of luxuries that others do not in other places. I feel that it would be a great thing if citizens could find some of their money to donate to the relief effort. An easy way to do this would be a quick $10 texting donation through the Red Cross.
The United States no doubt should offer help to Japan in their time of crisis. Anything from manpower to food to rescue crews ought to be sent over for civilians in need of escape. However, I do not see it as a scenario that we should just poor money into. Just because the United States is a resourcefully fortunate nation (well, maybe not that much these days), does not mean that we have to be the heros of the globe. Huge amounts of aid is not the solution, but instead help in specific areas directly related to some sort of resolution are where any efforts ought to be focused.
I feel we definitely should help out Japan. This is a really sad situation, and i feel that America should do anything it can to try to help. I feel we should definitely get them good water and food because those items are scarce over there right not. Japan needs as much help as possible because they cant do it by themselves.
Honestly, who cares if the U.S. is constantly turned to to help when other countries are in need. Who cares about "survival of the fittest." This isn't a game, or a time for political strategy. Just because the people affected by this disaster don't walk on the same continent we do, they are still people who live life every day like us. People are people, whether they are next door to us or across the globe. "Independence" has nothing to do with natural disasters. No country asks for a disaster! Putting ideals like advancement before the simple concept of helping those who need it the most is just selfish. Our country should help Japan as much as we possibly can. It's the right things to do.
I believe that several people here are correct, but not in the way they think.
Most of the people who describe that we should help Japan seem correct. I believe that as a "well-off nation" as Lauren Wundrock put it, it is our duty to the global economy to uphold its stability.
However, to address Nick's "survival of the fittest" argument: Does it not make sense that to salvage America's own economy we must help stabilize Japan's status? I believe that in order to ensure our own survival, we must help out Japan in its time of need. As one of our economic allies, the U.S. could take a huge economic hit by this disaster if it does not act swiftly and plentifully to help Japan. To save ourselves and our money, we are going to have to help Japan save themselves as well. Plus, the advantages in the future with a closer tie to Japan could be a huge benefit as well.
Personally, I think that Americans are quite limited in their aid efforts toward Japan, but there is almost no way around this. Because of the overseas location of the disaster, many people cannot utilize to time or send over other masses of resources to aid in the relief efforts. Nevertheless, the monetary aid that can be provided by individuals can be substantially helpful to the victims in Japan when utilized correct. The Red Cross, UNICEF, The Salvation Army, and many other relief organizations have all eyes on them when it comes to providing as much aid as possible to the ailing victims of this immense crisis.
In terms of government aid, I think the U.S. needs to temper their monetary efforts in support of this cause. The U.S. should by all means offer a helping hand to our ailing ally, but going overboard in our funding for their recovery is thoroughly unnecessary. Our national debt is already at an unbelievable level - another crisis in the making - and we don't need to be throwing any more unnecessary trillions on top of this figure. I think the government should support individual aid being provided from American citizens, but refrain from tossing over too many greenbacks on the part of the large government institution in this situation.
The United States government should be giving humanitarian aid to Japan. They are our allies and our economies are vastly intertwined. But besides the politics and economics of the situation, Japan is in a state of disaster. As BBC Mundo puts it, "Japón: 8.500 muertos y más de 13.000 desaparecidos." With so many people missing and with widespread destruction, it would be only sensible to help. If we can help the people of Libya win against a tyrant, we can help the victims of a natural disaster.
I think the government will definetly help Japan because America seems to help in every major disaster. The government will probaly send troops to help the citizens there and help Japan to get back on track. Most of the United States citizens are for helping other counrties when a disaster happens. I think a good way for the people that want to help is to send money through the red cross texts. This is really easy and it goes to a good cause. Most US citizens would want others peoples help if they were in a situation like the people in Japan are.
The United States government has and will continue to help the Japanese. We have an interest over there. We have military bases. The government has already sent some of our top nuclear engineers over to help with the troubled reactors. The American people in my opinion will not donate as much aid as they did for Katrina and Hati simply because of the fact they are not in our hemisphere. Second, many people will assume that Japan can handle it self, being a modernized country. Never the less, donations will come just in not as great of numbers.
I believe Americans should at least donate some money to Japan. The Governement should do what it can to help especially when the Japanese government donated money to America during Hurricane Katrina.
I think that the people and the government of the United States should aid Japan. Not only is it the right thing to do, but by helping Japan recover, we help ourselves too, since we trade with them. But more importantly, Japan needs help, and we have some resources that we can offer. I know that many people and the government will help Japan, mostly with donations of money.
Not sure if we have to blog this week, so I will anyway. What are we blogging about? Oh, Japan US Relations... "I'll take Jap anUS Relations for 800 Trebek."
I expect Americans to participate in the texting Japan for $10. It is unfourtunate that there are many scams that catch unsuspecting people into giving money to a real relief organization. I would advise people who plan on donating to give to a credible organization, unless, of course, you like wasting money.
As for the US, we should help our friends and allies as much as we do, but unfourtunatly--WE HAVE NO MONEY. We should definitely tell China to send some of their money (intended for us) to go toward the relief efforts in Japan. We have already began sending troups over there to help evacuate and facilitate, which is a very good thing. (rhym=win)
It is our responsibility to help our fellow human beings. Together, we can help Japan. (rhym=win again)
I think the United States should be offering aid to Japan wherever we can. They need our money and resources in order to survive at this point and it is our responsibility to help them, just as other countries have helped the US in the past. We have no reason to not send aid to Japan.
Historically, the people of America have been incredibly altruistic when it comes to helping those who are affected by disaster. I believe strongly in the human capacity for good, and I think that individual donations from the American people will provide a lot of aid to Japan. I find it unbelievable that people would say that we need to look out for our own self-interest first or consider this to be "survival of the fittest". I sure hope people who buy into that belief live perfect lives with no trouble, because surely they will not stick to that idea for long if they are faced with any kind of hardships that may require the generosity of others. Sure, a free bird won't return to save an injured one, but that is what makes humans different from birds. We have the capacity to experience empathy for others and act in ways that defy animal instincts. If we operated on the same moral principles as animals, we would be no different from them. I'm not sure if it is wise to exacerbate the national debt by giving Japan federal aid, but I think there is something to be said for the impact that individual citizens can make.
I believe the U.S. already has a significant amount of military and aid in Japan because of the remaining WW2 agreement. Since our presence there, the U.S. of A has caused more than enough trouble with forced prostitution and ruining their government. If the U.S. can clean up the act, feel free, if not, there would be more harm than good to send more aid.
As an additional comment to this post, I thought of some more specific areas of which the US could be helpful. Monetary support is something that goes without saying, as pretty much anything we give them costs money. But aid in the categories of technology, agriculture, and military would be beneficial. Technology: not only nuclear control help for the current situation, but perhaps some sort of detection system for another catastrophe like this one. Agriculture: radiation is a huge detriment to their land, so we should be a part of the recooperation process. Military: we already have a military base over there, but they will be a fairly powerless country for a while, and it's important that we stand by and protect Japan in their time of weakness.
I believe that the U.S. should indeed send humanitarian aid to Japan, although not as much Western European countries. The government should focus more on our contries economic struggles. In regards to U.S. citizens, if they are willing to help, the ten dollar donation to the red cross is an excellent and affordable way to help Japan.
I think that as the right thing to do, the United States should be involved in offering aid to the Japanese. What occurred there is more than disastrous, it is an opportunity to lend a hand, think about others before ourselves, and for the United States to show compassion. The different organizations, like Salvation Army and UNICEF, that are sending supplies and donations are a great way to get involved and support Japan. Like Kate has mentioned, this isn't a game. Japan needs help, and we should all be involved in rebuilding what has been destroyed.
I think that the U.S doing the $10 text for the Red Cross to help out in Japan is a good idea, and is an easy very convenient way for the everyday busy american to lend a hand. On the other hand, America needs to pay more attention to what we need to fix in our country as well
I personally believe that the U.S. Government, along with all Americans, should be giving aid to Japan. Disasters such as these are unique examples of when all of humanity should pull together and aid those in need. With thousands of people missing, and the country on the brink of a massive nuclear disaster, it is truly in our best interest to help them in any way we can.
Wouldn't we expect the same help if we were hit by a similar disaster?
I think the U.S should help Japan with clean up efforts, but only to a certain extent. Japan is a country of people, and they can figure out how to clean up for themselves, just as we did with Hurricane Katrina. Helping out with food, and specific requests made by Japan I think would be the best option. We need to distance ourselves from just jumping in and doing EVERYTHING for everyone all the time, and just show that yes, we will help, but were not gonna do it for them.
I believe that the United States should help Japan as much as we have helped other countries in past disasters. Every country that has the ability to should be offering Japan all the help that they can get.
I believe that if you want to help those in Japan, one should make a personal donation or donate to a private charity. We have many problems in our own country that need to be solved first before we begin playing the Big Brother role to other countries again.
I believe the the U.S. should offer as much help as they can to Japan in their time of struggle. It is in America's history to help other countries out when they are in need. For example we helped out in Haiti and many countries helped us after Hurricane Katrina. I do not believe that kind heartedness will stop there. I expect that many donations and relief efforts will be made to Japan.
I think the type of participation Americans should be doing is definatly rallying. Morale needs to be boosted in Japan, any american can do this. The American Government needs to offer monetary help to the Japanease. They need money in this time of depression.
In light of the continuing problems with radiation that have been caused by damaged to Japanese nuclear plants, I thought this article was pretty interesting. It goes along with Lauren's comment about assisting with technology; although Japan has plenty of brilliant minds, it may require the efforts of great thinkers around the world to resolve some of the problems arising from this disaster. As the article says, "radiation knows no boundaries".
I believe that the U.S. should aid the Japenese in their time of need. We should send humanitarian aid for the destruction of there homeland. I would expect everything that happened with Haiti to happen with this situation. I am reguarding the donations, and our government to just help them out.
I believe that it is the responsibility of the United States to give aid to Japan. As the world's superpower, it is our duty to help others during these extreme situations. As others have stated, it is just what we do. US citizens should be just as active. As a country, we are incredibly open to donating our time and money. I think now is a time when we can all take the extra 5, 10, 20 dollars and use it for Japanese aid. Even though we can arguably say that we are in tough economic times, it is undebatable that Japan could use this aid far more than we could.
Normally, I am more or less opposed to sending large amounts of money in other countries, considering our own high debt. However, I feel that helping out abroad is necessary in situations like this. Chance events such as an earthquake and tsunami are not due to any fault of the country they affect. In fact, Japan did a spectacular job preparing their infrastructure so the damage to both properties and lives was reduced. However, some damage just can't be stopped. Any country that falls victim to a natural disaster should be helped out.
That isn't to say that the U.S. should do more than her fair share. Dissimilar to the our role in Libya in which Obama has left the leadership to other countries while responding at request, the U.S. shouldn't dominate donating to the point where other countries don't feel compelled to chip in. We should do our fair share, but encourage other countries to do theirs too.
On the other hand, why not? Just put it on our tab. God knows its already big enough to overshadow a couple million dollars here and there.
I believe that a huge national debt should not be a reason for the United States not to give aid. The situation in Japan is terrible. Helping people in need is much more important than worrying about a debt that does nothing to prevent the U.S. from functioning. Another reason that is commonly given for not sending aid is that there are other needs in our own country that need to be addressed. I want to be clear that i support anyone who is willing to help needy US citizens. But that is no reason that we can't try and help others as well. The people in the United States are no better then people all over the globe.
I agree with Ryan Johnson Evers and Sam Scheidt. The idea that we, as humans, can go beyond natural animalistic instincts is a good notion to point out. Also, I liked how Ryan portrayed the world as just people without a certain nationality attributed to their name. I think that supporting Japan is a necessary act. However, I liked the idea Lauren Wundrock brought up about bringing in some sort of technological or scientific support, as in having our top researchers and scientists focus on ways to limit nuclear pollution and stop the spread of radiation. Contamination of land, air, and atmosphere could be catastrophic for the Japanese people, but much more farreaching and would likely affect all of Earth.
Lastly, I would expect our government to support some sort of regulatory program so that we can prevent these type of disasters in the future (at least in our own nation.)
Continuing to give aid to Japan is incredibly important in my opinion. As I stated earlier, it is in our best interest to help them. Being on the brink of a nuclear disaster, Japan is still struggling to get their reactors under control. As of right now, it will still take months to patch the leak of radiation. Seeing as the United States are already detecting radioactivity on the west coast, a major disaster could really potentially hurt not only Japan but us as well.
So for those who believe that we are too in debt, or have other issues to worry about, other than Japan, I believe they are sadly mistaken.
The nation of Japan is currently on the horizon on a nuclear catastrophe, and there is a debate going on about if the United States should give aid? It is an absolute must for the United States and it's citizens to help out in amy way possible to Japan.
I think that the US will have a very large involvement in the aid to Japan because of how big Japan is in our life. A weak Japan will have a very bad effect on the lives of the average American. The United States should and has sent food and supplies to the aid to Japan. Though not apart of the government the US also has sent doctors and many volunteers to help in clean up and delivering of supplies. The US and Japanese relations will be even better after this crisis.
As an update to this post, I would like to say that 110 U.S. troops will help look for earthquake victims in Japan. Which was an expectations many had on this depressing time for Japan. The country is waiting for afterschocks as well.
We need to help these japanese people. this is a horrifying thing that has happened. They do indeed need monetary help and i feel that any chance any american gets to donate any money, they should try to do so because they are in desperate need. I think it is great how 110 troops are going to look for victims. in the future i hope japan helps us with crisis's we get into.
I have to say I think spoerk makes an interesting point about American involvement. Although I'm all for helping those who are in need of assistance, I think it is wise to also encourage other countries to shoulder the load. We aren't the only country with citizens who have the means to donate, and this is definitely a worldwide affair. We can and should do our part, but so should anybody who is able to, regardless of where they live.
I think the U.S. should help the Japanese people. This might not be what will help balance the budget, but it is what people expect and most people would be horrified if the United States did nothing while many people were suffering
I personlly believe that the US should not give as much aid as other countries. It seems that every time a disaster occurs in the world everyone turns their heads towards America and expects them to respond. I also feel that these other countries then don't offer as much aid because they think "America has it covered." We as a nation have enough problems inside our country and instead of worrying as much about what is going on outside the counrty we should help ourselves more.
Although this unfortunate disaster occurred more than a month ago, there are still many factors that are affecting many lives. On April 24, 2011, there were still more than 10,000 people missing since the tsunami struck. As a result Japan has deployed 25,000 troops in order to search for the remaining individuals. Since then, Japan has taken steps toward recovery from the near/partial nuclear meltdown that took place. One example comes from school playgrounds where topsoil is being removed due to the radiation. In all, the problems that Japan still faces are very real, and not yet over.
49 comments:
I think the U.S. should do what we did when Haiti was in trouble. We should send them humanitarian aid. Regarding the U.S. citizens and Japan, I'd expect donations to Japan to help them get over the destruction caused by the earthquake and tsunami.
I think the U.S should offer aid to the Japanese in their time of trouble. It is what the U.S. does. We helped Haiti and the Japanese helped us after Hurricane Katrina. As for US citizens, it is a bit more difficult to say what we should be doing. Times of need like this tend to touch people and many donate money to relief organizations. But, many others just ignore the effort and go on living.
Normally, I'm against giving mass aid to other countries when there are plently of places in the US that need it as well. But in this case, I'm all for it. All the world's anime and manga comes from Japan, and trillions of children around the solar system look forward to the new issue of Shonen Jump each month. It's clearly crucial to help out as much as we can. For the children. I think America will help out a lot because I've already seen several events/organizations dedicated to helping Japan, such as the youtube Sydney Symphony (check it out) and of course the infamous method of texting your donations to Red Cross.
Since America has always had empathy for countries in need, the grim situation in Japan will be no different. I believe Americans who are able to will opt for the $10 text donation through the Red Cross because it is an easy way to help the earthquake and tsunami victims. The United States government will send humanitarian aid just like we did with the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia and with the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.
When the earthquake struck in Haiti last year, the American people showed a tremendous concern for the Haitians - recall the Hope for Haiti Now telethon and such. I expect another outpouring from the American people for the people of Japan as they try to recover from this devastation. However, I can't (nor can anyone else) know how much the American people will contribute in aid to Japan. It is of course the right thing to do - sending donations to Japan. It's just a matter of whether or Americans will actually do it enough.
The US government should also be contributing with humanitarian aid to Japan. As we have done so often in the past, it is almost our responsibility to help other nations in their times of crises. Of course we don't want to get carried away because of our own economic concerns, but I don't think that our leaders would ever let it reach that point. The US government will contribute as necessary.
I personlly believe that the US should not give as much aid as other countries. It seems that every time a disaster occurs in the world everyone turns their heads towards America and expects them to respond. I also feel that these other countries then don't offer as much aid because they think "America has it covered." We as a nation have enough problems inside our country and instead of worrying as much about what is going on outside the counrty we should help ourselves more.
I anticipate a massive output of support for Japan among our citizens. However, I am not in support of doing this. I feel as though people should support their own self-interest first. Then I feel money not needed by an individual should be used for research and advancement. People should earn their own money. Darwin's strategy of survival of the fittest is in place for a reason. No matter the circumstances, people must be able to work to survive. A bird with an injured wing must escape a disaster by itself, another bird will not come help it. In the same way, people who want independence should have to use the independence in all facets of life.
I feel the United States should be offering aid to the Japanese. We are looked upon for help when others are in need, and we usually deliver. The Japanese provided us with aid after Hurricane Katrina, and we should help them in their time of need. I feel the U.S. citizens need to donate money to help the cause as we did with Haiti. The $10 Red Cross text donation is a great way for citizens to help.
I believe that the U.S. should keep sending troops and aid to Japan like we currently are. After hurricane Katrina, many countries helped us out when we needed it, so I believe we should do the same. In the United States, many people have a lot of luxuries that others do not in other places. I feel that it would be a great thing if citizens could find some of their money to donate to the relief effort. An easy way to do this would be a quick $10 texting donation through the Red Cross.
The United States no doubt should offer help to Japan in their time of crisis. Anything from manpower to food to rescue crews ought to be sent over for civilians in need of escape. However, I do not see it as a scenario that we should just poor money into. Just because the United States is a resourcefully fortunate nation (well, maybe not that much these days), does not mean that we have to be the heros of the globe. Huge amounts of aid is not the solution, but instead help in specific areas directly related to some sort of resolution are where any efforts ought to be focused.
I feel we definitely should help out Japan. This is a really sad situation, and i feel that America should do anything it can to try to help. I feel we should definitely get them good water and food because those items are scarce over there right not. Japan needs as much help as possible because they cant do it by themselves.
Honestly, who cares if the U.S. is constantly turned to to help when other countries are in need. Who cares about "survival of the fittest." This isn't a game, or a time for political strategy. Just because the people affected by this disaster don't walk on the same continent we do, they are still people who live life every day like us. People are people, whether they are next door to us or across the globe. "Independence" has nothing to do with natural disasters. No country asks for a disaster! Putting ideals like advancement before the simple concept of helping those who need it the most is just selfish. Our country should help Japan as much as we possibly can. It's the right things to do.
I believe that several people here are correct, but not in the way they think.
Most of the people who describe that we should help Japan seem correct. I believe that as a "well-off nation" as Lauren Wundrock put it, it is our duty to the global economy to uphold its stability.
However, to address Nick's "survival of the fittest" argument: Does it not make sense that to salvage America's own economy we must help stabilize Japan's status? I believe that in order to ensure our own survival, we must help out Japan in its time of need. As one of our economic allies, the U.S. could take a huge economic hit by this disaster if it does not act swiftly and plentifully to help Japan. To save ourselves and our money, we are going to have to help Japan save themselves as well. Plus, the advantages in the future with a closer tie to Japan could be a huge benefit as well.
Personally, I think that Americans are quite limited in their aid efforts toward Japan, but there is almost no way around this. Because of the overseas location of the disaster, many people cannot utilize to time or send over other masses of resources to aid in the relief efforts. Nevertheless, the monetary aid that can be provided by individuals can be substantially helpful to the victims in Japan when utilized correct. The Red Cross, UNICEF, The Salvation Army, and many other relief organizations have all eyes on them when it comes to providing as much aid as possible to the ailing victims of this immense crisis.
In terms of government aid, I think the U.S. needs to temper their monetary efforts in support of this cause. The U.S. should by all means offer a helping hand to our ailing ally, but going overboard in our funding for their recovery is thoroughly unnecessary. Our national debt is already at an unbelievable level - another crisis in the making - and we don't need to be throwing any more unnecessary trillions on top of this figure. I think the government should support individual aid being provided from American citizens, but refrain from tossing over too many greenbacks on the part of the large government institution in this situation.
The United States government should be giving humanitarian aid to Japan. They are our allies and our economies are vastly intertwined. But besides the politics and economics of the situation, Japan is in a state of disaster. As BBC Mundo puts it, "Japón: 8.500 muertos y más de 13.000 desaparecidos." With so many people missing and with widespread destruction, it would be only sensible to help. If we can help the people of Libya win against a tyrant, we can help the victims of a natural disaster.
I think the government will definetly help Japan because America seems to help in every major disaster. The government will probaly send troops to help the citizens there and help Japan to get back on track. Most of the United States citizens are for helping other counrties when a disaster happens. I think a good way for the people that want to help is to send money through the red cross texts. This is really easy and it goes to a good cause. Most US citizens would want others peoples help if they were in a situation like the people in Japan are.
The United States government has and will continue to help the Japanese. We have an interest over there. We have military bases. The government has already sent some of our top nuclear engineers over to help with the troubled reactors. The American people in my opinion will not donate as much aid as they did for Katrina and Hati simply because of the fact they are not in our hemisphere. Second, many people will assume that Japan can handle it self, being a modernized country. Never the less, donations will come just in not as great of numbers.
Hour 2
I believe Americans should at least donate some money to Japan. The Governement should do what it can to help especially when the Japanese government donated money to America during Hurricane Katrina.
I think that the people and the government of the United States should aid Japan. Not only is it the right thing to do, but by helping Japan recover, we help ourselves too, since we trade with them. But more importantly, Japan needs help, and we have some resources that we can offer. I know that many people and the government will help Japan, mostly with donations of money.
Not sure if we have to blog this week, so I will anyway. What are we blogging about? Oh, Japan US Relations... "I'll take Jap anUS Relations for 800 Trebek."
I expect Americans to participate in the texting Japan for $10. It is unfourtunate that there are many scams that catch unsuspecting people into giving money to a real relief organization. I would advise people who plan on donating to give to a credible organization, unless, of course, you like wasting money.
As for the US, we should help our friends and allies as much as we do, but unfourtunatly--WE HAVE NO MONEY. We should definitely tell China to send some of their money (intended for us) to go toward the relief efforts in Japan. We have already began sending troups over there to help evacuate and facilitate, which is a very good thing. (rhym=win)
It is our responsibility to help our fellow human beings. Together, we can help Japan. (rhym=win again)
I think the United States should be offering aid to Japan wherever we can. They need our money and resources in order to survive at this point and it is our responsibility to help them, just as other countries have helped the US in the past. We have no reason to not send aid to Japan.
Historically, the people of America have been incredibly altruistic when it comes to helping those who are affected by disaster. I believe strongly in the human capacity for good, and I think that individual donations from the American people will provide a lot of aid to Japan. I find it unbelievable that people would say that we need to look out for our own self-interest first or consider this to be "survival of the fittest". I sure hope people who buy into that belief live perfect lives with no trouble, because surely they will not stick to that idea for long if they are faced with any kind of hardships that may require the generosity of others. Sure, a free bird won't return to save an injured one, but that is what makes humans different from birds. We have the capacity to experience empathy for others and act in ways that defy animal instincts. If we operated on the same moral principles as animals, we would be no different from them. I'm not sure if it is wise to exacerbate the national debt by giving Japan federal aid, but I think there is something to be said for the impact that individual citizens can make.
I believe the U.S. already has a significant amount of military and aid in Japan because of the remaining WW2 agreement. Since our presence there, the U.S. of A has caused more than enough trouble with forced prostitution and ruining their government. If the U.S. can clean up the act, feel free, if not, there would be more harm than good to send more aid.
As an additional comment to this post, I thought of some more specific areas of which the US could be helpful. Monetary support is something that goes without saying, as pretty much anything we give them costs money. But aid in the categories of technology, agriculture, and military would be beneficial.
Technology: not only nuclear control help for the current situation, but perhaps some sort of detection system for another catastrophe like this one.
Agriculture: radiation is a huge detriment to their land, so we should be a part of the recooperation process.
Military: we already have a military base over there, but they will be a fairly powerless country for a while, and it's important that we stand by and protect Japan in their time of weakness.
I believe that the U.S. should indeed send humanitarian aid to Japan, although not as much Western European countries. The government should focus more on our contries economic struggles. In regards to U.S. citizens, if they are willing to help, the ten dollar donation to the red cross is an excellent and affordable way to help Japan.
I think that as the right thing to do, the United States should be involved in offering aid to the Japanese. What occurred there is more than disastrous, it is an opportunity to lend a hand, think about others before ourselves, and for the United States to show compassion. The different organizations, like Salvation Army and UNICEF, that are sending supplies and donations are a great way to get involved and support Japan. Like Kate has mentioned, this isn't a game. Japan needs help, and we should all be involved in rebuilding what has been destroyed.
I think that the U.S doing the $10 text for the Red Cross to help out in Japan is a good idea, and is an easy very convenient way for the everyday busy american to lend a hand. On the other hand, America needs to pay more attention to what we need to fix in our country as well
I personally believe that the U.S. Government, along with all Americans, should be giving aid to Japan. Disasters such as these are unique examples of when all of humanity should pull together and aid those in need. With thousands of people missing, and the country on the brink of a massive nuclear disaster, it is truly in our best interest to help them in any way we can.
Wouldn't we expect the same help if we were hit by a similar disaster?
I think the U.S should help Japan with clean up efforts, but only to a certain extent. Japan is a country of people, and they can figure out how to clean up for themselves, just as we did with Hurricane Katrina. Helping out with food, and specific requests made by Japan I think would be the best option. We need to distance ourselves from just jumping in and doing EVERYTHING for everyone all the time, and just show that yes, we will help, but were not gonna do it for them.
I believe that the United States should help Japan as much as we have helped other countries in past disasters. Every country that has the ability to should be offering Japan all the help that they can get.
I believe that if you want to help those in Japan, one should make a personal donation or donate to a private charity. We have many problems in our own country that need to be solved first before we begin playing the Big Brother role to other countries again.
I believe the the U.S. should offer as much help as they can to Japan in their time of struggle. It is in America's history to help other countries out when they are in need. For example we helped out in Haiti and many countries helped us after Hurricane Katrina. I do not believe that kind heartedness will stop there. I expect that many donations and relief efforts will be made to Japan.
I think the type of participation Americans should be doing is definatly rallying. Morale needs to be boosted in Japan, any american can do this. The American Government needs to offer monetary help to the Japanease. They need money in this time of depression.
In light of the continuing problems with radiation that have been caused by damaged to Japanese nuclear plants, I thought this article was pretty interesting. It goes along with Lauren's comment about assisting with technology; although Japan has plenty of brilliant minds, it may require the efforts of great thinkers around the world to resolve some of the problems arising from this disaster. As the article says, "radiation knows no boundaries".
http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/03/31/1586784/idaho-nuke-expert-sees-role-for.html
I believe that the U.S. should aid the Japenese in their time of need. We should send humanitarian aid for the destruction of there homeland. I would expect everything that happened with Haiti to happen with this situation. I am reguarding the donations, and our government to just help them out.
I believe that it is the responsibility of the United States to give aid to Japan. As the world's superpower, it is our duty to help others during these extreme situations. As others have stated, it is just what we do. US citizens should be just as active. As a country, we are incredibly open to donating our time and money. I think now is a time when we can all take the extra 5, 10, 20 dollars and use it for Japanese aid. Even though we can arguably say that we are in tough economic times, it is undebatable that Japan could use this aid far more than we could.
Normally, I am more or less opposed to sending large amounts of money in other countries, considering our own high debt. However, I feel that helping out abroad is necessary in situations like this. Chance events such as an earthquake and tsunami are not due to any fault of the country they affect. In fact, Japan did a spectacular job preparing their infrastructure so the damage to both properties and lives was reduced. However, some damage just can't be stopped. Any country that falls victim to a natural disaster should be helped out.
That isn't to say that the U.S. should do more than her fair share. Dissimilar to the our role in Libya in which Obama has left the leadership to other countries while responding at request, the U.S. shouldn't dominate donating to the point where other countries don't feel compelled to chip in. We should do our fair share, but encourage other countries to do theirs too.
On the other hand, why not? Just put it on our tab. God knows its already big enough to overshadow a couple million dollars here and there.
I believe that a huge national debt should not be a reason for the United States not to give aid. The situation in Japan is terrible. Helping people in need is much more important than worrying about a debt that does nothing to prevent the U.S. from functioning.
Another reason that is commonly given for not sending aid is that there are other needs in our own country that need to be addressed. I want to be clear that i support anyone who is willing to help needy US citizens. But that is no reason that we can't try and help others as well. The people in the United States are no better then people all over the globe.
I agree with Ryan Johnson Evers and Sam Scheidt. The idea that we, as humans, can go beyond natural animalistic instincts is a good notion to point out. Also, I liked how Ryan portrayed the world as just people without a certain nationality attributed to their name.
I think that supporting Japan is a necessary act. However, I liked the idea Lauren Wundrock brought up about bringing in some sort of technological or scientific support, as in having our top researchers and scientists focus on ways to limit nuclear pollution and stop the spread of radiation. Contamination of land, air, and atmosphere could be catastrophic for the Japanese people, but much more farreaching and would likely affect all of Earth.
Lastly, I would expect our government to support some sort of regulatory program so that we can prevent these type of disasters in the future (at least in our own nation.)
Continuing to give aid to Japan is incredibly important in my opinion. As I stated earlier, it is in our best interest to help them. Being on the brink of a nuclear disaster, Japan is still struggling to get their reactors under control. As of right now, it will still take months to patch the leak of radiation. Seeing as the United States are already detecting radioactivity on the west coast, a major disaster could really potentially hurt not only Japan but us as well.
So for those who believe that we are too in debt, or have other issues to worry about, other than Japan, I believe they are sadly mistaken.
The nation of Japan is currently on the horizon on a nuclear catastrophe, and there is a debate going on about if the United States should give aid? It is an absolute must for the United States and it's citizens to help out in amy way possible to Japan.
I think that the US will have a very large involvement in the aid to Japan because of how big Japan is in our life. A weak Japan will have a very bad effect on the lives of the average American. The United States should and has sent food and supplies to the aid to Japan. Though not apart of the government the US also has sent doctors and many volunteers to help in clean up and delivering of supplies. The US and Japanese relations will be even better after this crisis.
As an update to this post, I would like to say that 110 U.S. troops will help look for earthquake victims in Japan. Which was an expectations many had on this depressing time for Japan. The country is waiting for afterschocks as well.
We need to help these japanese people. this is a horrifying thing that has happened. They do indeed need monetary help and i feel that any chance any american gets to donate any money, they should try to do so because they are in desperate need. I think it is great how 110 troops are going to look for victims. in the future i hope japan helps us with crisis's we get into.
I have to say I think spoerk makes an interesting point about American involvement. Although I'm all for helping those who are in need of assistance, I think it is wise to also encourage other countries to shoulder the load. We aren't the only country with citizens who have the means to donate, and this is definitely a worldwide affair. We can and should do our part, but so should anybody who is able to, regardless of where they live.
I think the U.S. should help the Japanese people. This might not be what will help balance the budget, but it is what people expect and most people would be horrified if the United States did nothing while many people were suffering
I personlly believe that the US should not give as much aid as other countries. It seems that every time a disaster occurs in the world everyone turns their heads towards America and expects them to respond. I also feel that these other countries then don't offer as much aid because they think "America has it covered." We as a nation have enough problems inside our country and instead of worrying as much about what is going on outside the counrty we should help ourselves more.
Although this unfortunate disaster occurred more than a month ago, there are still many factors that are affecting many lives. On April 24, 2011, there were still more than 10,000 people missing since the tsunami struck. As a result Japan has deployed 25,000 troops in order to search for the remaining individuals. Since then, Japan has taken steps toward recovery from the near/partial nuclear meltdown that took place. One example comes from school playgrounds where topsoil is being removed due to the radiation. In all, the problems that Japan still faces are very real, and not yet over.
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