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Originally Posted by GTJ
PS: That came off a little on the sardonic side. I'm sure I'm wrong but I just wanted to point it out  |
It was a bit sardonic, I suppose, but not so much directed specifically at you. Just pent up frustration at dealing with far too many people who really are stuck at the stereotype stage. That tends to get to me much much more than what most people talk about as huge problems with Japan.
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Well... no matter how hard I try to be objective, I still do see a severe lack of what we call "common sense" in Japan. I'm up for discussion on the matter, because I feel bad every time I think it.
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Japan isn`t perfect, and I certainly won`t be one to say it is - but in a lot of cases it is honestly comparing apples to oranges. What is common sense in system A may not be so in system B. You talk a lot about people not voting, not putting a good pm in... But the thing is, people don`t elect the pm. They don`t elect any of the higher officials. People working in Tokyo (or a large majority of the 20 to 40 set) are transient workers - registered as residents somewhere else in the country. And as people elect the bottom of the scale, there is a huge conflict of interests between what is good for the country and what is actually good for that area. In the case of the "has roots elsewhere" resident, it`s a hard call to make when they are away from home. The best town official for the job may be the guy who supports the worst guy above. Not to mention that the pm himself ends up having little power and is overridden left and right, often just to spite him, so the media has a field day.
People are active in politics when the media throws a fit, but the problem is the media will throw a fit and get people worked up until they don`t see the actual issue - happens with the US too, but because of the difference in systems this will tear down any sort of progress that was actually made or going to be made. My favorite example is the "baby-making machines" quote, which is worth a completely other post of it`s own.
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Yeah, I know... thing is, she's never been to America. She's travelled to other countries and lived in Australia and Fiji for a month each, but no more than that. So you mentioning this did bring this fact back to mind. She's been talking about it more lately, so this morning when we had a chat I mentioned to her that we should take several trips there before we make that desicion, and stay for more than just a week or two. It's tough for her to get time off of work, but hey, I'm sure we can swing it somehow.
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I would definitely make sure she knows what she is getting into long before there is any serious commitment happening. A month is still a vacation. I would say anything less than 6 months in one place is just scraping the surface. Her feelings may change quite a bit when she has 3 or 4 months behind her and realizes that there is no going back... Ever. 2 years also seems to be a huge turning point. The fantasy fades away, and the relationship is no longer new enough to override the stress with love.
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edit: we have REALLY long posts... 
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And pms. :P Still waiting for a reply, by the way...