Blogger notes differences in US, Japan media reactions to disaster

Map of Japan from US Gov./CIA World Fact BookI read a blogger's account of what's happening in Japan after the quake and tsunami, and it naturally brought back memories.

Watching the waves lift cars and trucks as though they were made of paper, I couldn’t help thinking of the aftermath of Katrina when the words “water, water everywhere” from Coleridge’s iconic poem came to mind. Perhaps because there was a Republican unpopular with media in the White House, US news outlets covered Katrina with drama that bordered on soap opera.

Katrina was an epic tragedy, but we should admit Katrina was also a preventable disaster. Much suffering could have been avoided had those who live in the city and govern the city prepared for a failure all knew was possible. The quake in Japan, however, doesn’t fit that scenario.

The March 11 quake was an act of God or, if you don’t lean that way, Mother Nature. Ancient history is abundant with tales of natural disasters—floods, pestilence, drought, earthquakes. The face of our planet would not be as beautiful had it not been for natural disasters.

Considering the hysteria likely to come from the environmental priests in the Sanctuary of Global Warming, I figured I should speak to the heart of the matter before going on.

On the subject of common sense, I was not surprised by what I found in an analysis posted at Ampontan, a blog in English providing content about life in Japan.  Written by Bill Sakovitch, the blog relates tales of politics and culture in Japan from the perspective of a man who has lived there since 1984. Sakovitch describes himself as “a self-employed Japanese-to-English translator and interpreter since 1990.”

Whatever his background, Sakovitch is an interesting guy and talented writer. I hope to interview him for a freelance column I do about writing. Here’s the Ampontan account of the tsunami's aftermath:

“As of now, several hundred people are confirmed to have died, most of them by drowning in tsunami, some of which reached 10 meters high. The images of houses, cars, and medium-sized ships being washed away, and of debris and the smoking remains of houses being swept ashore on farmland, are unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Large fires are still burning in Sendai and at an oil storage depot in Chiba. It’s not possible to imagine the damage a tsunami can cause passing through city streets until you’ve seen the film of what happened in Iwate.”

Sakovitch gives a lengthy account of the circumstances right now, and it’s obvious he has great respect for Japanese stoicism in the face of disaster. There’s also a backstory—the manner of the media reportage, evidently more dignified and mannerly than what can often be a rude US press.

[Sakovitch said:]

“I’ve just seen some interviews of survivors in Sendai, all women and children, and every one of them retained their self-possession. I’ve been watching the quasi-public station NHK rather than the commercial networks, and all the announcers are calm, crisp, and businesslike. They are not injecting any sham dramatics. That is not to say they are emotionally detached, but it is apparent they understand they are fulfilling a public service. I’ve seen no video of people shrieking in the streets. I’ve seen exactly two hugs on film from on-site, and in one of those the person being hugged, an older woman, ignored it and kept talking to the person sitting next to her.”

Big difference, that—US media and Japanese media. Big difference in the public mindset too.

Stateside, the US Coast Guard is readying to respond to any impact from a tsunami on the US Pacific Coast. All boaters were advised to remain moored and people were advised to stay off beaches and away from harbors and marinas.

Related Sites

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
At Online Literature

San Diego, US Coast Guard
US Coast Guard advisories and information

Japan triggers Pacific-wide alert
At The Herald Sun (Australia)

(Commentary by Kay B. Day/March 11, 2011)

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Update on Friday, March 11, 2011 at 8:16PM by Kay B. Day, Editor

High Priests of the Global Warming Sanctuary claim global warming caused the Japan quake. Obviously my comments in the original essay were spot on. Anyone attributing an earthquake to global warming is not well and should receive medical help immediately. Read the silly claims reported by The Daily Caller.