Neoteny wrote:
Ah, western hard-headedness meets eastern hard-headedness... So the reason the industry is still going strong is because of a dislike of the industry? "Random vitriol?" I think you gave a pretty good discussion until that point. I sincerely doubt the continued whaling is reactionary western-bashing (that might be the reason people are spouting, but it holds as much water as a paper bag, I suspect (and sincerely hope) there is a deeper, more relevant reason), and if it is, then it needs to be stopped by the Japanese government, if noone else. To say that we need to respect cultural or societal flaws at the expense of possible destruction of environment is ridiculous. We're not just talking about current populations when we talk about ecology. Fucking up an ecosystem now is destructive to our children, grandchildren etc.
I understand the Japanese perspective of culture is one that is central to their worldview, but my worldview, and that of many individuals currently, is that we can't fully know the impact of humans on the environment, but history leads us to believe that most of our impact has been negative with respect to other species. We are seeing signs that we have already fucked things up bad enough as is, and any reckless abuse of the any ecological industry must be curbed, as, though we don't know what might happen, chances are it will be bad. And who's to say which worldview is better, or should be imposed on? They are imposing on mine, if I am not imposing on theirs (though I'm not, see below).
Economically, I don't have that much pity for Japan. If this were Ethiopia we were talking about, I would say they need the whales, but it's not. The Japanese are fully capable of maintaining the weaker portions of their economy. If people don't care about whale either way, then it obviously won't be contributing that much anyway. I don't think America has any right to legislate the hunting of whales for Japan. But I think it is irresponsible, and stupid, for the Japanese government not to.
Thanks for the response. The random vitriol I was talking about wasn't opposition to whaling, but rather some of the stranger protests and anti-Japanese sentiments (for example, saying that Japanese whaling is bad, but that native American whaling is ok) from the extreme end of the argument. Even your arguments implied that the Japanese government is stupid, and that their culture is flawed. That's bound to get anyone's back up. Sea Shepherd comes to mind with their attempts to ram and sink Japanese ships. Japanese people will tend to see these kinds of protests as childish. Still, I wasn't very clear. I'm not really for whaling, but I can see the Japanese side and I don't think a ban is the best way to stop the industry.
Unfortunately, I do believe that much of the Japanese attitude towards whaling is a reactionary response from a culture that genuinely feels that it's dying. Low birth rates, migration from the countryside, and increasing social problems all combine to make people feel that areas of Japanese culture are simply being lost to time.
Government support of whaling is one area where Japan hopes to preserve elements of traditional life. As I mentioned before, agricultural subsidies in the EU and US work in a similar way. They both make little sense on a large economic or global scale, but they keep parts of the country running, and they get politicians elected. That's why the Japanese government won't be seeking to stop the industry any time soon. It's not really about the Japanese economy, but about the economies of small rural towns and villages that would simply die if they had to stop the industry that supported them for hundreds of years. I wouldn't really portray this as western-bashing though (after all, the other major whalers are all western, I believe). It's not out of spite, but rather a sense of defense.
Finally, it should be noted that most Japanese people care very little about the issue as it is currently being debated. Most Japanese people are very pragmatic eaters. Whales are just another animal like pigs, cows, and chickens. Although there is a great deal of respect afforded to whales (you should check out some of the shrines dedicated to them in areas that whale the most), they are still just a source of food. Japan has so far managed to be fairly responsible in it's hunting of whales compared to other countries. The hunt is cruel, but so is factory farming. Neither are likely to stop soon. Best let the industry die out slowly as other foods become more popular, rather than banning it outright on an arbitrary desire of other nations. At least then the areas most affected will be able to adapt.