Japan's Suicide Rate Increases

[communist fanatic]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060209/hl_nm/japan_suicides_dc

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Japan Internet suicide deaths soar to 91 in 2005 By Elaine Lies
Thu Feb 9, 8:12 AM ET



The number of Japanese killing themselves in groups after meeting through the Internet -- strangers afraid to die alone -- soared to a record 91 last year, nearly double that of 2004, police said on Thursday.

The deadly pacts pose a grim challenge for officials struggling to deal with Japan's high suicide rate, one of the worst among industrialised nations.

No religious prohibitions exist against taking one's own life in Japan, where suicide was once a form of ritual atonement for samurai warriors and in modern times is a way to escape failure or save loved ones from embarrassment or financial loss.

Suicides surged by 35 percent in 1998 as Japan's economy was mired in stagnation and have exceeded 30,000 every year since then.

Group suicides make up only a small fraction of the total, but the steady annual increase, along with the widespread media coverage most get, has experts increasingly worried.

"Many people are too scared to die alone," said Yumiko Misaki, director of the Tokyo Inochi no Denwa (Phone of Life), a suicide counselling service. "So they reach each other through the Internet and make arrangements.

"And the worst thing is that people are often very influenced by reporting on this, so it's likely to keep on increasing."

In 2003, 34 died in group suicides, rising to 55 in 2004 and 91 last year.

SECOND TO RUSSIA

That compares with a total of 32,325 suicides in 2004, the latest year for which figures are available -- down from the record-high 34,427 in 2003 but second only to Russia among Group of Eight industrialised nations.

According to World Health Organization data, Japan's suicide rate was 24.1 per 100,000 people in 2000, compared with 39.4 in Russia and 10.4 in the United States.

The pace of group suicides was especially sharp during the first three months of last year. On one day in February, six people were found dead in a car on a deserted rural road.

As with most of the other cases, police found several charcoal stoves in the car, which had its windows sealed from inside. The three men and three women had died by inhaling carbon monoxide from the charcoal.

Experts warn that the Internet alone cannot be blamed for promoting suicide, but noted that the intensity of some suicide chat rooms may worsen the psychological state of those involved.

With mental care systems in Japan still basic and often overloaded, the Internet also has the potential to be a powerful therapeutic tool, particularly since many Japanese find it hard to share their worries with others face to face.

The time lag between people writing about their feelings and receiving an answer, however, is a hurdle that Misaki's group -- which plans to start an Internet counselling service later this year -- finds worrying.

"The best solution would be if we could break into the chat rooms and start communicating with people directly," Misaki said.

There are some hopeful signs, however.

From October, several communications industry groups began providing police with information on people who posted messages suggesting they might be close to committing suicide.

Deaths from group suicides in the last three months of the year, after the new system took effect, dropped to 11 from 36 during the same time the previous year, police said.

[razboz]

This is a rather interresting effect of indutrialisation.

[fernando]

The suicidal tendencies of Japanese culture are not as much caused by industrialisation, if we look at other industrialise countries do we see an equal high rise of suicides? We should note that the suicidal tendencies withnissed in Japan are a cultural concept, rather die than fail or something in those lines.

[Severian]

I gotta say, what economic miracle, or who claims that Japan is experiencing an economic miracle? Nobody I'm aware of.

In fact, Japan's economy has been stagnating or in recession since 1990, and even the central bank reducing interest rates to zero has had little effect.

This economic hardship may have something to do with the suicide rate.

[Zak]

I agree with the previous two posters. If you look at a country with a failing economy suicide and murder rates are higher, and, as was said, Japan's economic miracle allready happened.

[razboz]

I think what happened in Japan is that one social and moral structure waas partly swept away after WW2, but not all of it disappearedand so this increasingly technological society was left with an anachronistic and partial set of morals about honour. I think the real question is would they make good communists. Without wanting to generalise and entire population i think that there is a certain part of Japanese society who might see in communism a new form of redeeming a lost honor in the form of a proletarian revolution that would give all more social equality.

[communist fanatic]

Originally posted by [email protected] 9 2006, 11:35 PM
I gotta say, what economic miracle, or who claims that Japan is experiencing an economic miracle? Nobody I'm aware of.

In fact, Japan's economy has been stagnating or in recession since 1990, and even the central bank reducing interest rates to zero has had little effect.

This economic hardship may have something to do with the suicide rate.
Open your eyes. I put economic miracle in quotation marks, eh?

[Body Count]

Originally posted by [email protected] 10 2006, 08:13 PM
I think what happened in Japan is that one social and moral structure waas partly swept away after WW2, but not all of it disappearedand so this increasingly technological society was left with an anachronistic and partial set of morals about honour. I think the real question is would they make good communists. Without wanting to generalise and entire population i think that there is a certain part of Japanese society who might see in communism a new form of redeeming a lost honor in the form of a proletarian revolution that would give all more social equality.
Of course they could be "good communist".

After a proletarian revolution....I believe that ideas such as suicide being an honorable option should dissapear the same way racism and sexism should.

[fernando]

communism will be responsible for the greatest ethnocide ever...just what we need

[Body Count]

Originally posted by [email protected] 11 2006, 08:21 PM
communism will be responsible for the greatest ethnocide ever...just what we need
What?

[piet11111]

Originally posted by [email protected] 11 2006, 08:21 PM
communism will be responsible for the greatest ethnocide ever...just what we need
i think you mean the destructure of japanese culture am i right ?

well japan certainly has a culture worthy of destruction from as far as i can tell.
on one hand you have the old who live just like they did under the japanese emperor.
and on the other hand you have a society that lives in disneyland on steriods 24/7.

japan is one of the most bizarre society's (with a festival of the penis you automaticly qualify for a top 10 position anyway) and then i havent even been exposed to japanese tv.
and the more i learn of japan the more bizarre it becomes.

[fernando]

Originally posted by piet11111+Feb 11 2006, 08:48 PM--> (piet11111 @ Feb 11 2006, 08:48 PM)
[email protected] 11 2006, 08:21 PM
communism will be responsible for the greatest ethnocide ever...just what we need
i think you mean the destructure of japanese culture am i right ?

well japan certainly has a culture worthy of destruction from as far as i can tell.
on one hand you have the old who live just like they did under the japanese emperor.
and on the other hand you have a society that lives in disneyland on steriods 24/7.

japan is one of the most bizarre society's (with a festival of the penis you automaticly qualify for a top 10 position anyway) and then i havent even been exposed to japanese tv.
and the more i learn of japan the more bizarre it becomes. [/b]
Im not just talking about Japan, but many other cultures since their morals and values will be considered "bad" and hence have to be destroyed. Note that the culture will be destroyed not human lives. (dont confuse ethnocide with genocide)


and on the other hand you have a society that lives in disneyland on steriods 24/7.

japan is one of the most bizarre society's (with a festival of the penis you automaticly qualify for a top 10 position anyway) and then i havent even been exposed to japanese tv.
and the more i learn of japan the more bizarre it becomes.
From our western view it might be considered bizarre...they might consider our culture to be dull and primitive.

[piet11111]

i would agree if it was not our western pop-culture that caused this LSD-ish insanity.
the things i have seen on the internet from japanese tv are to say the least impossible to broadcast in europe.

[fernando]

Perhaps, but does that make it wrong? Should it be whiped out because it doesnt fit in our ethnocentrical ideology?

[piet11111]

any culture based solely on unlimited consumption and everything that goes with it capitalism for instance should be destroyed.

we cant risk a culture to exist in our communist world that is so capitalistic as the japanese.

or are you willing to risk everything just because of some sense of cultural preservation ?

if yes then why ? what is it that you want to achieve that is worthy enough to risk the revolution ?

[fernando]

If the communist movement and the revolution are so popular as many leftist dare to claim we would have nothing to fear of this little bit of cultural preservation, we would be able to look at this culture as we would now look at other non Western cultures without being scared of being destroyed.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Why such defense of Japanese "culture"?

What, do you have an investment in one of the companies that produces simulated-rape bukkake pornos with women dressed like school girls? Or maybe one of the vending machines that sells the worn panties of preteen schoolgirls?

"Culture" isn't sacred, especially one built on consumerism, consumption and decadence in a declining capitalist country.

[Seong]

does this mean that all culture that doesn't necessarily fit in with our beliefs should be wiped from the face of the earth? That sounds rather totalitarian.

The worst of capitalist culture should be preserved, so we do not forget about past mistakes. I disagree with Hitler, but I think he is such a historically important figure because he was so screwed up. The good and the bad, it's all part of a cultural memory.

[Ian]

Any depressed comrades: http://moodgym.anu.edu.au/ Do yourselves a favour and complete the moodgym program.

[fernando]

Originally posted by [email protected] 12 2006, 04:26 AM
Why such defense of Japanese "culture"?

What, do you have an investment in one of the companies that produces simulated-rape bukkake pornos with women dressed like school girls? Or maybe one of the vending machines that sells the worn panties of preteen schoolgirls?

"Culture" isn't sacred, especially one built on consumerism, consumption and decadence in a declining capitalist country.
I dont have any investments in the generalised statements you are making here, I dont see any reason however why we should whipe out every culture which doesnt fit in our little ideological minds, sounds a whole lot like the "white man's burden" to me. Besides...since communism is dependent on local support you will fail since you are alienating the local cultures, probably one of the main failures of the Sendero Luminoso in Peru, the locals were not interested in yet another European ideology shoved down their troats hence resistance started to grow.

[ComradeOm]

Originally posted by [email protected] 12 2006, 12:07 PM
Besides...since communism is dependent on local support you will fail since you are alienating the local cultures
There is little to no chance of communist movements thriving in such a repressive and... "polite" culture as Japan.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

1. There are communists and communist parties in Japan.

2. No one is suggesting that we outside Japan "wipe out" their cultures, rather that the consumerist "disneyland on steroids" culture will be washed away during (and most likely before) proletarian revolution takes place there.

3. I'm not a "white man", so I don't think I'm motivated by "white man's burden."

[fernando]

1. There are communists and communist parties in Japan.
How popular are they in Japan?


2. No one is suggesting that we outside Japan "wipe out" their cultures, rather that the consumerist "disneyland on steroids" culture will be washed away during (and most likely before) proletarian revolution takes place there.

No it is suggested that concepts which are not deemed to be "fitting for communism" such as honourable suicide and other moralities are to be whiped out. I dont mind seeing the oppression of the poor and the unequal distribution of goods being whiped out, but why force people to no longer believe in their honour systems or enforce them our concept of monogamy (these are just examples)


3. I'm not a "white man", so I don't think I'm motivated by "white man's burden."
I said that it sounds a lot like the "white man's burden", not that it is the actual white man's burden philosophy the British used to have, but its a similar thing. The communists come to the "savage" locals to show them their enlightened ideas about how a society should be run and shove it down the unwilling troats of the local population.

I think in order to make a communist system succesful we have to carefully analyse the local situation, communism would have to adapt to the people's needs and to their perceptions of reality. Even if this means including local religions. (note that not every religion is based on exploitation like lets say catholisism) Dear god...anthropology and communism dont seem to mix well I think :blush:

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

You keep refering to the communists as "outsiders" who are going to "come to Japan" and force things on the locals. I think you have a serious miserunderstanding about exactly what communism is.

When there is a proletarian revolution in Japan, it will be lead and carried out by the Japanese, who will themselves sweep away the consumerist and reactionary elements of their "culture".

[razboz]

I agree with comerade Companero De Libertad. However if there is not a strong culture and history of upheavals as there has been in occidental culture i think it will be difficult for the revolution to begin unabaited and unhelped by comerads of other countries. Perhaps i am wrong.


The communists come to the "savage" locals to show them their enlightened ideas about how a society should be run and shove it down the unwilling troats of the local population.

Obviously it would not work exactly like that, but essentialy thats how communism works: by causing every one to adhere to this ideology. In effect all ideologies with over a certain amount of successfull time in existance do. Or else they would be swept away by the inevitable counter reactions.

When the Japanese revolution does happen, the japanese will undoubtedly sweep away all other opposing ideologies because it will put in jeopardy the new social order and the good of the people by their undoubtedly fascist and capitalist views.

[Ligeia]

I think Japan's suicide rate was always one of the highest,especially among students,well,as far as I can remember.

It's caused due to the pressure under competition,there is everywhere competition in Japan,at least in the cities.Japan is one of the countries where overtime-work is normal.

I visited it once and in the metros almost everybody was sleeping,even when they had to stand,I've never seen something like that before but i saw also groups of drunken men,and it's common that after a work week or after meetings they go drinking......on the other hand I've seen such politeness and care for one another,which I haven't seen in another place.

I wonder how a revolution could take place their,workers and enterprises always come to conversation and if there are any sacrifices to be made,they see this as a honour,since it would benefit the society.

But there are also non-conformist young people.....

[fernando]

Originally posted by [email protected] 12 2006, 07:09 PM
You keep refering to the communists as "outsiders" who are going to "come to Japan" and force things on the locals. I think you have a serious miserunderstanding about exactly what communism is.

When there is a proletarian revolution in Japan, it will be lead and carried out by the Japanese, who will themselves sweep away the consumerist and reactionary elements of their "culture".
Hmm and how is this communist movement in Japan? Does it have full support of the proletariat? Or is it just a very small group who "claim" to be fighting in the interests of the proletariat?


I agree with comerade Companero De Libertad. However if there is not a strong culture and history of upheavals as there has been in occidental culture i think it will be difficult for the revolution to begin unabaited and unhelped by comerads of other countries. Perhaps i am wrong.

If you manage to turn it into a popular movement you might have success...


Obviously it would not work exactly like that, but essentialy thats how communism works: by causing every one to adhere to this ideology. In effect all ideologies with over a certain amount of successfull time in existance do. Or else they would be swept away by the inevitable counter reactions.

Which is one of the main reasons why the Sendero Luminoso in Peru failed, they didnt receive wide popular support, heck the local population even began resisting against the Maoists, in return the Sendero turn on the peasant population, killing everything that does not obey them...in this of course alienating those who they claim to be fighting for, making it possible for capitalist pigs like Fujimori to come in power.


When the Japanese revolution does happen, the japanese will undoubtedly sweep away all other opposing ideologies because it will put in jeopardy the new social order and the good of the people by their undoubtedly fascist and capitalist views.
Ah ok...how many million are going to be purged this time?


I wonder how a revolution could take place their,workers and enterprises always come to conversation and if there are any sacrifices to be made,they see this as a honour,since it would benefit the society.

But there are also non-conformist young people.....
The revolution would come if the people get pissed off enough, here lies the problem. Like you mentioned workers and managers get into talks and conversation in order to solve things. I dont see those workers picking up weapons purging the ruling class and killing all those in opposition to the communist doctrines...

[piet11111]

"culture" is a way of life but after the revolution the old cultures are obsolete.

we dont want to preserve a capitalist culture just for historical purposes.
no more that we would want to preserve the 19th century cannibal "cultures" of indonesia.
cultures have risen and fallen because material conditions changed and the biggest change would be communism.
we simply keep the stuff that remains usefull and combine that with new things and such we will develop new culture.

we dont want to destroy history and pretend it never happend instead we will write books and teach the children about the past mistakes and hope it never happens again.

[fernando]

"culture" is a way of life but after the revolution the old cultures are obsolete
One of the reasons why your revolution will not get popular support...


no more that we would want to preserve the 19th century cannibal "cultures" of indonesia.

There are several cultures which practise cannibalism, in our ethnocentric view this is wrong. For example there are tribes in Africa who eat their dead. You might see this as savage, however they view it as being with their loved ones, they consider our culture in which we burry or burn our dead to be cruel and savage. But ok these cultures have no right to exist because it doesnt fit with our morality.


we dont want to preserve a capitalist culture just for historical purposes.

Not every culture is capitalist, however all cultures would be forced to supply and obey its communist masters right? The Indian living in the jungle for many many generations would be forced to produce goods for the people in the city...and when he doesnt want to he is a capitalist reactionary and will be imprisoned/kiled.


we dont want to destroy history and pretend it never happend instead we will write books and teach the children about the past mistakes and hope it never happens again.

Yes history is written by the victor, will the mistakes of "communism" be written down as well?