Apathetic Lemming of the North: Rebuilding Japan, Living in a Big World

Monday, April 18, 2011

Rebuilding Japan, Living in a Big World

"U.S., Japan announce joint post-crisis rebuilding effort"
Matt Smith, CNN World (April 17, 2011)

"The U.S. secretary of state and the Japanese foreign minister on Sunday announced plans for a joint reconstruction venture as the Asian nation grapples with a nuclear crisis following a devastating earthquake and deadly tsunami.

"Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said aid to Japan honors Japan's legacy of assisting other countries in crisis.

" 'Our two governments ... have agreed to create a public-private partnership for reconstruction,' Clinton said. 'We wish to enhance cooperation between Japan and American businesses, between civil society groups, public officials, under the guidance of the government of Japan, with its planning.'..."

The mess in and around TEPCO's Fukushima nuclear power plant is not the only clean-up job in northwestern Japan. That March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami destroyed quite a few buildings, roads, and assorted structures - and killed quite a few people. In the Lemming's opinion, it'll take years to rebuild that part of Japan. Decades. Centuries, if you include woodlands. (April 16, 2011)

Japan, and Living in a Big World

The United States-Japan plans probably aren't the only government-related ones in place or in development. The Lemming lives in America, and this is the one that the Lemming ran into.

It looks like Japan's government is trying to take care of some of the reconstruction efforts 'in-house:'

"Japan DPJ: to manage reconstruction bonds separately-Jiji"
Reuters Africa (April 18, 2011)
"Displaced to get support from state" | Edano makes personal appeal to Fukushima
Kyodo News, via The japan Times (April 18, 2011)
"Restoration In Distribution, Temp Housing Construction Developing"
Kyodo News, via NIKKEI.com (April 18, 2011)

If the government programs do something more than provide employment for bureaucrats, the Lemming doesn't have a problem with them.

An example of fairly competent government programs are America's roads. For the most part, roads in this country are built and maintained by government agencies. Major failures are uncommon. The August, 2007, Interstate bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Through One Dad's Eye (August 3, 2007)) is the exception, not the rule.

Even so, the Lemming doesn't think that government programs are the only way that folks can get things done.

Another example: That photo shows folks in Jogyesa Buddhist temple in Seoul, Korea, giving money to a relief fund for folks in Japan's disaster area.

It's not just Buddhists pitching in to help folks in Japan. Another example: Catholic Relief Services (CRS) was responding, along with the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan, within days of the quake. (A Catholic Citizen in America (March 20, 2011))

Japan, the Aflac Duck, and the Lemming

The idea of helping Japan is probably controversial. Or maybe not.

Actually, what surprises the Lemming is the relative dearth of 'Japan deserved it' statements. Apart from that little cluster of celebrity blunders in March, that is. Can't say that the Lemming is sorry about that. And that's another topic, for another blog: