Earlier quoted context omitted.
Japan's death rate seems higher than the US by quite a bit (14 vs 10 per 1000). I believe this is because they have far greater violent death than the US, but don't call most killings 'murder'. E.g. a person that owes money is found hanged in a Japanese park, it's suicide even when it's obvious they cannot have hanged themselves. Culture plays a large role in statistics. It's hard to interpret from outside. But surel…
Japans death rate is ~11, not 14. But regardless, no, there is nowhere near as much violent death here in Japan. It is one of the safest countries in the world. The high death rate is due to the aging population: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aging_of_Japan
Former Japan PM Shinzo Abe Unconscious After Shooting; Man in Custody
401–410 of 412 posts
Re: Former Japan PM Shinzo Abe Unconscious After Shooting; Man in Custody
#402Earlier quoted context omitted.
School shootings are an extremely tiny minority among shootings in the US. They just get a lot of attention.
That’s true. But high school student suicide by gun is much more common.
If the gun control people were to make this their foundational argument/prevention goal, I would be way more inclined to consider their suggestions.
As it stands, they're burning all their political capital on trying to ban high capacity semiautomatic rifles. Even if they were to succeed, which they won't*, it wouldn't even dent gun deaths in the US. I really can't wrap my head around why that is the basis of the gun control platform. It makes every point they make seem manipulative and disingenuous. What are their goals? I can hardly think of any without looking toward borderline conspiracies, which I refuse to do.
Are you* gonna sign up for confiscation detail? I bet the SWAT guys aren't.
Re: Former Japan PM Shinzo Abe Unconscious After Shooting; Man in Custody
#403Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've never seen anyone argue against this that wasn't essentially, "oh well, deal with it I guess." The police can't make it in time, and have no duty to protect you. Any other weapon that doesn't provide distance and lethal force is a liability. So what is the expectation for innocent victims, especially the smaller or weaker ones? Just get beaten/killed? I've never seen a real answer to this.
> So what is the expectation for innocent victims, especially the smaller or weaker ones? Just get beaten/killed? I've never seen a real answer to this. Pepper spray is pretty great. You don't have to worry about killing someone, so you can use it with a lot less hesitation. I've been in a situation where I was in physical danger, but from someone I didn't want to kill, and pepper spray immediately ended the danger f…
I agree there are situations where nonlethal force is appropriate, and it sounds like you were in one of those situations. There are other situations where someone wants to and is trying to kill you, and pepper spray does not incapacitate that kind of aggression reliably. It also does not work well on drunk people or people with a high pain threshold tolerance.
Re: Former Japan PM Shinzo Abe Unconscious After Shooting; Man in Custody
#404Earlier quoted context omitted.
> So what is the expectation for innocent victims, especially the smaller or weaker ones? Just get beaten/killed? I've never seen a real answer to this. Pepper spray is pretty great. You don't have to worry about killing someone, so you can use it with a lot less hesitation. I've been in a situation where I was in physical danger, but from someone I didn't want to kill, and pepper spray immediately ended the danger f…
I agree there are situations where nonlethal force is appropriate, and it sounds like you were in one of those situations. There are other situations where someone wants to and is trying to kill you, and pepper spray does not incapacitate that kind of aggression reliably. It also does not work well on drunk people or people with a high pain threshold tolerance.
In my case, the person was drunk, very strong, very angry, had quite a high pain threshold, and the pepper spray was shockingly effective. In about five seconds they went from screaming threats and swinging a 2x4 at family members to crumpled on the ground crying.
Re: Former Japan PM Shinzo Abe Unconscious After Shooting; Man in Custody
#405Earlier quoted context omitted.
Please don't take HN threads into hellish flamewar. It's not what this site is for, and it destroys what it is for. I understand the provocation in the GP comment, but reacting in full flame mode, complete with insults, is exactly what the site guidelines ask you not to do. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html Edit: you've started a bunch of other flamewars in this thread too. That's basically arson, rega…
I can respect the need to moderate incendiary remarks, but then why wasn't the parent post also reprimanded?
This parent? What is there to reprimand?
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32023133
> This is a terrible tragedy. Shinzo Abe seemed like a good man. I hope he pulls through, though reading the comments here makes it seem less likely.
Re: Former Japan PM Shinzo Abe Unconscious After Shooting; Man in Custody
#406Earlier quoted context omitted.
Please don't take HN threads into hellish flamewar. It's not what this site is for, and it destroys what it is for. I understand the provocation in the GP comment, but reacting in full flame mode, complete with insults, is exactly what the site guidelines ask you not to do. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html Edit: you've started a bunch of other flamewars in this thread too. That's basically arson, rega…
What about this one? > Off-Topic: Most stories about politics , or crime, or sports, unless they're evidence of some interesting new phenomenon. Videos of pratfalls or disasters, or cute animal pictures. If they'd cover it on TV news, it's probably off-topic .
I'm not quite sure what you mean? if you're asking why the Abe story didn't count as off topic under that guideline, I guess the gruesome reason is that a major assassination in Japan is somewhat of an "interesting new phenomenon"—not literally, but it hasn't happened in a very long time. Also, it contradicts many perceptions about Japanese society and culture.
Also, sometimes a story is so big that moderating it is effectively impossible—the more you bury it, the more it spawns new threads and gets upvoted. Trying to stand in the way just leads to it taking up more space and oxygen. In such cases, we've learned to allow one big discussion to absorb the interest, after which the community is usually ok with us marking reposts as dupes or follow-ups. People still need to follow the site guidelines in such a thread though.
Re: Former Japan PM Shinzo Abe Unconscious After Shooting; Man in Custody
#407Earlier quoted context omitted.
That’s true. But high school student suicide by gun is much more common.
If kids are trying to kill themselves it's not the guns that are the problem. I'd argue telling them constantly that they're horrible or incapable for being their race is probably closer to the real problem since that seems to cause a lot of other mental illnesses as well.
Guns make it really easy for kids and adults to make split decisions and follow through with it without making a mistake. They make suicide incredibly accessible, where otherwise committing suicide would be much more difficult in terms of skills, effort, planning, etc…
The same people who are against gun control are also against social spending on mental health. So it’s not really a problem they want to focus on, even though it disportionstebly affects them (Wyoming is number 1 or 2 for gun violence, but it is almost all suicide).
Re: Former Japan PM Shinzo Abe Unconscious After Shooting; Man in Custody
#408Earlier quoted context omitted.
You are including suicides in the US gun deaths which makes it a bit of weird comparison.
No? I’m including suicides for Japan as well.
I wasn't clear. What I mean, is a huge number of the gun deaths in the US are with guns. Suicide in Japan is usually not with guns.
Re: Former Japan PM Shinzo Abe Unconscious After Shooting; Man in Custody
#409Earlier quoted context omitted.
One party state? On Wikipedia I can see that even government is made of two parties in coalition, with 8 (mostly minor, but still) parties in opposition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Diet
His party has ruled for more than 55 years since WW2. That’s what I meant by “pretty much one party state”
Oh, I have no idea about it. Thank you!
Re: Former Japan PM Shinzo Abe Unconscious After Shooting; Man in Custody
#410Earlier quoted context omitted.
~17:50: Ex-PM Abe officially pronounced dead.
Shinzo Abe's Death Celebrated in China: 'Open Champagne!' https://www.newsweek.com/shinzo-abes-death-celebrated-china-...
I'm sure the feeling will be quite mutual when Xi takes a his last Pooh-bear moment.
The acrimony between China and Japan has never really abated as much as contorted into ever more passive-aggressive forms of theater. Sometimes its just dumbfounding.