In tragedy, Japan impresses the world
Despite the horrific scenes of destruction, Japan may emerge from its
quake-tsunami disaster with a stronger international brand-name as the
nation’s resilience wins wide praise.
Television stations around the world have broadcast the footage of
the seismic waves as they razed homes and carried away cars as if they
were toys, stranding dazed survivors on the brutalized landscape.
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Entries on the English-language
blogosphere speak of the Japanese as ‘stoic’ and wonder the
reaction in Western countries would be to a disaster of
similar magnitude. Photo by Reuters |
But coverage has also shown another side - Japanese showing calm as
they search for loved ones or wait for basic necessities. There is not a
hint of looting or violence, even as residents line up at half-empty
stores.
Entries on the English-language blogosphere speak of the Japanese as
‘stoic’ and wonder the reaction in Western countries would be to a
disaster of similar magnitude.
Harvard University professor Joseph Nye said that the disaster may
turn out to benefit Japan’s “soft power” - a term he coined to describe
how nations achieve their goals by appearing more attractive to others.
“Though the tragedy is immense, this sad event shows some of the very
attractive features of Japan, and thus may help their soft power,” Nye
told AFP in an email exchange.
“In addition to the sympathy it will engender, it shows a stable,
well-mannered society that was as prepared for such a disaster as any
modern country could be, and which is responding in a calm and orderly
way,” he said.
Officially pacifist Japan has historically relied on aid as a key
tool of foreign policy, but it is expected to reconsider at least some
of the spending as it contends with a hefty reconstruction bill.
Even though Japan is one of the world’s wealthiest countries,
Americans alone have donated more than $22 million since Friday’s
9.0-magnitude earthquake, according to a tally compiled from aid groups.
While nearly all nations enjoy sympathy at a human level when they
experience tragedy, countries’ reputations rarely benefit as a result.
Pakistan received aid from the United States and other countries last
year when it was submerged by major floods. But funding came slowly from
individuals overseas with relief groups pointing to Pakistan’s image
problems.
China and Haiti also faced criticism over government handling of
earthquakes in 2008 and last year.
Some experts believed the earthquake could change the narrative about
Japan to one of rebirth after years in which the country was identified
with feeble economic growth, an aging population and revolving-door
governments.
“The question was whether Japan was going to be able to deal with
what’s necessary, to innovate and revive its economy,” Center for
Strategic and International Studies deputy director Nicholas Szechenyi
said.
“It’s way too early to make any predictions, but I think so far,
viewed from afar, it seems like the Japanese people are demonstrating
resilience at a time of crisis. I think that could say a lot about Japan
in the days and weeks ahead,” he said.
Japan, however, has come under scrutiny for the safety of its nuclear
industry after explosions rocked overheating reactors at the Fukushima
plant.
Critics of nuclear power have pointed to the crisis as a reason to
freeze moves for nuclear power, while lukewarm supporters of atomic
energy in the United States have now called for a safety review.
In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel put off a plan to postpone the
date when Europe’s largest economy abandons nuclear power.
However, in the United States, Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona, the number
two Republican in the chamber and advocate of nuclear energy, spoke of
being “very impressed” with earthquake preparations by Japan.
“It may well turn out here that the Japanese did a phenomenal job of
avoiding a catastrophe,” Kyl told reporters.
Leaving aside the nuclear issue, newspapers saluted the Japanese
response.
Canada’s National Post said that Japan’s foresight saved “untold tens
of thousands of lives.” “Unlike in Haiti (2010), Pakistan (2005) or
Sichuan (2008), the rolls of the dead were not needlessly extended by
acres of ramshackle tenements that collapsed immediately upon the heads
of their occupants,” it said.
The Wall Street Journal said in an editorial: “After a
once-in-300-years earthquake, the Japanese have been keeping cool amid
the chaos, organizing an enormous relief and rescue operation, and
generally earning the world’s admiration.”
AFP
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