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© KYODOJapan to give $2 mil in aid to California for wildfire relief
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David Brent
Giving money to the one of the richest economies in the world. Just think how much $2m could help the working poor here in Japan.
diagonalslip
David BrentToday 04:56 pm JST
....or the Noto folk
アーメド
Yes please give money to a state that actively slashed the budget for the Fire Department. This is nothing but a desperate attempt to get some brownie points.
Fighto!
Good for Japan. Friends and allies help one another in times like this.
Japan accepted financial and material help gratefully from the US after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Jordi Puentealto
I agree with most that it is little money. But I guess that it is a payback for the donations Japan has received in the past from the state of California.
Mr Kipling
$2 million is literally nothing. It will be eaten up by administration and admin. It is just a "token" to say we care.
Hawk
I hope it goes to those who actually need it.
Tokyo Guy
And probably with no conditions.
Deo Gratias
Most of it won't.
Exactly. It's just PR.
grc
Deo Gratias - well said
JJE
Not just giving money to the richest country - but one of the richest areas in it.
How typical. Another tribute.
Tokyo Guy
Not just giving money to the richest country - but one of the richest areas in it.
There is always that possibility that the richest areas are the richest areas because they know how to use the money that comes their way.
Would you rather Japan sent two million to some holler in the middle of nowhere, where it would just get blown on meth and moonshine?
kibousha
What ? Isn't the burnt area known as where "celebrities" live ? They need the money ? That only covers like 0.003% of property value there.
Guy_Gin_and_Tonic
I’m currently imagining a world in which countries don’t help each other at all. It one iota. It terrifies me. I’m glad the Japanese government has my imagination - and the moral imperative to do more than some individuals online perhaps.
Alongfortheride
So the people leaving negative comments saying it was the wrong thing to do. I assume the next time there is a major event in Japan like an Earthquake and Tsunami you do not want the USA Military to help out?
hooktrunk2
@kibousha
There are a lot of people that lost homes that aren't rich nor movie stars. The daughter of some friends of ours lost her home that she just bought last year. She does work in the movie industry, but as an animator. Not wealthy and not famous.
kwatt
It seems better than nothing. Many countries probably would do nothing. Nothing is as same as don't care.
kaimycahl
@David Brent I guess you have the same thought for when Japan was hit with the tsunami, the state of California was VERY generous to Japan with that catastrophic event happened.
Giving money to the one of the richest economies in the world. Just think how much $2m could help the working poor here in Japan.
Tokyo Guy
@David Brent I guess you have the same thought for when Japan was hit with the tsunami, the state of California was VERY generous to Japan with that catastrophic event happened.
Luckily, Japan doesn't have the same asinine obsession with the politics of a region than the USA does. The worst hit places (by the tsunami) were, looking at the casualty statistics, Iwate and Miyagi. I just can't see the Japanese people saying things like "oh, those places largely vote for the (whatever) party, so they don't deserve help". That kind of gleeful cruelty is something we've seen a lot of in the US recently, and is fuelled by a number of factors, including certain parts of the media and a...certain political party. OK, to stop the trolls chiming in, I mean the republicans.
In a sense, the relative political apathy in Japan is actually an advantage in times like that, as there's far less division and far less of the nasty tribalism that is now making America look like a very ugly place. (See half of the comments on here for an example).
Bret T
@Tokyo Guy said:
"...people saying things like "oh, those places largely vote for the (whatever) party, so they don't deserve help".
Tokyo Guy, did you mean like the Democrats at FEMA telling their aid workers to skip houses with Trump signs in the yard? To not help them with aid applications after losing their homes in the hurricane? You're right, that's just wrong.
Good for you Japan at least making a gesture even though the amount is as stated above somewhat of a token.
BeerDeliveryGuy
Yes, in the ocean of GDPs, 2mill is nothing.
California has 1/4th the population of Japan and about 1/2 the GDP.
California does not “need” the money any more than you and I need ¥2 at the cashier to make clean change of a ¥500 coin rather than ¥488 in small change.
Yes, it is nothing more than a goodwill gesture, and show of solidarity; and what’s wrong with that?
theFu
While $2M won't do very much, especially in California, the thought behind it is appreciated.
It isn't a tiny amount, except when you consider the $billions in losses. Consider that an average home in these places runs $400K-$1.5M and a single new fire truck runs about $2M each. For a smaller truck, like a small city would need, those run just under $1M.
Regardless, Japan is a friend to the US.
Some body recovery teams would be helpful too. Japan is famous for their world-class teams. https://www.jica.go.jp/english/information/topics/2022/20230106_11.html
Yoyogi59
@theFu
True but that is American military might that came to help, was worth far more than any plain money.
bass4funk
I feel the same about the US when we give our money away to other nations, but when it comes to natural disasters, we should help one another, if not, can we really call an ally a friend?
ZENJI
americas ritchest donate NOTHING!!
Jtsnose
That's nice of Japan . . . to help those who may be directly affected, and also to help prevent future fires . . . .
TaiwanIsNotChina
Try again
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Giving_Index
Kyle Bluestone
The USA has always been there to help nations of the world when they suffer a natural disaster. Few step up and assist the USA when we suffer such. My thanks to Japan for their assistance. Those in this thread objecting to such forget the millions the USA gave Japan after the Tsunami in March 2011.
Chabbawanga
$2million dollars wouldnt buy you a studio apartment in the area impacted
bass4funk
Exactly! Thank you, Japan.
tora
Then send firefighters and the JDF then. After 311 if the US had offered just 20 million yen or so (equivalent of 2million ISD at the time) what would have reaction in Japan have been?
Instead the US sent DID send in military manpower and supplies and was one of the first responders. It is time for Japan to return the favour.
And as others have said, 2 million dollars will be gobbled up in red tape alone, especially since we are dealing with California here.
grund
As kind as I think this is, wouldn't 2 million dollars cover about one house in Pacific Palisades?