Posted in: Filipino woman admits to killing sister, Japanese niece See in context
The vast majority of US crimes are judged in state and municipal courts, which have the ratios others have cited.
You are excessively minimizing the number of people charged with federal crimes, but let's run with what you said anyway. It's a good thing that the other courts convict less, but not so good when you consider the chances of the average person being arrested and prosecuted in the US is at least 20 or 30 times greater than in Japan. They arrest people willy-nilly over there, like it's no big deal. Would you rather live in a country where almost half of all males can expect to be arrested at least once or in one where arrest is highly uncommon? No need to worry about conviction rates when you are far less likely to be arrested in the first place.
1 ( +2 / -1 )
Posted in: Filipino woman admits to killing sister, Japanese niece See in context
The US rate is not as high as Japan's.
The US and Japan have very different justice systems and are equally bad but in different ways.
Conviction rates by nation (they vary a bit year to year)
Japan - 99.8%
China - 99.9%
US - 80 - 85%
Your figures are wrong, or perhaps they combine federal and state courts. The US conviction rate for federal crimes that are prosecuted is 99.6% Yes, lower than Japan - by a hair.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/06/14/fewer-than-1-of-defendants-in-federal-criminal-cases-were-acquitted-in-2022/
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Posted in: Hiroshima grapples with 'Oppenheimer' Oscars success See in context
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has jurisdiction over the definition of “war crime” and does not include the use of nuclear weapons as a war crime.
It does not mention sticks and stones either, yet war crimes can be committed with them. It's not the tool, it's the intent. Generally attacks that target civilian populations, like those in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, are considered war crimes. If, instead, Japan had dropped the atomic bomb on San Francisco and then lost the warm, there is no doubt that they would have been charged with a war crime for doing so. Winning comes with perks.
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Posted in: Filipino woman admits to killing sister, Japanese niece See in context
No system is perfect but Japan's justice system needs radical reform.
People who talk about Japan's 99% conviction rate are usually unaware that the USA federal courts have a rate almost as high. And, worse, most of those cases never go to any real trial but are instead settled by a plea bargain. Many innocent people plead out rather than face the likelihood of getting a much worse prison sentence after a trial they will most likely lose. Justice systems are awful in many countries.
4 ( +7 / -3 )
Posted in: Filipino woman admits to killing sister, Japanese niece See in context
I have had money stolen from my bag by Filipino woman while I was sleeping and you cannot trust anyone as majority of them are poor and need money by any means.
Well, it depends on the person and on the circumstances. If some rich westerner pays for a woman to come back to his room, he's fair game because he's a player and it's already obvious the woman is willing to cross certain moral lines. That's the usual way money disappears from someone's room.
On the other hand, murdering your own sister and niece... that's depraved.
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Posted in: Would a Trump return to the White House after the November election be good news for Japan? See in context
Even his wife hates him.
Must be rough, simping for the wife of a man you hate.
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Posted in: Hiroshima grapples with 'Oppenheimer' Oscars success See in context
Japan hates Robert Oppenheimer but loves and admires Harry Truman and Douglas MacArthur.
Where on earth did you get that idea? I know for a fact that most Japanese who know anything about history despise Truman. He was a disastrous president whose bloody legacy lives on in SE Asia, Japan and the Middle East.
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Posted in: 2 dead in Hokkaido avalanche identified as New Zealanders See in context
Sad to see so many heartless responses to this tragedy. Risk is inherent in everything we do, and it's up to each adult to decide what level of risk they want to take. Assuming one makes an informed decision, there is nothing to criticize. One's personal conservative idea of risk should not apply to everyone in the world.
Moreover, complaining about the cost of the rescue even before the bodies have been recovered is heartlessly stingy. Much more money is wasted hourly by government for drinks and kickbacks than on the relatively minor cost of a rescue. Recovering the body of a young woman is hardly an expense anyone should complain about.
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Posted in: High court commutes death sentence for yakuza boss to life See in context
Even if one is anti-death penalty, this is bad news. The court's decision was made out of fear. No judge in a developed country should be in such fear for his or her life from criminals.
4 ( +7 / -3 )
Posted in: Would a Trump return to the White House after the November election be good news for Japan? See in context
It will make very little difference either way. Japan is far too controlled by the US as is, but it's not the president who exercises that control. It's the bankers, military and other entrenched elites. The presidents more or less are constrained by these forces.
Japanese should not waste time thinking about America, but should be thinking about their own country and how it can function better and with more independence to serve the Japanese people, not the global bankers.
-3 ( +2 / -5 )
Posted in: How to enjoy living alone – it's the coming thing for many of us See in context
Stallions roam free.
Sounds nice, but not true. Horse are social animals and form herds. A lone wild horse will not survive long.
2 ( +3 / -1 )
Posted in: Hiroshima grapples with 'Oppenheimer' Oscars success See in context
It's not about August 6 and 9, 1945 there was another event that happened in December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor.
Incongruous that people who condemn Israel for its disproportionate response in Gaza think that vaporizing a city full of civilian women and children is a proportionate response to an attack on a military base.
-4 ( +2 / -6 )
Posted in: What do you think of home schooling? See in context
Sounds like a recipe for a lack of good social adjustment in a child.
There is no evidence at all that supports that assertion - it's just oft repeated hearsay. I have kids who have gone through the system and others who haven't. I studied the issue and in the process met and learned about enormously successful adults who also didn't attend usual schools (for various reasons). They had a greater tendency to think for themselves and be creative.
That said, not all parents are equipped or able to manage home-schooling. For this, greater support should be given to alternative schools so parents can choose one that fits their child's needs.
The public school systems in most countries are obsolete bureaucracies that harm countless children. Even those who go through successfully would probably have been much better served by an alternative education.
4 ( +11 / -7 )
Posted in: Some people try a calorie-controlled diet and increased physical exercise to lose weight, but without success. What advice would you give them? See in context
Worry less about calories and more what you are putting in your body. Avoid all heavily processed foods, avoid sugar, completely stop consuming any artificial sweeteners (if you really can't resist, even sugar is far better), reduce carbohydrates and grains and eat a balance diet of unprocessed vegetables, proteins and fruits. If done right, counting calories will not be needed.
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Posted in: With Beyoncé’s foray into country music, the genre may finally break free from stereotypes that have long dogged it See in context
Country goes way back before Johnny Cash and Pete Seeger, people who introduced it to middle class Americans. It was sung by dirt poor people - basically the white version of early blues music. Used great drone effects, could be almost trance-like, and common themes were murder, arrest, prison, alcoholism, death and tragedy.
The modern version is just a commercial form of pop music.
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Posted in: At 79, Rod Stewart shows no signs of slowing down, with a new swing album with Jools Holland See in context
The Faces were great and he always gave a good show. He also hit on my older sister, who was 14 or 15 at the time. She's pushing 70 now - times flies.
1 ( +2 / -1 )
Posted in: McCartney reunited with his missing 'Beatlemania' bass guitar See in context
Re: the captioned photo
I hadn't realized that Hofner bass was so attractive. No wonder he was still searching for her 50 years later. I imagine she has a few decades of wear and tear though.
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Posted in: Tyrannosaurid jawbone fossil found for 1st time in Japan See in context
Reihoku has been on the map as a prime site for dinosaur fossil deposits for some time.
A nice place to visit with kids. The islands are beautiful, the seafood is good, and kids can join digging sites to try to find their own dinosaur bones. One of our more memorable family jaunts.
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Posted in: Man given prison term for food prank at beef bowl diner in Osaka See in context
It’s about time all schools, work areas and public establishments prohibit personal cellphone usage and also ban taking of photos and recording of videos
Yes. Take away vast swaths of human rights in response to a nuisance. The Kim Jong Un solution.
2 ( +5 / -3 )
Posted in: U.S. supports Japan's push for talks with North Korea, envoy says See in context
Ambasador Turner does resemble Kim but you’ll find pictures of the former smiling but not the latter.
There is literally a picture of Kim smiling at the top of this website today. Did you miss that?
0 ( +1 / -1 )
Posted in: Kim's powerful sister says N Korea, Japan can open 'new future' See in context
Kim said the two countries "can open up a new future together"... "or else."
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Posted in: Teen arrested over murder of parents in Kanagawa Prefecture See in context
Put him in a penitentiary and throw away the key. If you murder, particularly at such a young age, you’ve got faulty wiring and are a complete write off.
Perhaps. But I am reminded of a similar case where a 15 year old murdered his parents in the US, escaped from prison and then went on to become a loving and supportive father to 3 kids in Australia. The truth was only discovered after he died, and by all accounts he was a great father. https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/09/australia/australia-william-leslie-arnold-cold-case-intl-hnk-dst/index.html
1 ( +3 / -2 )
Posted in: Yakuza member selling soda arrested for extorting money from ninja spreading flyers in Asakusa See in context
Why do older Yakuza dudes always wear those gay glasses?
Good question! Perhaps you should ask them directly to their face.
0 ( +1 / -1 )
Posted in: Have you found it cheaper to book your flight directly with the airline or through an online travel agency? See in context
If the flight is important or has several connections I prefer booking direct with the airline. The savings of doing otherwise are not worth the stress when something goes wrong and changes have to be made.
Travel agency? Do they still exist?
They do, and I hope they always do. Searching for flights, comparing costs and booking online can take up many hours of time. When I am busy, I would rather pay somebody else to handle all that for me - it's a much more pleasant experience.
1 ( +1 / -0 )
Posted in: Russia says former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has interviewed Putin See in context
You've got to have a smooth brain to think anyone from the BBC is on the same level as a hack like Tucker Carlson.
He got canned for lying about voting machines. Not that facts matter to tankies, of course.
Speaking of facts mattering, maybe you should check yours first. While the reason he was sacked was never publicly stated, we know (for a fact) he was not canned for lying about voting machines. He was not named in that case and had nothing to do with it other than being employed by the same network.
Not that facts matter....
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Posted in: Japan says there is possibility moon lander power can be restored See in context
A giant wireless charger?
-8 ( +2 / -10 )
Posted in: A century after Lenin's death, the USSR's founder seems to be an afterthought in modern Russia See in context
I'm really interested in what would've happened if Stalin had never come to absolute power.
Lenin, along w/ Trotsky, may have steered the Soviet Union clear of the 1930s famines and the killings of hundreds of thousands
Lenin was even more ruthless that Stalin - something that seems to be glossed over in history. Perhaps because he was more polished and was educated people want to imagine he was kinder.
1 ( +3 / -2 )
Posted in: Mac at 40: User experience was the innovation that launched a technology revolution See in context
I far prefer using Macs, but the walled garden and high prices others have mentioned is a problem. So I always keep one foot in another camp (android/linux).
The people above talking about their old Macs and how they still "work." Really? Update end famously early for Macs. Old Macs cannot be updated. They won't work with any of the newer systems and, most importantly, become a huge security risk. And the hard-drive on my 2018 Macbook is dying as I write this (on a new Mac).
All said, I still prefer Macs because they are very easy to use and convenient but I have a lot of issues with the company.
0 ( +1 / -1 )
Posted in: The nuclear family living in a nice house, with one working parent, eating dinner together, watching TV shows together, a strong sense of neighborhood community when kids played outdoors with one another unlike today. Did that really exist or was it something created by 1950s U.S. TV shows? See in context
It existed but mainly for one demographic. Poorer minorities and many immigrants, especially those of color, didn't have all the luxuries that white America had.
They had two parents at home and some family bonding. Maybe both parents worked, but that was true for many white families as well. People tend to overestimate how important money is and underestimate how important a loving and bonded family with two parents is. Poor home can produce successful kids and rich homes can produce complete failures. The real wealth is in whether someone is raised with a loving family.
Sadly, today's culture has taken us away from that - and I think we are just beginning to see the results.
8 ( +9 / -1 )
Posted in: Man arrested for assaulting woman, trying to steal her underwear See in context
Tried to steal her underwear? Makes it sound like she had it in her purse or something.
I had the same impression. Imagine being attacked and almost raped - and the potential theft of underwear was the prime concern of the police or reporter?
4 ( +6 / -2 )
Posted in: Trump unable to post $464 mil bond in New York civil case: lawyers
Posted in: Report says famine 'imminent' in northern Gaza as Israel launches another raid on main hospital
a female customer in her 40s. Gross, bro. Don't you have any 25-year old customers? Just sayin'.
Posted in: Convenience store manager arrested for filming up skirt of customer
Posted in: Trump unable to post $464 mil bond in New York civil case: lawyers