TPP

[Ganma]

So what are your opinions on joining this?

Here's a lowdown I found on pros and cons:

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T111018005383.htm

[Kanchou]

The overpriced, oversubsized, undersized, and underefficient rice farmers might go out of business.

Which they should have done 40 years ago, given the size of the average rice farm. Over 100 times smaller than the average farm in the US. You do NOT need your own combine to harvest an acre worth of rice paddies.

This might mean we won't have to pay 400 yen per kilo for decent rice...

[Mulboyne]

There was an interesting article in English on JB Press a few months ago.

Less influential than presumed? The truth about Japan's farming vote

It argues that agricultural issues are less important in determining voting patterns that often believed.

Here's my theory: what we call the 'farming vote' is actually the 'anti-Tokyo vote.' Naturally, the anti-Tokyo vote includes the farming vote, which has an interest in farming matters. But it also includes many non-farmers. The anti-Tokyo vote consists of people who do not believe what the Tokyo elite say. 'Tokyo' is a metaphor. In reality it would be more accurate to talk not only about Tokyo but all people who live their lives fully in major cities. There are more people in the regions than Tokyo people think who are skeptical about the regional and agricultural revitalization policies created by the Tokyo elite. The drive to liberalize agriculture is a case in point...

...But I don't mean to place all the blame with Tokyo. There are many people in the Tokyo media who really want to help the regions, if people in the regions would only talk to them. The fact that local residents and farming representatives do not talk to them and tell them the true story may be more of a problem.

NHK, Japan's public broadcaster, had a program that depicted the typical Japanese farming village as an idyllic pastoral paradise. Nowadays rural people often tend to voluntarily play up to this stereotype when talking to the media and offer the accompanying photo opportunities. They think this is what is expected of them, but nobody is asking them to do that. This is the fault of the rural people, not the media.

Put another way, neither the media nor rural communities has made much effort to close the gap between how agriculture and the regions really are and how Tokyo and its so-called experts perceive them...

[Coligny]

The overpriced, oversubsized, undersized, and underefficient rice farmers might go out of business.

Which they should have done 40 years ago, given the size of the average RADIOACTIVE rice farm. Over 100 times smaller than the average farm in the US. You do NOT need your own combine to harvest an acre worth of RADIOACTIVE rice paddies.

This might mean we won't have to pay 400 yen per kilo for RADIOACTIVE rice...

FTFY

(only apply for produkshiun north of Tokyo)

[Thug4Life]

The land mass currently known as "Japan" ran out of choices on 3-11. To avoid an epic food crisis and the glorious starvation of millions and millions of Japs, this treaty will be signed by Noda and then the nation will perish anyway.

[Coligny]

The land mass currently known as "Japan" ran out of choices on 3-11. To avoid an epic food crisis and the glorious starvation of millions and millions of Japs, this treaty will be signed by Noda and then the nation will perish anyway.

Wrong China will pull a Tom Clancy and invade Japan with a UN mandate to provide food relief and support to the population, then Japan will become YOUR PROBLEM fartface...

See, you'ze not the only one to write completely insane diatribe while high on paint thinner...

[IparryU]

Wrong China will pull a Tom Clancy and invade Japan with a UN mandate to provide food relief and support to the population, then Japan will become YOUR PROBLEM fartface...

See, you'ze not the only one to write completely insane diatribe while high on paint thinner...

i thought you was always fucked up on kitty litter... but probably does the same thing as paint thinner considering what you feed your pussies... chicken nuggets and leftover hospital food/expired medication.

[dimwit]

There was an interesting article in English on JB Press a few months ago.

Less influential than presumed? The truth about Japan's farming vote

It argues that agricultural issues are less important in determining voting patterns that often believed.

Yes and No. Coming from farmville, I'd say that the dependence on agriculture in most places under a population of 50,000 is pretty much complete considering the number of businesses involved in food processing, distribution etc. JA, is on the otherhand is seeing it's political influence waning. For example, many fisherman and farmers ignored JA and opted to vote for the Democrats in 2009. I get the feeling that there is a real rift between full time farmers who see JA as a major burden both in terms of costs and restrictions, and gentlemen retirerees who support it.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Ultimately, joining the TPP would be beneficial to the majority of Japanese, which is probably why this cuntry will not join, particularly as it threatens so much of the power base of corrupt, decrepit politicians and bureaucrats.

Can't agree with the cuntry's gerrymander set up as an anti-Tokyo vote, either. The disparity of weight between rural and urban constituencies would be unacceptable in most cuntries and goes far more than being a mere protest against centralization of power in the capital. In fact, I'd even argue that the gerrymandering encourages and perpetuates centralization of power to ensure rural constituencies stay in line or avoid losing their subsidies (ie., main source of income), but making sure they elect the candidate who's going to get them their subsidies in the first place.

[McTojo]

The overpriced, oversubsized, undersized, and underefficient rice farmers might go out of business.

Which they should have done 40 years ago, given the size of the average rice farm. Over 100 times smaller than the average farm in the US. You do NOT need your own combine to harvest an acre worth of rice paddies.

This might mean we won't have to pay 400 yen per kilo for decent rice...

Here in Japan we grow quality. Overpriced, oversubsidized my a$$.
We are not feeding a poor country here in Japan.

[Kanchou]

If that were true you wouldn't need tariffs.

[Coligny]

Here in Japan we grow quality. Overpriced, oversubsidized my a$$.
We are not feeding a poor country here in Japan.

BITCH PLEASE...

[IparryU]

Here in Japan we grow quality. Overpriced, oversubsidized my a$$.
We are not feeding a poor country here in Japan.

Here in Japan... THEY grow shit.

fruits and veggies? wouldn't say they are good... had a fuck of a lot better back in Cali. Not to mention now the contamination scare. Well... not scare... but surprise ingredient to your food.

Ya... only thing Japan gots going for them is Kobe beef and their beer and whiskey. Them damn cows must have a good life... booze, massages, food... damn good life.

[matsuki]

Did Japan sign this? I heard something about this from a lemur but no idea if she knew what she was talking about.

Here in Japan we grow quality. Overpriced, oversubsidized my a$$.
We are not feeding a poor country here in Japan.

So you're a farmer now? Here in Japan "We Japanese" does not include wannabe's like McTojo...but you're right, Japan is not a poor country...it's citizens however, that's another issue.

[Greji]

Here in Japan we grow quality. Overpriced, oversubsidized my a$$.
We are not feeding a poor country here in Japan.

Nice shot there McDonald old man. It is obvious that with your intrinsic knowledge of farming and its subsidization here in Japan, you need to apply to Obama to save the farming communities in the states....

[Guest]

More imported food is a good thing for Japan right now given the degree of the nuclear contamination.

Too bad for the farmers, but blame Tepco and blame the system for creating the complacency that allowed Japanese agriculture to fall so far behind the rest of the world.

[Coligny]

[IparryU]

You could have stopped here... If these idiots were to develop premium quality for export instead of over subsidized shit for daily consumption maybe we could go somewhere...

Exactly like them Krauts with their cars, Audi-VAG didn't get rich with fraulein Greta from Nurburg buying a POS VW Polo with fabric seats, meanwhile Sheik Allamoualbar and his 10 gold plated A8 and Q7 bring the flouz home...

I am not a car person at all... but how you can relate anything to cars is fuggin.... cool.

Just wanted to say that cause it is in EVERY FUCKING thread you post in. Not a bad thing, but I learn shit from you...

Greenz Snots for no reason to you!


EDIT:
I take that back...

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Coligny again.

[Coligny]

That's what is also killing Renault these days, when you make cars for the common people... in time of crisis you go down... Meanwhile the rich will always be rich so the premium segment suffer much less if at all...

Now watch out, because despite those troubles the Renault-Nissan alliance still bring the mollah home... And there are talks of a common factory wth Mercedes Benz in Mexico. I don't know the current market cap of Mercobenz, but I would not be surprised if in less than 5-10 years the group become Renault-Nissan-Daimler-Benz. Renault need (sort of) a premium brand for europe, did a faceplant by importing a facelifted Samsung SM7 as the upmarket Renault Lattitude because korean cars still have bad rep (luxury wyse) in France. Meanwhile a Benz with a Diamond on the grill would sell like hotcakes. (and in the other direction, the next Smart city car from Benz will be a rebadged Renault, based on a Twingo or Clio/March/Micra/Pulse plateform)

[Ganma]

[Coligny]

It might not be wyse to associate "amurikunzm (ze people)" with "amurikunz megafoodcorpoashiunz"

[wagyl]

says M Cheeseburger

[Coligny]

Seriously, the depiction of american "food culture" hinting only at Mc Dos and OGMs while glorifying japanese food culture is borderline between ridiculous and pathetic...

I won't go into details as there are plenty peeps here more qualified than me to defend american food. But I can boldly take a shit on the pathetic parody that japanese food is... raw fish on cold rice... yes that's some fine (make believe) cooking here... nato... tofu... the fact that japanese cooking keep their people slim is the lack of proteine because of the price of meat because of their isolationnist policies... When most of your cooking recipe ingredients can be replaced with wet cardboard dipped in wallpaper glue sure as hell people won't take weight.

And Byson claims against gmo only highlight one more problem with japanese food culture. It's a jungle of misslabelling... were glue-grade rice is sold a premium brand, australian meat is passed as kobe beef or other expensive origin.

[IparryU]

Coligny, if you think that Japan's food culture is weak, you are either being pig-headed or just plain ignorant. it's not one of the most popular cuisines in the whole world for no reason. "Fish on rice and natto" is one small part of a very rich food culture.

I take your point about GM and McDs though sure America has lots of other food like KFC and Po-Boys.

For your information, fish provides better protein than meat so you can't really try and pin Japanese not being built like John Wayne on not eating enough steaks. Protein doesn't keep you slim as you say. What keeps people slim is not drinking soda all day and eating massive portions of high fructose corn syrup and white carbohydrates.

The mislabling issue is key here - under the TPP U.S produced rice will be sold as "rice" and the decision will be taken away from consumers about where their food has come from.

please do give a few examples of japanese crusine... sushi is a bit hit around the world, but is donburi/sukiyaki/etc.?

yakiniku has no chance vs US BBQ...

i really cant find one dish that would hit good. that and the only reason why people like sushi is to have an experience... doesn't go that much further than that.

[canman]

God, it drives me crazy talking to students about TPP, and having them constantly tell me that Japanese farmers never use chemical fertilizers and that the food in Japan is so healthy and can be eaten without even washing it. You cannot have an educated discussion with people when they consider the food from another country to be practically poison, and worthless.
But let's see what would happen if some of these countries stopped shipping to Japan, how long would they be able to survive.

[Coligny]

it's not one of the most popular cuisines in the whole world for no reason.

Bitch please... I'm French...

It's not because some people managed to convince few New Yorkers that eating pseudo Japanese food is l33t that you can claim J Cuisine to be the most popular in the world.

The Toyota Hilux might be the most popular Pick Up truck in the world... For the most populare cuisine... even this bullcrap list put them 8 out of 10

http://www.popularsomething.com/2011/02/most-popular-cuisines-in-world.html Japanese food culture is typical for an isolated island, you cook whatever you can get your hands on...It's just a little better han english food because they didn't even have the necessary creativity to generate the monstruosity them english are known for...

[Mike Oxlong]

What does that tyre company have to say?

[Coligny]

The company that gave stars to a shack on a tokyo subway station you mean ?

And criterias are certainly lower for third world countries...

[Taro Toporific]

[Taro Toporific]

That's great, if you want to eat a tree.