Quote:
Originally Posted by RickOShay
Native/Wings>Honestly I think some people are really proud and get defensive really easily. It is probably this type of person who is overreacting to what you guys may have written, and from what I have seen neither of you stray off the deep-end in your points of view, and the facts you mention, are in line with what I have seen or experienced or have heard of others seeing or experiencing, as I live here as well and have for quite some time now.
Bottom line, some people cannot take criticism well, even if it is not directly about them. And I understand about at some point people wanting to defend their country's honor/reputation, but there is a point where their fervor to do this blinds them to valid points people make, and just triggers the same watchdog reaction as unfounded criticism would.
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Thanks for at least hearing us out. I totally get what you're saying with defending one's home country. I'm from America; I have to sit back and watch the "stupid, fat, ignorant, racist, etc. American" bashing pretty much on a daily basis on the internet. I'll admit, it does get old after a while.
However, here are two points that need to be addressed. The first is that there's a huge difference between making a basic critique and saying something completely out of line. If I (or anyone else) were to slander/use hate speech/etc. to describe an aspect of Japanese culture and depict it in a negative light but in a false manner, then I would expect many people to rise to the occasion to not only defend themselves (and their country), but to also set the record straight. But something as mundane as an opinion on food doesn't require this kind of protocol.
The other point (although not as significant) is that you're assuming that those who are defending are Japanese themselves. Most of the crap we get isn't even from Japanese, it's "weaboos" who have never even stepped foot in the country but they lay themselves on the line to defend an issue they've never experienced. I don't know if these people think that they're not going to encounter the same issues that every gaijin goes through or what, but they speak in a manner that's as if they're some type of authority on the issue and then try to belittle us for "going against the grain" or whatever, just because we admit that there are negative things about living here just like everywhere else.