[RealJames]

about the quick "haters" labeling:
It can't be helped, the fact is there are a tonne of haters in Japan, foreigners that take the first chance they get to point out how their home country is better. A lot of Japanese people, especially those who understand English, are exposed to them more often than those foreigners who see Japan for what it is and are understanding of why it's that way, without being racist about it.

Yes, those who throw the haters name around are just as racist, in that they assume that because you're a white person who lives in Japan and that you are saying something negative about the place that you must fit into that large category I mentioned above.

This kind of quick judgment is to be expected, we mostly all do it all the time. And yeah it sucks for the white guy in Japan that doesn't hate and has to tip-toe around his points when mentioning anything realistic that seems negative. But that's life, those who actually are haters ruin it for others.

Also, this is the internet, no one knows you or I personally, so they don't know that we actually don't hate Japan, or what we think about the facts we're posting.
For example, if I post: "I don't like that Japan has a dolphin hunt". Most will presume I'm a hater. But that's an inference based on hearing so many actual haters saying it. When really I just may want to say that I don't think it's cool Japan is doing that but I don't really feel it's much better than the way north americans treat cows or other animals etc etc...

Should people like masaegu give everyone the benefit of the doubt whenever they say anything that could be misconstrued as a hateful statement? Maybe yeah, it's a good way to avoid enemies and this kind of thread.
But I don't give everyone the benefit of the doubt haha, so I can't really expect others to do the same for me.