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This is a story about an
international couple raising and home educating three
young boys on a small island in Japan, half living in
buses, engaged in organic, self-sufficient farming in
the middle of a mountain forest while dealing with
climate, cultural, and personal challenges. These pages
are about pretty much anything and everything all guided
by our family motto, Taking Chances, Making Changes,
Being Happy. Thank you very much for joining us on our
ongoing crazy adventure.
Comments or questions about this blog?....message me at
Facebook. |
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 Over
Regulated
The following are a few rules and regulations put in place
to "protect us" from ourselves. Although most new laws are
the result of some bad dude, or dudette, doing the wrong
thing, these same laws now limit our freedoms and reduce our
ability to enjoy our wonderful country.
I tend to write about the many contrasts between America and
Japan since these two countries and societies tend to be at
opposite ends of pretty much everything, in this case, a
society (America) controlled by rules and regulations and a
society (Japan) controlled by moral values. |
 Wa....和
I spent years in Japan. I
lived exclusively in the countryside, first in Nara, Japan,
a very traditional and conservative area, and then a couple
of years on a small island off the coast of the mainland, a
place with a very strong work ethic. The majority of
foreigners who either live in, or visit Japan, usually
frequent places like Tokyo, in order to be a part of the
high energy environment that goes along with a large,
modern, cosmopolitan city. Although they might visit a few
temples and shrines, they usually miss what makes Japan work
as a society, and more importantly, the contrast showing why
America will never be able to obtain the same peace and
tranquility. This is all related to the concept of wa.
Wa (和) is a Japanese cultural concept usually translated
into English as "harmony". It implies a peaceful unity and
conformity within a social group, in which members prefer
the continuation of a harmonious community over their
personal interests. Let’s take a moment and analyze a few of
those words.
"members prefer the continuation of a harmonious
community over their personal interests"
Already therein lies the problem with Americans and American
society. Americans are, without a doubt, the most arrogant,
self-centered, me me me me, creatures on the planet. This is
inbred into our kids from an early age, teaching them they
are the best, don’t take any shit from Johnny, and love
yourself before you can love others. This is not the way to
a harmonious society. While in Japan, our Japanese neighbors
in both locations, were kind, giving, and peaceful people.
In over seven years I never listened to anyone arguing, or
even raising their voices for that matter, simply out of
respect for those around them.
Wa is considered integral to Japanese society, and derives
from traditional Japanese family values. Individuals who
break the idea of wa to further their own purposes are
brought in line either overtly or covertly, by reprimands
from a superior or by their family or colleagues tacit
disapproval. Hierarchical structures exist in Japanese
society primarily to ensure the continuation of wa.
This is what makes Japan, what I like to call, a shame
society, as opposed to American society, which requires
rules and regulations to keep the people in line. Japanese
people do not do bad things simply because it is morally
wrong to do so, where as Americans (not everybody) do not do
bad things simply out of the fear of being caught. These
fundamental differences in societal philosophies constitute the
reason why Japan works and American does not. This is also
the basis for the perceived need for excessive rules and
regulations, to control a population that is unable to
control itself. |
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 American
Sacrifices
Ever since America became an independent country, the armed
services have defended our freedoms both domestically and
abroad. Without their sacrifices America would not have
become the great country it once was....emphasis on the
words it once was. Although many conflicts were initiated
simply for economic gain, many were also necessary to
preserve who we are as a people and as a society. But
somewhere along the way, things changed, and dramatically.
The freedoms which Americans fought for and once took for
granted, were replaced by rules and regulations, which
substantially took away the basic rights of our people.
I could write volumes about the rules and regulations in
place at both the local and national levels designed to
ensure our “safety”, but my intent here is not to write a
book, but to simply open the minds of those of you reading
this who still think you are living in America, The Land of
the Free. The government, somewhere along the way, decided
we are children who need to be protected in spite of
ourselves.
Okay we are a far cry better than countries like China or
North Korea whose governments impose their will upon the
people with force and tyranny. But when you really think
about it, America is not much different, we are simply more
subtle about it, using the threat of stiff fines, and
incarceration, to keep our citizens under control. Many
things, which most would consider to be unalienable rights,
have been slowly stripped away from us to the point of
infringing on, not only our constitutional rights, but on
our rights as American citizens, and even more basically, on
our rights as human beings. The regulations on our daily
lives were imposed so slowly and quietly, that most went
unnoticed, became law, went uncontested, and were
unknowingly accepted by the American public. |
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 Alcohol
Driving while intoxicated is illegal
Okay this is one regulation that should be in place. Of course people
should not be allowed to drink and drive. Why? Because of
impaired judgment, and the increased possibility of doing
harm to others. The key here is that DUI laws are designed
to protect society and the rights of people to be
able to drive in as safe an environment as possible. DUI
laws are actually considerably more
strict in Japan than they are in the U.S.
No alcohol allowed at public parks
and beaches
Uh oh, this one is a bit of a problem
for me. When I moved to San Diego, California many years
ago, drinking on the beaches was still allowed. How nice it
was to drink a beer at the beach on a hot Summer day. Then
in the evening climbing to the top of Cowles Mountain in
Mission Trails Regional Park with a bottle of cabernet, and
drink wine while watching a beautiful sunset. And this
privilege was taken away because a few people got drunk one
day and got in a fight. If some idiot wants to take a bottle
of Jack Daniels up the mountain, get completely wasted, and
fling himself off the side, isn't that his right? After all,
it is his life to do with as he wants, and if he lacks the
proper judgment to protect his own personal safety, why
should the government intervene, as long as he is not
harming anyone else. Another example of citizens being
penalized, through reduced freedoms, because of the actions
of a few idiots.
In Japan, every Spring, Japanese people get together in
parks all over the country and sit beneath the cherry trees
and get wasted....and I mean wasted. They sing and laugh,
and eat good food, and drink more alcohol than you could
possibly imagine, and all this fun with no fighting, and no
problems, and not even a cop in sight waiting to cart
someone off due to deviant behavior. Now that's the way
things should be in a truly free land. |
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 Camping
No overnight camping at public
beaches and parks
Not many Americans realize the
number of restrictions in place which work to diminish your
enjoyment of public lands, lands which you pay high taxes to
maintain. Not being able to camp outside on a beach or in a
park is also an infringement of your rights, and a rule,
again, written because a few unworthy citizens decided to be
obnoxious, or worse, and ruin it for the rest of us.
Camping
is legal basically anywhere in Japan, no permit required,
with the unspoken rule that you will use common sense
before, during, and after, your use of public lands.
We camped at several of the beaches on the island where we
are staying, and it was absolutely wonderful. There were no
rules and regulations, no signs posted, and had this been the United States,
we would have been fined and hauled away for the amount of
regulations we would have violated. During these camping
trips we enjoyed watching beautiful sunsets while drinking
wine on the beach, made campfires to cook our food, and in
the morning, walked out of our tent to enjoy incredible
sunrises. Go try and do all that on a U.S. beach.
No camping on privately owned land
Okay
this one really pissed me off. I was planning to move up to
the mountains, somewhere in San Diego County, California, purchase a piece of
vacant land, and build a house. I already own a home in the
city and had planned to commute once in a while to the
mountain property to work on the construction of the new
house. I was going to pitch a tent occasionally and stay
overnight due to the long drive from the city until I found
out it was illegal to go camping overnight, even ON MY OWN
PROPERTY. |
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Helmets
Helmets are required for motorcycle
riders
I do not ride, but I suppose for those who
do, this was a difficult pill to swallow. Being able to ride
with the wind in your hair, for those bikers who still have
hair, must not be the same, with a piece of plastic affixed
to your head. A classic example would be "Easy Rider" with
those crazy freewheeling bikers: Wyatt (Fonda), nicknamed
"Captain America", and Billy (Hopper). How would Wyatt, who
dressed in American flag-adorned leather (with an Office of
the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge affixed to it)
and Billy, who dressed in Native American-style buckskin
pants and shirts and a bushman hat, have looked wearing DOT
certified helmets? Pretty ridiculous, to say the least. It
would have destroyed the entire free spirit feeling of the
movie, which was a direct statement of the freedoms in
American society.
Famous line from the movie and so true today:
"This used to be a hell of a good country. I can't
understand what's gone wrong with it." He observes that
Americans talk a lot about the value of freedom but are
actually afraid of anyone who truly exhibits it.
Anyway, if bikers want to ride without a helmet, and take
the chance of hitting a tree unprotected, isn't it their
right to do exactly that?
In Japan no laws exist (changed since this writing) requiring riders to wear helmets. Of
course, Japanese people use common sense while riding and
never seen someone, in Japan, popping a wheelie while
riding on a public street....pretty commonplace in
America....duh. |
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Long List
The preseding are but a few examples of how our freedoms and rights
as Americans have been slowly taken away.
The list goes on and on of regulations, some of them
incredibly idiotic, put in place by politicians for our
"protection" and control. Visit a few of these links to see
exactly how ridiculous things have become. As funny as many
of these regulations seem, you might cry instead of laugh,
when you think about the amount of time, energy, and money
it took to put these laws in place. Peruse at your
convenience: |
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 Environmental
Regulations
Companies are regulated as to the
amount of pollutants they can release into the environment
Okay I put this in as an example of good regulations
designed to protect our natural resources and preserve them
for future generations.
Due to the strict building, and um
camping on your own property regulations in California, I am considering
moving back to my home state of New York. I almost gave up
on this idea though when I found out the fish all along the Niagara
River were still very contaminated with toxic chemicals and
most fish were on the DO NOT EAT list. Pretty sad to think
that, even with all the regulations now in place protecting
the Niagara River and its tributaries, the fish are still
inedible.
And now Trump and his team, more specifically Scott Pruitt,
the soon to be new head of the EPA, will reduce, or more
likely remove, the environmental protections now in place,
allowing companies to realize economic gains at the expense
of our natural resources and public lands. He is sending
American in the wrong direction and will damage the
environment in a way that will take years, if not decades,
to repair. |
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 Guns
Americans are allowed to own guns
Hey wait a minute, this isn't a regulation....well it
should be. You need a license to get married, to drive a
car, and even to go fishing to catch food for your family.
You do not need a license to own a tool whose only purpose
is to injure or kill. Considering the literally thousands of laws in
place, which take away our personal freedoms, it certainly
is a joke that there are almost no laws pertaining to gun
ownership in America....oh yeah that outdated second
amendment of the constitution. With all of the little things
we're not allowed to do, at least the government continues
to make it very easy for anyone to infringe upon the rights
of others....by shooting them. Americans have the right to
live in a safe society, which is impossible when the
population is armed to the hilt.
American society has become a haven for criminals and drug
dealers, who are given the means to prey on innocent
citizens, these same citizens, who have already had all of
their freedoms regulated. Why do we continue to punish and
penalize good citizens, while letting the bad ones literally
get away with murder? The United States is now right up
there with countries like Columbia in regards to crime
statistics.
Meanwhile countries like
Japan, where guns are illegal, enjoy a safe society where a
shooting of even one person is extremely rare, is usually
perpetrated by a foreigner, and makes the national news. |
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 President
Trump
Donald Trump is the president of the United States of
America, and with the exception of the very real possibility
of impeachment, will be the leader of our great country for
at least the next four years....pretty scary. He will
deregulate environmental protections, he will do nothing to
change existing idiotic local and federal laws (see above)
which take away our freedoms and rights, and he will
continue to be lax on gun control, allowing criminals and
drug dealers to control, and put fear into, our neighborhoods.
All of his policy decisions and changes will be to benefit
him, his family, and his team of billionaires, during his
term as president, and for years to come. It continues to
amaze me that the American public could be fooled so easily
into electing a man who has shown such poor judgment in his
business dealings, in his personal life, and now in the
political spectrum. Not to mention the fact that this is
simply a nasty man, and a terrible role model for our kids.
TRUTH ABOUT TRUMP SUPPORTERS
People want leadership, and in the absence of genuine
leadership, they'll listen to anyone who steps up to the
microphone. They want leadership. They're so thirsty for it
they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when
they discover there's no water, they'll drink the sand.
THE REAL TRUTH IS: We've had Presidents who were beloved who
couldn't find a coherent sentence with two hands and a
flashlight. People don't drink the sand 'cause they're
thirsty. They drink the sand 'cause they don't know the
difference.
These thoughts compliments of Andrew Shepard and Lewis
Rothschild….The American President.
The next four years are going to be a disaster, not only for America,
but
for the world as well. To all of you who voted for Trump, you are
going to get exactly what you deserve. |
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