this post was submitted on 12 Sep 2024
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[–] [email protected] 140 points 6 days ago (4 children)

but getting blind drunk in the street every night for them is fine. Ridiculous.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Like smoking, alcohol is a huge industry in Japan. It's "normal" for Japanese companies to addict their employees to their products and because the companies ARE the government, they enact incredibly protectionist laws like this to prevent external competition.

Their economy depends on it. It's super gross. Like America and guns, or Sweden and flatpak furniture (the last one is a half joke)

If Japan starts being a cannabis producer, they'll 180 so fast you'll get vertigo.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I bet they'd produce some bomb ass bud though. It would also look pretty as fuck as each nug is meticulously sculpted into a tiny little bonsai.

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[–] [email protected] 31 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

I was shocked at how often you just see people laying passed out on the sidewalk or sleeping on a bench. Japan is an insanely different place after the bars start closing. Was genuinely uneasy with how many people everywhere just had zero control of themselves.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 6 days ago (1 children)

There's a reason why countries with proper transit infrastructure view alcoholism as a novelty.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Honestly, i think the reason is that just the right amount of alcohol dependency is amazing for capitalism. Dont get me wrong, I'm not judging anyone. I understand and I enjoy a drink myself. I just think we need to be honest with ourselves about it.

It keeps you consuming and it makes you forget all the bullshit you had to put up with all day. It dulls your your problem solving, your creativity and (most importantly) your empathy, so supervisors, middle managers, department managers and execs are less disinclined not to beat down on those below them.

I'm not saying its some grand conspiracy. I'm saying, those in power have known exactly the right drugs to administer to the masses in order to placate them. The Romans knew to give wine and not cannabis. The British army knew to give rum & brandy but not weed.

In fact, all of them were legal. Then, capitalism really took off and, totally unrelated in sure, every drug other than alcohol suddenly became illegal.

[–] [email protected] 50 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

I work at a company that has big offices in Japan and the US (as well as many other places) and it’s pretty interesting to see the contrasts in living standards and expectations up close.

On the one hand, when coworkers visit from Japan they are disgusted by how dirty, unsafe, and uncourteous the US is by comparison. They complain endlessly about the low quality standards of the food. I picture myself having to pick worms and hair out of everything and that’s what things seem like from their perspective.

But then some of them move to the US because they can’t handle the stuffy, oppressive attitude in Japan. Everything is about what you can’t do or aren’t supposed to do. One guy said he was so relieved to go to the US where people know how to say “we can find a way to do that.”

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

From your description alone, knowing only the US and not Japan, it sounds like Europe is the middle ground. Not as free, but less socially oppressive. I mean, in Japan it's mean to walk while you eat.... how deep is the interference running?

Edit: Am from Europe, sorry should have added this.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Europe's pretty free mate. Especially when you get cancer. You get to keep your house!

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

There are two kinds of freedom, negative and positive liberty. US has a lot of negative liberties, they dictate little in what you can or cannot do, but is lacking in positive liberty, they don't support you very well to do what you want to do.

While Europe might have less negative liberty, their generally better social welfare system grants people more positive freedom.

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[–] [email protected] 116 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Part of the world: takes a step forward

Japan: not on my fucking watch

[–] [email protected] 34 points 6 days ago
[–] [email protected] 75 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Wasn’t it already illegal. My wife’s cousin served two years for an amount that is so small police wouldn’t even bother to confiscate it in europe.

[–] [email protected] 44 points 6 days ago (3 children)

Yeah, it's news to me that it wasn't technically illegal. They still believe in the reefer madness shit and act like it.

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 5 days ago (2 children)

While the possession and cultivation of marijuana are already banned in Japan, the country will prohibit its use as well, setting a prison sentence of up to seven years for violation.

Ok, so that clears that up.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 days ago

This is so fucking backwards it's not even funny

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[–] [email protected] 61 points 6 days ago (1 children)

The pant is illegal because it's cheap to grow yourself, but if you let some drug companies make money off of processing it, then it's perfectly fine to use...

[–] [email protected] 21 points 6 days ago (4 children)

"A plant known for opening the mind and making you question things? That's illegal."

[–] [email protected] 43 points 6 days ago (4 children)

Come on, it's not LSD. It just makes you sleepy and snacky.

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[–] [email protected] 31 points 6 days ago

R2 we're supposed to be going up not down!

[–] [email protected] 15 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Just Japan doing Japan things.

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