Again, look at what I said. It's not ad hominem because it has nothing to do with my arguments against him. I'm not disagreeing with him solely on the basis that he sounds like a baby. Also your argument is silly. How the heck am I supposed to disagree with his OPINIONS without using MY OPINIONS. Here's an example of an ad hominem He lists out opinions as to why Japan sucks I respond "Well, he's an idiot, so his opinions are all wrong" (No supporting details, just an attack) Not an ad hominem He lists out opinions as to why Japan sucks I respond "Well, He's an idiot, but here are my opinions as to why he is either wrong or simply complaining because he misses his western life style"
well stop making stupid points. 4kids wanted kids crap. For kids under the age of 10. One piece is for teens around 12 to 16. I showed you how the first 50 chapters of Onepiece it rankings was 1 and Naruto was 3. Yet you come back with 4 kids nonsense.
How can it be anything else when the man in question isn't here to defend himself. You're arguing against something that probably was overblown in a moment of venting, yet there is truth in all that even if it's in pieces. All I've seen is people tearing apart individual points without looking at the greater context of what he was trying to get across. This wasn't a lets bash Japan article in the first place, it came from a place of frustration of expectation vs. reality and it was a warning to others who are so beset in their Japan induced delirium.
Now he complains about people doing what they need to do in order to get promoted in work... And uhn... Actually trying to do their job, even if they're bad at it. Because apparently bad employees don't exist anywhere in the world, only in Japan. And bad employees surely don't know how to do their thing in order to get promoted too... Oh God, seriously? This is dumb. Then he proceeds to complain about how some illegally placed speakers annoy him and how they aren't removed because the Yakuza is probably involved... Fair enough? I also get annoyed when something illegal happens in my country, especially when there is a mafia behind it so the police has their hands tied... Pretty sure that's a problem in any country in the world, but he has the right of being annoyed at it. At least this one doesn't kill anyone... >.> Then he complains about stereotypes and how people seem to be fine with stereotypes over there... Not saying he is wrong, but this happens literally everywhere in the world, it's by no means something unusual. So... Yeah, annoying, but not unique to Japan. Following that he complains about how he dislikes pachinko... Ooooooooookaaaaaaaaay? He has the right to I suppose. Then he talks about how old people waste their money in pachinko while his grandma traveled around the world... Yeah, just like people waste money in casinos while others buy houses and get stable lives... Some people are dumb, it's part of life. Fair point in saying the noise annoys him though, he should contact the police in case it's breaking some regulation... He seems terrible at talking to people though, so he probably never did this one. To begin with, I'm not sure what his point is, so I'm trying to look at his individual points and come out with something... So far I got nothing aside from "he wanted to rant, so he made a humongous article in a blog about it." And most of his points were bad, what am I supposed to do about it? Also, I think most people are well aware that Japan is a great place to visit, but not nearly as much of a good place to live in? If his purpose was to warn people about that, the outcome was pretty mediocre to say the least. ... I think he was trying to make a videogame related article though, so I don't think you're right in asserting the goal of his article... Which just points out to how bad the article is, because we don't even know what it is supposed to be about... >.>
So because he's not here, I can no longer criticize the likely reason WHY he wrote the article, as well as his character? That's just stupid. So because he wrote it while he was obviously venting, I can't disagree with him? There is some truth to what he wrote, but most of it is all opinions, of which I disagree with a lot of them. I don't think he's a whiny baby because I disagree with him, I just straight up think the dude misses the west. Yes, I think people, specifically anime/manga fans heading to Japan might be in for a rude awakening when they go there. It isn't all sunshine and sakura blossoms, but the way the article was written, it just sounds like a child being upset because he didn't get what he wanted. I also disagree with a lot of the things he complains about in general, I straight up don't see what the problem is. He complains about a few things in Japan that are straight up part of their culture, and basically shits on it because it's not part of his culture....I don't see how that is a good argument. You wanna hear a valid complaint about living in Japan? It's a massive pain in the ass as a foreigner to find a place to rent long term. Like a MASSIVE pain in the ass. Most of it being SOLELY because I'm a foreigner. And not because of some legal or documentation reason either, literally just a xenophobic kind of thing. It's like the Japanese landowners think we (foreigners) are either incompetent and can't read forms etc in Japanese, so they don't even bother calling back when they see our names, or they have some preconceived notions on foreigners like us being rowdy and destructive.
That is the point though, you're attacking his character while he isn't here and certainly the article wasn't about you or written to you. His character shouldn't have anything to do with it, and you don't know the man so attacking his character is juvenile. HE HOWEVER, did research many things for his article, whereas everyone here making a counter argument has even said its opinion. So unless you're making your points on anything other than your personal and subjective opinion it's just that. Except the way you word it is like you've done research to back up your own claims.
I mean yeah, but you realize that me attacking his character is not relevant to my complaints about the article right? That is specifically WHY it's not an ad hominem. It's childish, sure, but not an ad hominem. He researched many things when he wrote this article Sure he did. That explains why his first like 10 things are purely opinion based and had literally nothing to do with research right? It's not like 99% (made up number) of what he wrote was purely based on his own experience of living in Japan.
So he finally makes a conclusion over how games can make the world a better place maybe. Then he goes on about how paper money is disappearing (which has no relevancy to his conclusion, but okay), following by saying how the game of life is tiring him out and he would prefer to at least live in a place with a smaller cost of living. So... For my own conclusion of his article... He digressed a lot, didn't get his point across clearly, was extremely subjective in his point of views which ended up making him say a bunch of stuff that is plain and simply wrong, and ended up with a conclusion that basically meant "I don't like Tokyo anymore" which should hardly matter for anyone that bothers with reading an article this lengthy. Especially in a videogame-related blog (I assume it is a videogame-related blog that is) He has a few valid complaints, but most of those are complaints that are valid anywhere and everywhere in the world, so they feel kinda silly. It basically feels like a gigantic rant that went from nowhere to nowhere. If anything, the first half of the article has some meaningful thought in it, even if still heavily biased and opinionated. But the latter half has nothing salvageable in it. He made 0 research as far as I'm aware, if it had any research it would have footnotes in it. He does provide a few links on a few topics he was talking about, but none of them back his arguments or anything. It's a purely opinionated article.
You literal first post in the thread accuses/labels the entire internet of being SJW's for disagreeing, and by implication the people replying to the original post. That is an actual ad hominem where you dismiss all their arguments as being without merit due to your theory on their possible personality and motives. Again, I have no problems with the original poster disliking Japan. I'm just glad he escaped back to New York where he can be happier.
Right there. "This is why the internet is so full of toxic self-serving SJWs who blow chunks the moment they perceive something or someone being slighted, even if it has..... wait for it! ...nothing to do with them. Oh well, this is my subjective opinion. Cheers!" I said full of, I didn't accuse anyone nor anyone in this thread directly. It was commentary, or do you never say things like that. So now you're taking what was obviously meant as an offhand comment, and now attack my character when your points don't hold water? OK. It was an article for Kotaku, not a scientific journal, to get sources you usually just need to email their PR department.
Oh, so you think they aren't ad hominems as long as you don't specifically name people, that makes sense. It's not like you weren't specifically referring to say, the group of people who "blow chunks" the moment "they feel" that "japan" is "slighted", right? You even called them SJW's which is weird. Keep in mind, that group of people you're referring to is solely based on why YOU think they are in this thread arguing lol I even gave you a valid complaint about living in Japan and you just ignored it, it's clearly pointless. As for this supposed research, did you email their PR department for this guys research? I'm pretty sure this is an opinion piece though, why would there be sources? The entire thing is purely opinionated. That's kinda the entire point of an opinion piece?
So you know what's in my mind? my my my, how little I knew of the world. You are trying to put feelings or implications to my words that weren't there to begin with, unless you want to ignore the rest of my original comment as well? I don't doubt that he misses home living in Japan, the man has traveled the world and it's that kind of situation always eventually unless you become an expat. it doesn't mean his experience living there is false or invalid. It's the entire notion of people trying to discredit something a because b, though it isn't that simple. Also just going by the various articles here my entire statement on SJWs was just people reacting from their gut, like they have been, ignoring fact, which they have been. What more can I say. SJW is just an umbrella term that has become more or less meaningless.
My points didn't hold water? Which points were those? That I was happy he's safe in New York instead of somewhere he was miserable? I merely pointed out you implied that the internet was full of SJW's when talking about people commenting on the article. Now all of a sudden you are taking that as an attack on your character? Let me ask you a simple question, does the post by the original poster and Japan have anything to do with you? Maybe reread your own statement " wait for it! ...nothing to do with them." If you are allowed to have an opinion on the post, then other people are. Personally I have almost no opinion on the article, I have an opinion on how people should escape their misery and am still glad he did.
Yep, other than the articles related to that nastiness a few pages back everything I've said is more or less my opinion, when it was opinion I've made no play at deception to say otherwise. "That is an actual ad hominem where you dismiss all their arguments as being without merit due to your theory on their possible personality and motives." Except I've not dismissed anyone's arguements, I've simply inquired as to where they're pulling their info from, and you know what, not a single person has come up with anything.
He's entitled to his opinion on why living in Japan sucked for him. I just think his opinions are shit, the way he explains his opinions sound entitled and whiny, and the entire article is needlessly long and pointless. (as it's written) If you want to complain, at least do so in a constructive, reasonable manner. If all of your complaints rely on solely your opinion, then your complaints are just going to fall on deaf ears, similar to the situation that we are in now. His opinions solely rely on what he THINKS Japan should be like. He THINKS that there should be more vegan/vegetarian options because HE wants them. He THINKS they should stop putting 'meat in everything' because HE does not want to consume meat. He THINKS that Japanese office parties are stupid because HE doesn't like them. He THINKS that non smokers like himself shouldn't have to breathe the same air as smokers do. (Paraphrased, but he's basically just complaining about smokers existing in the first place, so I think it's valid) etc. You get my point? The vast, VAST majority of his points are purely based on HIS own SUBJECTIVE opinions of an "ideal" world, solely for himself. Hence why I am attacking his points AND his character. There are a lot of serious problems in Japan, and most of the ones he listed either were not limited to Japan or Asia in general, or were straight up just things he didn't like based on his personal beliefs. I literally said I have been to and lived in Japan, and pointed out that someone you were arguing with here also works in and lived in Japan so....Either you're willfully ignoring it, or you're blind.
Has it been said that people lived in Japan? I must've missed it, though like you say it's a different lived experience. I won't argue that your experience and his are different, so lets leave it there. It's just that unless you also shared his experiences and mingled with the same social circles he was/or was forced to, how could you say with certainty that it's just not true. It was never to do with an ideal world, there isn't something like that. But for basic decency towards people, to choice, to not being force fed, those were his major complaints. It's not always that looking from the outside in is right, it isn't, but such a viewpoint shouldn't just be ignored either. It's by living together in a world where progress and change, and things like human rights have come about in the last century or two. So just because were in another country with another culture, laws, etc we're not allowed to find fault or find things that we want to change for the better. If you ignore all the talk about food and the smoking and otherwise his points were about his work and that side of business. These are the points people ignore to tear apart the argument based on everything else mentioned in this thread.
Lol? Really? I provided my fair share of links and Ai Chan provided them too, yet you decided to ignore them all and say nobody came up with anything. Now you're just being silly.
What have I ignored? I've even pulled info from people's links when they were trying to disprove what I was saying.
Yeah... Because I didn't comment on every single issue he raised about work and counterargumented each and every one of them. I get that you liked his article, but at least stop straight up lying about it? You ignored the fact that people backed their sources by saying nobody came up with anything when you asked where they took their info from. *shrugs*
Hahaha any point that doesnt agree with yours is stupid. Well, suit yourself This is probably the dumbest thread that I have seen in a while. People forget a simple fact of life: Two opposing views can actually be right. Just because you are right doesnt make someone else wrong