From: fester@island.COM (Mike Fester)
Subject: Re: "New fingerprint Procedure"
Organization: /usr/local/rn/organization
Date: Sun, 5 Apr 1992 19:46:13 GMT

In article <HARKCOM.92Apr2143230@spinach.pa.yokogawa.co.jp> harkcom@spinach.pa.yokogawa.co.jp (Alton Harkcom) writes:
>In article <SMITTIE.92Mar31171048@beach.csulb.edu> smittie@beach.csulb.edu
>   (Smittie) writes:
>
> =}If you follow the rules and carry the card then the imprisonment
> =}and/or fines are of no concern.
>
>   Didn't Hitler say something similar (just kidding mein kommandant)...

Not to my knowledge.

>   For someone still wet behind the ears "if you follow our ambiguous
>rules then we won't rip your heart out" is no consolation.  There are too
>many chances that such rules will be abused if they exist.  "If I were
>mugged, lost my wallet, or misplaced my card then I could fry..." is one
>of the things that popped into my mind...
>
>	"Where is your registration?"
>	"It was stolen when they beat me up and stole my wallet..."
>	"Since you don't have it we must let these nice gentlemen free."
>	"But you saw them take my wallet..."
>	"Who me?  And BTW we're going to break your fingers making the
>		new card for you... You shouldn't accuse Japanese of being
>		criminals, they are not fingerprinted like you nasty
>		foreigners are..."
>	"But I didn't do anything..."
>	"Yes you did.  You were born a foreigner..."
>
>   The above dialogue is an extreme exaggeration of the the way I felt
>when I first read the penalties for not carrying the card.  (I had heard
>a few horror stories about the card by that time...)

If you lose your wallet, card, whatever, you pick up another card at the office
you originally registered. You pick up your passport at your embassy, if that
too has been ripped. And BTW, aren't YOU accusing the Japanese police of
something here "And BTW we're going to break your fingers making the new card
for you"? So your objection is based upon your own imaginary fears? Well,
count me convinced.

> =}What a perfectly arrogant and asinine attitude to bring to someone else's
> =}country.
>
>   What is so arrogant about not wanting to be threatened (with a fate
>worse than death to the impoverished) on one's first visit to a friend?
>I find your self-centered view of this issue to be arrogant and assinine.

Why didn't you do a little research before you went to Japan? Perhaps you 
would have been better able to deal with the situation. And really, going to
another country is quite a bit different from popping over to visit a friend.

> =} If you come to my house, I expect you to follow my rules. If you
> =}don't like my rules, you can then go back where you came from.
>
>   If you invite me into your home and then treat me like shit, you should
>expect me to not like your 'rules'. 

And we would then expect you to leave if you cannot in good conscience abide
by those rules.

> And if I weren't such a polite person
>I wouldn't take the time to tell you that you're treating me like shit.
>I would call you "foolish", "arrogant", "assinine" or some such...

>   So are you of the opinion that Japan should close itself off to the
>rest of the world so that it can continue formalized discrimination?

Never saw ANYONE imply that Japan should close itself off from the world.

>If not then your "shut up and go home" attitude doesn't quite fit...
>
>   Or maybe you are suggesting that the rest of the world should formalize
>discrimination because it is an acceptable practice?

By your standards, most of the world DOES practice this; including your 
native country (assuming you are an American).

Mike
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