People & Power - Down and Out in Osaka - 2 Dec 08 - Part 1

[AzerChristians]

capitalism failed Japan which really needs socialism to prevent the big multinational corporations from running the political parties and thus the country, just like in the USA. Obama is TRYING to choke off this link, and soon Japanese people will do MORE demonstrations like those in the Middle East .... to the horror of the Japanese Elite and the American military occupation force will forced to depart .... along with the "Imperial family" parasites.

[ovenification]

@AzerChristians

lol, socialism. Don't recommend socialism or even talk postitively about socialism if you have not lived in a socialist country. I don't understand why people ever thought it was a good idea in the first place.

[AzerChristians]

@ovenification socialism without politicians having "Integrity" and "honesty" is no socialism. If you take a look at some better developed western countries they all move towards socialism, even USA is moving towards socialism, but like ANY ideology, there will always be bad implementers who abuse even the best ideology. Cuba's predicament is mainly due to USA's economic embargo. Many socialist countries also have millionaires & capitalists living there. Such is the trend even with bumpy roads.

[inconvenient12345]

how can people be so cruel avoid your family member because their homeless woow thats seriously fucked the look like a first world country but they have a primitive ideology

[thelookout42420]

islam is soooo jealous of western lifestyles!!!

[great1188]

大阪弁ぽいけど、少し違う人達ですね。

[jingfengchen24]

they need to form criminal gangs and make money. if they get caught, they will just be sent to prison--where they have shelter and food every night, for free. So its a win win situation for them.

[saesae31]

There are many homeless people in Osaka, but you must not let an important question go unremarked. Why do they choose Osaka to stay, coming from all over Japan? If the city treats them harsher than other cities do, do you think they, with no home, would stay there?

[linuxrules04]

Who are you kidding? It's obvious AlJazeera just wants to point their fingers at the West as to remind viewers that society pays a price when they embrace the Western lifestyle. At the same time Middle Eastern cities grow thanks to temporary workers from Pakistan and India who will be sent back home to die in poverty there. Yeah, I can see how the Middle East respects humanity so much more. I would like to see a report on problems in Tehran or Damascus. You could show some real expertise there.

[KingBaeksu]

"People & Power" is a great series. Check out any of the Max Keiser segments also produced for "People & Power" such as "Rigged Markets." He predicted the Iceland banking implosion and the stock market collapse well over a year ago...

Thanks!

[robj299]

25,000 homeless in japan? We've got that many just in washington state.

[Naniwa00]

Very ignorant documentary. Osaka is the third largest city, not the second. After Tokyo, Yokohama has 3.3 million people while Osaka has 2.6 million.

And Osaka has always had a large homelessness problem compared to the rest of Japan. This isn't a recent phenomenon.

Every Japanese knows the words: あいりん地区 and 同和政策 This has been an issue in Osaka for a long time.

[Noliving]

I think that is the point, how can osaka have such a large homeless problem for so long?

[rsmith02]

It's relatively recent- this didn't exist 25 years ago.

Osaka is second largest if you count Tokyo-Yokohama as one.

[Naniwa00]

Homelessness existed in Osaka 25 years ago. The area あいりん地区 has been notorious in Osaka since the 1960s.

And 同和政策　has been an issue here since the 1940s.

[seamonkeywater]

this isn't recent it has been going on for decades. its a hush-hush issue in japan, that's why you never hear nor see it.

i was near a park in tokyo and saw the same blue tents in a distance, asked my friend what it was and was told not to look at it.

[somethingawful01]

East Asian culture is very much a "happy happy, kissy kissy" culture in which negativity does not exist and is shunned at all costs. This is why people are incapable of using the word 'no' and do not talk about bad things.

It is a very childish and narrow way of looking at life and people lack the will to tackle social problems.

Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.

[lleverfreell]

People try not to directly say "no" because they want to maintain group harmony. This principle is built on mutual respect and is very different from the individualistic mentality in the West. While I understand that you feel frustrated with the lack of social support for the homelessness problem in Japan, I don't agree with your distaste of the culture's "childishness". Just because the West does things differently doesn't mean it's the better way, per se.

[somethingawful01]

What MossadAgentWatching says about the Japanese is very true. They are factory slaves who work very long hours so their boss can become fat and wealthy. But that is the culture in Asia as this also applies to most countries in the area. Also the reason why they want the homeless gone is not because they are a nuiscance but because they don't want to be reminded of the negativity of life.

[somethingawful01]

People are selfish disgusting creatures who only think of themselves and of the now. They never concider the future nor the implications of their actions.

Do all those people who want to see these homeless people gone ever think that they could become homeless too? Of course they don't because it surely won't happen to them.

I knew a guy who used to sell the Big Issue and he was the nicest person you could have imagined. A war veteran trying to earn enough to eat and make it through the day.

[MossadAgentWatching]

why not export these skilled homeless people to Africa they certainly can train people there instead of wasting their lives and being a burden of the japanese society ...a win win situation would be sending to Africa to train africans ...

[MossadAgentWatching]

The Japs are factory Slaves , a jap will die working like a slave in a factory ...they have no lives whatsoever ...low lives factory slaves ...I understand that they suffer when there are factories hiring them for slavery jobs ....what a low lives subhumans ...sorry but this is the naked truth ...

[sunwing2x]

The "Big Issue" newspaper that the young homeless guy was selling is written and distributed by the homeless?

Does anybody here know how that works?

[johntabbot]

it's a current affairs magazine produced in the u.k. by various journalists and usually sold on the streets of big cities by the homeless. They set it up that way so that some homeless people can find a legitimate way to earn some money. When you go to London you can see a whole bunch of them there selling this magazine

[csmith6594]

anyone can become homeless. In closing, I have wondered to myself what is the meaning of life and I think the meaning is to help others as best as you can. Otherwise life is meaningless.

[csmith6594]

in the political arena and through media. It has to be a united and organized effort to get people off the streets. I can say for America that since the post 1970 industrialized days, there has been a decline in the manufacturing sector which in turn effects retail, construction and so forth. Alot of people become affected by the economy when it is in a slump as it is globally and thats when people must rise up and help one another to get through these tough times because anyone and I mean...

[csmith6594]

I wish their was more room for me to type what I want to say. Homelessness, regardless of how the person got in this situation, is not right.

I have thought long and hard about how to atleast alleviate the problem and to tell you the truth it is possible. What is needed is alot of resources i.e money. Money can come from the government, non profit organizations, religious based churches, synagogues, mosques, etc. There has to be a big concerted effort by the mass to push forward...

[csmith6594]

I live in Michigan, US and I am a homeless college student. I understand what the guys on this video clip are going through, except in America, most places have a shelter. What people need to understand is that the way our global economy is changing people who don't fit the usual stereotypes of being homless are ending up homeless. Some homeless people do not turn to their family for help becuase they feel ashamed and some don't have family to turn to.

[Ninjai2525]

this is sad japan should be ashamed of themselves

[antoshahorosha]

This is bullshit, the Japanese Government should be ashamed.

By the way, where is Part 2?

[jnycnuk]

thankfully the internet is the new media. what is ignored by the mainstream media becomes the real news.

[mvandenberge]

Federal government Programs? Are you kidding? The PEOPLE need to make the change, not government. Programs will never end and become corrupt, just like in the US.

[yourboyken]

Yes i agree, this is why im Voting for Ron Paul in 2012!

[mvandenberge]

Im with you! I just hope its not too late by then...

[mvandenberge]

The US is not well developed? This will happen in every society as long as people continue to turn the other cheek.

[YukiIsoya08]

Are you sure you're using "turn the other cheek" properly?

[mvandenberge]

touché!

:) I understand where you are going, however my point was that no government program will reduce the number of homeless to any large degree. The US spends BILLIONS per year with Federal Sponsored State Programs, yet homelessness is still high.

If all of that money went to building affordable housing and creating jobs, the homeless numbers here would be greatly reduced.

I am not being negative, just realistic.

[mrshutter77]

Well, there is the problem of Drugs, and the individuality they learn in western countries, most homeless people either problmes iwth drugs and alchohal, or thier family has abandoned them & they are priced out of housing!

[Nazrahel]

amazing how this can be happening in such a well-developed country... i don't get why the federal government doesn't set up programmes to get these poor buggars back on their feet