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Satori

Joined: 09 Dec 2005
Location: Above it all

Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 6:12 am Post subject:

blaseblasphemener wrote:

Satori wrote:

Assaults per capita. Note there are no asian countries in the top 20...

#1 South Africa: 12.0752 per 1,000 people
#2 Montserrat: 10.2773 per 1,000 people
#3 Mauritius: 8.76036 per 1,000 people
#4 Seychelles: 8.62196 per 1,000 people
#5 Zimbabwe: 7.6525 per 1,000 people
#6 United States: 7.56923 per 1,000 people
#7 New Zealand: 7.47881 per 1,000 people
#8 United Kingdom: 7.45959 per 1,000 people
#9 Canada: 7.11834 per 1,000 people
#10 Australia: 7.02459 per 1,000 people
#11 Finland: 5.32644 per 1,000 people
#12 Iceland: 4.66406 per 1,000 people
#13 Tunisia: 4.02561 per 1,000 people
#14 Jamaica: 3.95943 per 1,000 people
#15 Portugal: 3.59445 per 1,000 people
#16 Chile: 3.32476 per 1,000 people
#17 Norway: 3.2064 per 1,000 people
#18 Netherlands: 2.68964 per 1,000 people
#19 Ireland: 2.47037 per 1,000 people
#20 Mexico:

I love these bogus lists. Gee, guess Iraq and Afghanistan are not places to get assaulted. Or aparantly most of the African nations. Gee, maybe the fact that alot of the countries on this list have functioning rules of law and police officers could lead to people actually reporting assaults. I guarantee the rate of assault is far higher in Korea than most of these countries. They are some slap happy dudes here.

You're right that there is probably more assault in other places and that there figures are probably due to these places having good police forces and law, and therefore more reporting. That doesn't make them "bogus" in my view. They can only work with the stats they get.

And I dissagree entirely with you that Koreans are slap happy. In my 5 years there, in Seoul, going out a lot, I didn't see a single Korean on Korean punch up. Plenty of little scuffles and shouting and pushing, but not what I'd call a genuine dust up. I saw far more of that in my own country, and as I said said, when kiwi's go toe to toe, they don't just push and shove, someones going down. This is a part my culture Im extremely not proud of. We have a lot going for us, but we a scrap happy for sure.

I do see a lot more men physically abusing women in Korea though, often with crowds standing about, even cops coming in and having a quick "chat" to the guy to make sure everything is "ok" and then moving on. This doesn't fly in public in New Zealand.

The cultures are very very different.

blaseblasphemener

Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Location: There's a voice, keeps on calling me, down the road, that's where I'll always be

Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 6:37 am Post subject:

Satori wrote:

blaseblasphemener wrote:

Satori wrote:

Aw, should have explained more.

I was referring to how in the movies, Korean men always do the old slap to the face, I think with the back of the hand. You can always tell it's coming, because the korean woman is talking in that whiney, belligerant tone that Korean women are famous for, saying something that is making the guy really angry, and you're thinking, damn lady, haven't you seen this in like a thousand Korean movies before? Don't you know he's going to wack you across the face, and then try to force himself on you? They usually don't show the part were the newbie English teacher hears the ruckus, calls the cops, and then the cops show up an hour later, the lady with a black eye, the guy with soju on his breath, and the cops ask if everything is OK, the woman nods shyly behind her wife-beater wearing husband. Hope that clears it up Satori.

djsmnc

Joined: 20 Jan 2003
Location: Dave's ESL Cafe

Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 6:46 am Post subject:

Demonicat wrote:

USA is Number 1 for crime!!! Yeah baby, number 1. And though we may be #4 for murder, we're coming for the bronze, watch out jamaica.

If there were no blacks or Hispanics what would its ranking be?

Nowhere Man

Joined: 08 Feb 2004

Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 8:44 am Post subject: ...

Onanism taster cures fact, sob?

Green Tea

Joined: 04 Nov 2006

Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 1:30 pm Post subject:

Military Expenditures by country #1 United States: $276,700,000,000.00 #2 China: $55,910,000,000.00 #3 France: $46,500,000,000.00 #4 Japan: $39,520,000,000.00 #5 Germany: $38,800,000,000.00 #6 United Kingdom: $31,700,000,000.00 #7 Italy: $20,200,000,000.00 #8 Saudi Arabia: $18,300,000,000.00 #9 Brazil: $13,408,000,000.00 #10 Korea, South: $13,094,300,000.00 The United States spends nearly 277 billion dollars a year on the military. Yet, public education funding it drying up and schools are closing down...

SPINOZA

Joined: 10 Jun 2005
Location: $eoul

Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 5:30 pm Post subject:

blaseblasphemener wrote:

Satori wrote:

I doubt that incessantly, although the view otherwise does seem to be disproportionately high amongst folk from tiny little towns in Canada, or small white farming communities in Rhodesia in Junior's case.

If you consider Korea to be a violent society, where random acts of public brutality are commonplace, you seriously need to grow a pair, or perhaps do some more travelling.

jaganath69

Joined: 17 Jul 2003

Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 8:38 am Post subject:

Satori wrote:

jaganath69 wrote:

Satori wrote:

Could it be a reporting issue? Given the attitude to it over here, why bother telling the police?

I don't know. But I do believe there is less violence in asian, on the streets, and in the bars. I've seen less of it. And when I have seen a confrontation between two Koreans, it's usually all fluff, a scuffle, shouting, pushing, posturing, a few ineffective kicks attempted maybe, a few pitty pat punches at worst. In New Zealand when people scrap someone usually goes to hospital in an ambulance.

You've obviously never spent time in Thailand then. Read the Thai tabloids and then say that. BTW, Asian is not a heuristic category for the sake of research, you honestly think results in Iraq would be the same?

jaganath69

Joined: 17 Jul 2003

Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 8:40 am Post subject:

SPINOZA wrote:

If you consider Korea to be a violent society, where random acts of public brutality are commonplace, you seriously need to grow a pair, or perhaps do some more travelling.

Says the 300 lb manchild whose Asia experience amounts to a few years in the sheltered workshop that is ESL teaching in Korea and maybe a few weeks in Thailand. Rolling Eyes

djsmnc

Joined: 20 Jan 2003
Location: Dave's ESL Cafe

Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 5:12 pm Post subject:

jaganath69 wrote:

SPINOZA wrote:

If you consider Korea to be a violent society, where random acts of public brutality are commonplace, you seriously need to grow a pair, or perhaps do some more travelling.

Says the 300 lb manchild whose Asia experience amounts to a few years in the sheltered workshop that is ESL teaching in Korea and maybe a few weeks in Thailand. Rolling Eyes

Zing!

SPINOZA

Joined: 10 Jun 2005
Location: $eoul

Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 6:43 pm Post subject:

jaganath69 wrote:

SPINOZA wrote:

If you consider Korea to be a violent society, where random acts of public brutality are commonplace, you seriously need to grow a pair, or perhaps do some more travelling.

Says the 300 lb manchild whose Asia experience amounts to a few years in the sheltered workshop that is ESL teaching in Korea and maybe a few weeks in Thailand. Rolling Eyes

This argument attempts to belittle but not refute, doesn't even address.

What in fook's name has my experience in Asia, or my field, got to do with my contention that Korea is unviolent, actually quite hospitable, and frankly about as daunting an environment as pile of pink pillows?

Korea is an unviolent society. That's a fact one can either accept and get on with life, or deliberately refuse to accept.

Where is all this violence - WHERE IS IT??

It's been suggested that Korea is unviolent to me (a) because I'm the biggest guy in town and no-one gives me any shit (true enough), (b) there's tons of crime - it's all under-reported, and (c) Korea may well be unviolent for me but is not for others necessarily, for example to wives, daughters and girlfriends. Well I know quite a few Korean women and none of them ever show up for work with a black eye, nor have I any first-hand evidence that there is more violence against women in Korea than anywhere else. Of course, every c**t else like Junior and Real Reality see adjoshi belting the old sow about on a daily basis, but considering I've lived in Korea for one year and three months (admittedly that's not too long) the balance of probabilities alone suggests I should see some of this Korean brutality. I get out and about, go to gyms, walk around Seoul, travelled a bit elsewhere in the country, go out and get pissed in various places, live in the poorer area of Seoul (the northwest) compared to Kangnam, and all these acts of beastliness are nowhere to be seen.

The above view I contended said it can guarantee there's as much violence in Korea as those countries in the top 10. That's a view so ridiculous, if I had my way, the observer wouldn't be allowed to express it! Generally, my wussyization of folks whose nasty opinions I don't agree with is a successful strategy. Laughing

jaganath69

Joined: 17 Jul 2003

Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 8:03 pm Post subject:

SPINOZA wrote:

jaganath69 wrote:

SPINOZA wrote:

If you consider Korea to be a violent society, where random acts of public brutality are commonplace, you seriously need to grow a pair, or perhaps do some more travelling.

Says the 300 lb manchild whose Asia experience amounts to a few years in the sheltered workshop that is ESL teaching in Korea and maybe a few weeks in Thailand. Rolling Eyes

This argument attempts to belittle but not refute, doesn't even address.

What in fook's name has my experience in Asia, or my field, got to do with my contention that Korea is unviolent, actually quite hospitable, and frankly about as daunting an environment as pile of pink pillows?

Korea is an unviolent society. That's a fact one can either accept and get on with life, or deliberately refuse to accept.

Where is all this violence - WHERE IS IT??

It's been suggested that Korea is unviolent to me (a) because I'm the biggest guy in town and no-one gives me any *beep* (true enough), (b) there's tons of crime - it's all under-reported, and (c) Korea may well be unviolent for me but is not for others necessarily, for example to wives, daughters and girlfriends. Well I know quite a few Korean women and none of them ever show up for work with a black eye, nor have I any first-hand evidence that there is more violence against women in Korea than anywhere else. Of course, every c**t else like Junior and Real Reality see adjoshi belting the old sow about on a daily basis, but considering I've lived in Korea for one year and three months (admittedly that's not too long) the balance of probabilities alone suggests I should see some of this Korean brutality. I get out and about, go to gyms, walk around Seoul, travelled a bit elsewhere in the country, go out and get pissed in various places, live in the poorer area of Seoul (the northwest) compared to Kangnam, and all these acts of beastliness are nowhere to be seen.

The above view I contended said it can guarantee there's as much violence in Korea as those countries in the top 10. That's a view so ridiculous, if I had my way, the observer wouldn't be allowed to express it! Generally, my wussyization of folks whose nasty opinions I don't agree with is a successful strategy. Laughing

Yeah, you're a one man statistical collection and refutation unit, sent back from the future to once and for all destroy notions that Korea is this, that or the other. Get a grip.

krats1976

Joined: 14 May 2003

Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 1:04 am Post subject:

Green Tea wrote:

Military Expenditures by country

#1 United States: $276,700,000,000.00
#2 China: $55,910,000,000.00
#3 France: $46,500,000,000.00
#4 Japan: $39,520,000,000.00
#5 Germany: $38,800,000,000.00
#6 United Kingdom: $31,700,000,000.00
#7 Italy: $20,200,000,000.00
#8 Saudi Arabia: $18,300,000,000.00
#9 Brazil: $13,408,000,000.00
#10 Korea, South: $13,094,300,000.00

The United States spends nearly 277 billion dollars a year on the military.

Yet, public education funding it drying up and schools are closing down...

I will not defend the amount of $ the US is currently wasting on a stupid war. Nor will I argue that the US is spending enough on education (actually, they may be, but, as usual, it's being spent on the wrong things).

However, in all fairness, rather than throw out raw #'s, why don't we look at comparable statistics:

Quote:

Education Expenditures as % of GDP
#1 Cuba: 18.7%
#2 Vanuatu: 11%
#3 Lesotho: 10.4%
#4 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: 10%
#5 Yemen: 9.5%
#6 Brunei: 9.1%
#7 Mongolia: 9%
#8 Denmark: 8.5%
#9 Guyana: 8.4%
#10 Malaysia: 8.1%
#11 Cape Verde: 7.9%
#12 Saint Lucia: 7.7%
#13 Sweden: 7.7%
#14 Barbados: 7.6%
#15 Norway: 7.6%
#16 Saint Kitts and Nevis: 7.6%
#17 Israel: 7.5%
#18 Namibia: 7.2%
#19 Swaziland: 7.1%
#20 Kenya: 7%
#21 New Zealand: 6.7%
#22 Morocco: 6.5%
#23 Finland: 6.4%
#24 Tunisia: 6.4%
#25 Bolivia: 6.3%
#26 Cyprus: 6.3%
#27 Belgium: 6.3%
#28 Jamaica: 6.1%
#29 Slovenia: 6.1%
#30 Belarus: 6%
#31 Iceland: 6%
#32 Malawi: 6%
#33 Lithuania: 5.9%
#34 Switzerland: 5.8%
#35 Portugal: 5.8%
#36 Latvia: 5.8%
#37 Estonia: 5.7%
#38 Austria: 5.7%
#39 United States: 5.7%

Compared with:

Quote:

Military Expenditures as % of GDP:

#1 Korea, North: 33.9
#2 Mali: 15
#3 Saudi Arabia: 13
#4 Ethiopia: 12.6
#5 Oman: 12.2
#6 Eritrea: 12
#7 Qatar: 10
#8 Israel: 8.75
#9 Jordan: 8.6
#10 Maldives: 8.6
#11 Afghanistan: 7.7
#12 Bahrain: 6.7
#13 Armenia: 6.5
#14 Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of: 6
#15 Syria: 5.9
#16 Kuwait: 5.5
#17 Angola: 5.4
#18 Burundi: 5.3
#19 New Caledonia: 5.3
#20 Yemen: 5.2
#21 Brunei: 5
#22 Greece: 4.91
#23 Singapore: 4.9
#24 Lebanon: 4.8
#25 Swaziland: 4.75
#26 Pakistan: 4.6
#27 Congo, Democratic Republic of the: 4.6
#28 Turkey: 4.5
#29 Bosnia and Herzegovina: 4.5
#30 Djibouti: 4.4
#31 China: 4.3
#32 Sri Lanka: 4.2
#33 Laos: 4.2
#34 Algeria: 4.1
#35 Egypt: 4.1
#36 Morocco: 4
#37 Libya: 3.9
#38 Tajikistan: 3.9
#39 Cyprus: 3.8
#40 Mauritania: 3.7
#41 Botswana: 3.5
#42 Ecuador: 3.4
#43 Turkmenistan: 3.4
#44 Colombia: 3.4
#45 Guinea: 3.3
#46 Zimbabwe: 3.2
#47 United States: 3.2

So the US is actually spending more (in terms of % of GDP) on education than military.

krats1976

Joined: 14 May 2003

Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 1:12 am Post subject:

As for obscure facts: The national bird of Latvia is the "white wagtail, Motacilla alba."

krats1976

Joined: 14 May 2003

Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 1:16 am Post subject:

Another one:

Quote:

% of Arable land:

#1 Bangladesh: 55.39 %
#2 Moldova: 54.52 %
#3 Ukraine: 53.8 %
#4 Denmark: 52.59 %
#5 Hungary: 49.58 %
#6 Mauritius: 49.02 %
#7 India: 48.83 %
#8 Rwanda: 45.56 %
#9 Lithuania: 44.81 %
#10 Togo: 44.2 %

#44 Korea, North: 22.4 %

***#64 United States: 18.01 %

#76 Korea, South: 16.58 %

*** bet Alaska screws this particular figure up. Laughing

Hmm... this is a cool website. I'm gonna have to start using it in my geography classes.

It's choice of statistics is a bit odd. e.g. they have stats for irrigated land per capita, but not as a % of the land.

jajdude

Joined: 18 Jan 2003

Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 3:14 am Post subject:

The stats still look misleading. You may spend 5% of your money on one thing, whereas I spend 20% on the same thing. Maybe you have 4 times as much money as me. Of course if you live in a country where item X costs $10, and in my country it's a lot cheaper, then we have even more to consider looking at raw stats like those.

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