Editorial: A plea for Japan in its time of need

Star Tribune Editorial

A film producer pitching a disaster movie couldn't have conjured up a scarier scenario: An earthquake registering 8.9 on the Richter scale triggers a tsunami that destroys coastal cities.

The natural disaster then creates a crisis in nuclear power plants, threatening a Three Mile Island -- or even a Chernobyl-like -- meltdown.

A typical disaster film ends after two tense hours. But there's no intermission for Japan's real-life nightmare.

The rescue, recovery and rebuilding efforts will continue for years, and the Japanese will need the world's generosity.

Early estimates suggest that at least 10,000 people lost their lives in the initial earthquake and tsunami, but with thousands missing, the toll is likely to grow.

Life is grim for the survivors, too, as the natural disaster metastasizes into a humanitarian crisis.

Thousands are homeless, and many of those still in their residences may need to be evacuated due to unsafe structures and nuclear fears. Millions are grappling with disruptions in essentials like food, water, power, heat and transportation.

The crisis will only add to the challenges facing the $5 trillion Japanese economy. The Nikkei stock market dropped 6.2 percent the first full trading day after the quake.

Japan's critically important industrial sector is expected to be hit hard, with plant shutdowns in several sectors.

Even before the quake, the rapidly aging nation was struggling to find a formula that could shake it out of its "lost decade" doldrums, with China recently eclipsing its Asian rival to become the world's second-largest economy.

On Sunday, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the country was suffering through its worst crisis since World War II.

This is no small comparison, considering that Japan's near-absolute devastation after years of warfare ended with nuclear bombs being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

If any nation is up to the task, however, it's Japan. Even as the current horror continues, the nation should look at its postwar experience as an inspiration.

Within two generations of World War II, the resilient Japanese rebuilt a nation from scratch to become a dynamic, innovative world economic leader. In the process, it also became a staunch ally of the United States and a leader among the world's industrial democracies.

U.S. government officials should remember this country's magnanimous postwar history, too. Even amid congressional cries to cut foreign aid, the United States should be generous with humanitarian aid and technical assistance as Japan attempts to avoid a nuclear meltdown.

And we as individuals should respond, too. Americans who reflexively reach for their wallets when an economically disadvantaged country like Haiti is hit with an earthquake may pause when an economic power like Japan is hit with its series of disasters. They shouldn't.

The Japanese people are in dire need, and our donations will make a difference. Please give generously.

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