Originally posted by BillyBong:
There comes a time where we must learn to forgive past actions and
not blindly attack the current generation, who have absolutely no
direct responsibility to the crazed fanatics of Imperial
Japan.
Again, i must emphasize that we must learn to forgive, not FORGET.
History and those who created it can never be changed and while we
acknowledge that the Japanese leaders and soldiers were a murderous
lot, we cannot simply lay the burden of blame on the future
generations of Japanese.
Otherwise, where will it end? How can we move forward if we cannot
forgive the past? You stated that the middle east conflict was a
different ball game, but how is it different? Endless hatred,
inability to forgive and fanatical zealots of every denomination
created under the guise of religion intent on the other's
destruction. Tit-for-tat spats, historical claims to land, ransom
kidnappings and targeted assassinations.
The middle east is simply a projection of rash actions between
mortal enemies, exactly what would happen if China, Japan and Korea
did not exercise restraint. When the Japanese foolishly published a
textbook which glossed over the wartime atrocities, the Chinese
rightly went on a rampage against Japanese-based companies, while
the local police did little to stop them. Had both countries not
been separated by a sea, isn't it possible to have another
la-middle east conflict style hotzone in asia?
As for having the courage of one's convictions to oppose the govt
and 'stand up' as you say, how many of us here dare to stand up to
our own govt over unjustified and repeated public transport price
hikes, widening wages and underhanded election tactics, apart from
writing forum articles to express our displeasure?
And you expect the Japanese people, a hugely conservative people,
to aggressively overrule their govt's refusal to admit to their
past misdeeds? Claus von Stauffenberg will be forever martyred for
his failed assassination attempt on Hitler, but he died a true
patriot, trying to save his country from [b]dictatorial
oppression.
How many right-minded civilians will willingly lay down their lives
for something much
less?
Their present govt is merely living in denial; to oppose an ideal
is not something many people will risk their lives for. [/b]
First, I fully agree with you that we should forgive and move
on. We cannot forget, neither can history. We should try to
forgive. But it is not made easier if the leaders that they elected
pay their respects to their war dead, who include soldiers who
committed unspeakable crimes, and the wartime leaders. It has been
suggested that a way can be done to get around this by removing the
shrines of the war criminals(how strange, can you imagine a shrine
to Hitler or Himmler? Or say, a national visit to a shrine to a
mass murderer.....you get my drift) to another location, but it was
turned down. Sigh.....
I absolutely do not advocate violence towards the present
generation of Japanese. Anyway, the anger, which burns most, and
appropriately in Korea and China, did not boil over into overt acts
of violence i.e. kidnappings or assassinations, as you put
it.
As to comparing our government's actions on the rise in living
costs and various steps taken during elections to a government's
denial of heinous crimes AND continued worship of war criminals,
well, you get the idea.....
Of course i cannot speak for all East Asians baffled and outraged
by their odd behaviour, but I think a sincere and heartfelt
acceptance of responsibility, an apology and a national
soul-searching would be a nice start, wouldn't it?
For their citizens to speak up hardly compares to what the brave
group of Germans did, who dared to oppose Hitler in Nazi Germany.So
again, the comparison is not valid. To turn it around, if Germans
can risk their lives for a better country, can't the Japanese spend
some effort in facing up to the truth? As I brought up earlier, the
only coup (well, attempted) was mounted to prolong the war, not to
stop it. The Japanese should face up to their past and attempt to
expunge the stain in their culture that drove them down the path to
war.
As our Minister Mentor related in an anecdote, Germans would put
into their resumes their ranks and the military campaigns they took
part in WWII, because they have apologised, they have come clean
and they have made a new start. The Japanese, in contrast, has a
blank in that part of their lives. How tragic, for them and for
us.
The invasion of China was an "incident", the figures from the Rape
of Nanking was inflated, and so on and so on, sigh...
