There are several things SP gets wrong, but not just wrong seriously wrong!

     "Unlike the Germans, who take to guilt quite readily, the Japanese always
saw themselves as victims."

 

   You can't be seriously comparing the japanese thugs of old to the people who live there today. You are taking a ww2 vintage decrypt and applying it to today's mentality in Japan.That was what you call propoganda crap! They do accept blame for their aggression (my wife is from Japan) maybe not so much earlier right after the war, but it takes a while for a country that had evolved it's own way of life,making war, etc for the past 3,000 years. So it takes a while to get all that brainwashing out of their head.

   But I can attest to the fact that the Japanese of today readily accept guilt as to what happened in WW2.However they cannot accept being readily blamed solely for WW2. They understand today that their country committed some attrociouos acts of aggression during the conflict. But it angers the Japanese that these horrors are still held up by the West as reasons why they cant join the UN Sec Council, have a real military, and take on a more  proactive role in world affairs. The West has to accept and learn that they have changed and it's time for them to assume a position more proper in relating to their economy.

 

                               "  Japan justified its attack on the
                              United States, and European colonies in the western Pacific, in 1941, as an 
                              attempt to liberate Asians from European colonial rule. But the Japanese just 
                              replaced one set of foreign rulers with another, and the Japanese were much 
                             more brutal."

   Ahh, I really hate to respond to this but why is that this is constantly held up and shoved to the front? Is it because it was a disgusting period of history? Is it just a reason to bash Japan?  I have to say that I think people are ignoring this period of history and its ensuing attocities. Why is it not brought up in the West half as much is the deaths to people from communism which at last count was around 100 million deaths or as much as 143 million according to Jean Pierre Dujardin in Figaro Magazine. Obviously those deaths occured over a period of the whole of Soviet Rule. Thats not including deaths from WW2. But its just a example of the number slaughtered during that period.

   Now do Japanese schools teach students about the Rape on Nanking for instance. Absolutely not for it is not appropriate to bring up children on hatred of the State. I ask you thus fellow American- Gin, Did you ever learn about how many or how the early Americans killed the Real Americans? I only learned about one instance of giving diseased blankets to them. Did you learn how many people died of our carpet bombing campaigns throughout the Air Force's history? Silly question as its a part of war, and wars are faught to win, but it has relevance to the topic at hand. Face it you only learn the "blood and guts" of history in College not in High School.

 

        " Since the 1990s, the Japanese government has tried to persuade the world, and
       particularly their neighbors, that Japan really is sorry for their bad behavior 
       before 1945. But many Japanese still prefer the "Japan as victim"
       angle. There are enough of these old school Japanese around to keep Japans
      worst World War II behavior out of Japanese school books, and those who publish
      anything to the contrary in Japan, get a lot of abuse from old school believers
      in what Japan really was, and is. "

 

   In conversations with my wife,her mother, and alot of different friends I can tell this statement is absolutely false. The "victim" tag applies to the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,who are the victims of Atomic bombs. When some Japanese come out with a statement to that effect, it is taken far out of context, and further applied to the whole damn island. That is one jack-a*s who said something foolish.

    The people of Japan are taught that all people are victims of war. They are taught that war is the enemy. Not that victim crap the author inserted. They are taught history, but they are taught not to take sides on the conflict, to look at it as a whole from an outside perspective.

    I implore somebody to go to Japan and see the people yourself and even ask them difficult questions. You will find the occassional patriot who thinks Japan can do no wrong, however the majority of people (even the older genarations) think otherwise.

                      
    Now I do not think that Japan is end all and be all of the world. Afer all Japan does have a reputation for being the most perverted country in the world, hands down. I mean you can buy little girls underwwear that has been recently worn from a friggin coke machine! Nevertheless I cant stand to read this kind of putrid filth that is emanating from this "article".

I have had a few conversations on the web with Japanese who strongly believe they were made victims and have been unjustly accused of  atrocities. The logic given in one instance was "of course, how can we ever believe our fathers or grandfathers were guilty of such crimes?".  To which I replied "I didn't like My Lie or Abu Graeb either , but I accepted what happened, who did it, and why". Many Japanese 'have'  taken a defensive position of their countries role in the pacific war and the war in China, and refuse to believe what happened , actually happened.

Agree.. I would also have to say that the Japanese, along withe Koreans are some of the most racist  people I have ever met.

Agree.. I would also have to say that the Japanese, along withe Koreans are some of the most racist  people I have ever met.

This article wants to blame the Japanese decision to get out from Iraq to WW2 victimization. Well, on this the article is wrong. Most Japanese do not want anything to do with Iraq, not because it is or may be called US-War, not because they are anti-US, but because WW2 took from most of them the will to get into another war, especially if it is a war they cannot understand, was it legal? Are there WMD? Etc.  It does not mean that they will not fight, they will especially if somebody attacks one of 4 main islands with or with US help. You can or cannot agree with them on this, but they have the right to make their own decision.

On the topic about that Japan is the victim of FDR's conspiracy, it is important to say that there are Japanese who think so. You cannot deny that. Most of them belongs to the Right and still believe that the Emperor is divine or almost divine. On the other side, there are millions of Japanese, the majority, who think that their nation is not a victim and is truly responsible for the suffering of millions of people in China, Korea, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Hawaii, etc. On this point the article is also wrong. The big difference is that the Right Groups have more money and access to the Government through the Jiminto (The Liberal Democratic Party). The other group made mostly of the Left and independent groups have not lately enough resources to counterbalance the Right´s influence. 

What is common is both group is the fact they do not think that any Western Powers can criticize Japan without criticize themselves. All have a bloody past.

You surely can argue that the Japanese have not really apologized, so Japan still has not made peace with its neighbors. But you should understand Japan has already apologized enough, the problem regrettably is the Right, who recently wants to erase from history and the Japanese mind the fact that the nation took the responsibility and blame for the WW2 long time ago and apologized from the suffering caused by the Imperial Navy and Imperial Army. Are these actions from the Japanese Right the causes producing the appearance that Japanese are hypocrites on their stance about WW2. Most Japanese know that whether to approve (Left and independent groups) or to reject (Right groups) the WW2 responsibility and the apology.

What is ironic is that Right Groups, who are mainly an American Ally, gave their support to send the JSDF (Japan Self Defense Force) to Iraq/Kuwait and the Indian Ocean against the population's majority will. These Right Groups are more or less the successors of those who US fought against in the Pacific 65 years ago. This means that is the Left and the Independent groups who took out the JSDF from there and brought them home, the same groups that are supporting against a stronger rival the permanent recognition of the WW2 responsibility and defending the apologies given since 1945. And on this topic the majority of the Japanese support that the troops are going home.

This article wants to blame the Japanese decision to get out from Iraq to WW2 victimization. Well, on this the article is wrong. Most Japanese do not want anything to do with Iraq, not because it is or may be called US-War, not because they are anti-US, but because WW2 took from most of them the will to get into another war, especially if it is a war they cannot understand, was it legal? Are there WMD? Etc.  It does not mean that they will not fight, they will especially if somebody attacks one of 4 main islands with or with US help. You can or cannot agree with them on this, but they have the right to make their own decision.

On the topic about that Japan is the victim of FDR's conspiracy, it is important to say that there are Japanese who think so. You cannot deny that. Most of them belongs to the Right and still believe that the Emperor is divine or almost divine. On the other side, there are millions of Japanese, the majority, who think that their nation is not a victim and is truly responsible for the suffering of millions of people in China, Korea, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Hawaii, etc. On this point the article is also wrong. The big difference is that the Right Groups have more money and access to the Government through the Jiminto (The Liberal Democratic Party). The other group made mostly of the Left and independent groups have not lately enough resources to counterbalance the Right´s influence. 

What is common is both group is the fact they do not think that any Western Powers can criticize Japan without criticize themselves. All have a bloody past.

You surely can argue that the Japanese have not really apologized, so Japan still has not made peace with its neighbors. But you should understand Japan has already apologized enough, the problem regrettably is the Right, who recently wants to erase from history and the Japanese mind the fact that the nation took the responsibility and blame for the WW2 long time ago and apologized from the suffering caused by the Imperial Navy and Imperial Army. Are these actions from the Japanese Right the causes producing the appearance that Japanese are hypocrites on their stance about WW2. Most Japanese know that whether to approve (Left and independent groups) or to reject (Right groups) the WW2 responsibility and the apology.

What is ironic is that Right Groups, who are mainly an American Ally, gave their support to send the JSDF (Japan Self Defense Force) to Iraq/Kuwait and the Indian Ocean against the population's majority will. These Right Groups are more or less the successors of those who US fought against in the Pacific 65 years ago. This means that is the Left and the Independent groups who took out the JSDF from there and brought them home, the same groups that are supporting against a stronger rival the permanent recognition of the WW2 responsibility and defending the apologies given since 1945. And on this topic the majority of the Japanese support that the troops are going home.

Agree.. I would also have to say that the Japanese, along withe Koreans are some of the most racist  people I have ever met.

If you can read one or more East Languages like Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, then go to blogs and message boards with a plenty of political threads.  A good  number of them will make boards like strategypage.com look rather mild by comparison.  Meanwhile, as an outsider, you may find their self-national-images either amusingly ridiculous or bordering on delusion.

 

I am not that familiar with Japan, but because I was born in Korea and raised there for a while, I am familiar with things going on in there.  Speaking of racism, look at how they have been treating migrant workers and minority groups.  If you do that kind of things they could do with impunity (e.g., withholding payroll, confiscating ID/passport, outright physical abuse) over there in places like the US, you are going to get nailed.  Another peculiarity with their brand of racism is they tend to hold folks from N. America and Europe in higher regard, but look down on those from S.E. Asia, South Asia, Africa.  (Exception: Younger generation and academics look down on Americans; remember mass demonstration on US beef during this summer?  Another regular event consist of student demonstration against US military bases.)  Basically, they look up to those from wealthier countries, but treat those who came from poor countries as inferior beings.

 

Anyway ..... over there, 'nationalism' would be more accurately described as a combination of quasi-religion, myths overloaded with past glories, and tendency towards self-exaggeration and self-victimization.  Notice it results in a fatal flaw:  Inability or unwillingness to evaluate history with a healthy dose of objectivity.  Furthermore, much stricter gap between 'national history' and 'world history'; 'national history' does not blend well with 'world history' as the former contains a heavy dose of myths.