Quote:
Originally Posted by MMM
That's a political decision on your part, and not something based on fact. The vast vast majority of the millions of Japanese soldiers enshrined there were not involved in war crimes. It is a little like telling the American president he cannot give a speech on Memorial Day, as some of the soldiers he is memorializing did commit crimes against humanity.
There is deciding to never move on, or there is moving forward. The past needs to be remembered, but picked-at scabs never heal.
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Yes the shrine comemerates even fallen samurai,
however,
those in charge of Unit 731 are directly named within the shrine,
these people also escaped any form of war crimes tribunal,
even though the crimes that unit 731 commited are thought to be the worst war crimes ever commited in any war. (i mean infecting innocent women and children with bio-warfare pathogens (as well as new chem warfare toxins), and then disecting them and performing autopsy's (removing organs etc.) while the victim was still alive without any form of pain relief, and infact making sure the victim stayed alive for as long as possible - cold)
The Horror Of UNIT 731 Pt.1/5 Video
(i've not watched this but asume it will give you the facts)
the US is also to blame, after all they made a deal with JPN that gave them full access to the data unit 731 "gathered". the commanding officers were spared war crimes trial, (in return for not destroying the data, thus giving the US a jump start on the Soviets in the bio warfare arms race)
however because they were not tried as war criminals the senior officers were given medals/glory etc.
not only that, but Japanese children are not taught about this (and many other things) in school.
(unlike in germany)
I've even met educated Japanese people with good jobs and masters degrees, who did not know about this.
it is this level of total denial that pisses off the likes of china,
it is this level of denial that makes the visit to the shrine undo any apology to the chinese. infact i think (if i remember correctly) that everytime the Jpn PM visits the shrine the chinese gov. lodge a formal complaint/objection.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MMM
It is a little like telling the American president he cannot give a speech on Memorial Day, as some of the soldiers he is memorializing did commit crimes against humanity.
There is deciding to never move on, or there is moving forward. The past needs to be remembered, but picked-at scabs never heal.
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the diference is that if an American soldier commits war crimes, that soldier will be (in theory) held accountable for his actions and will face court martial upon return to the US, (e.g. abu graib naked prisoner pyramid people)
also those people who commited war crimes are never remembered in speeches.
"we commemerate the brave men and women who fought and died giving us the freedoms we have today blah blah blah" is usually what is said.
in the shrine these people are named and gloryfied.
were Japan to remove these names it would be a massive move in the right direction, but that will never be done.
they bring shame on the brave young men who fought with honour and for the glory of the Empire of the sun. I see no reason why the 731 should be honoured, especially in the same place.
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but getting back onto topic,
the US base in japan is sadly necessary.
lets not forget that september a few years ago the nutty proffesor (kim) only went and almost kicked off full scale open nuclear warfare WW3.
something that suprise suprise didnt make it onto the 10 o clock news
(and was infact so strongly denied and covered up (until N korea made an official objection to the UN
) its scary)