Quote:
Originally Posted by GoNative
I'm not suggesting that the US presence in Japan has anything to do with stopping Japan from becoming a threat again. My implication is that Japan owes a significant debt to this region for the pain and suffering that it caused. As part of that debt I do not think it unreasonable that it assist the US with strategically placed military bases. Whether or not the current location of the bases is the best place for them is certainly debatable though.
And I think it's difficult for younger generations to appreciate the need to owe any sort of debt when they have little, if any, knowledge of the incredible amount of destruction, death and suffering this country caused through the war. Most of them though are well aware of the suffering caused to the Japanese people towards the end of the war which totally skewes their historical viewpoint about the conflict.
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I disagree that Japan owes a debt to the region. It owes a debt to a certain generation I can agree with that but Japan owes me as a New Zealander
born 45 years after the conflict nothing. Nor does it owe the countries it went to war with. Your mistake I believe is that you are thinking of countries as though they are people.
I agree that the LESSONS learnt in World War 2 are important. But I dont think young Japanese should feel any sort of guilt that their forefathers bore them. Heck if we are going to inherit guilt then we can blame the British for an awful lot that went wrong in Australia and New Zealand as well as white Australians and New Zealanders. But I dont believe in inheriting guilt and that goes for the young Japanese of today to.