"Eric Takabayashi" <etakajp@yahoo.co.jp> wrote in message
news:4172B950.E992CD1E@yahoo.co.jp...
> So why be so pissed off at Japanese or Germans (only) for what they have
> done,

I'm not pissed off at the Japanese or the Germans.

> > > > But whether given actions were "war crimes" is not a very good way
to
> > > > categorize the suffering of the Okinawans, IMO.
> > >
> > > So what should Japan and the US do about it, then?
> >
> > About what?
>
> "The suffering of the Okinawans", which you brought up. How should their
> suffering be categorized?

What does "categorizing" suffering have to do with doing something about
something? If it is all nice and categorized, have we accomplished
something?

> So you really have not heard about something which was made so public. So
why
> should you "not knowing" about wartime or occupation rapes even in the
area
> in which you live, mean anything?

Why should "knowing" about this incident mean something?

> But if you see nothing to condemn US
> servicemen even during WWII,

Au contraire, mon frere.

The Americans committed their share of atrocities which were war crimes, and
many atrocities which were not war crimes.

OTOH, the Americans were better behaved than the Japanese in war on a number
of counts. They treated their prisoners much better. They generally did not
pillage or "rape" defeated cities. They did not generally summarily execute
civilians or military prisoners. And they didn't start the war.

To me, the great tragedy of the Japanese participation in WWII was the
complete fanatacism instilled in the general public. A level of fanatacism
such that fathers killed their wives, mothers killed their babies, entire
villages committed suicide rather than dishonor the emperor by surrendering.
A level of fanatacism such that the country plunged headlong into an
unwinnable war because their absolute belief in the justice of their cause
made them disregard its utter hopelessness.

And I would lay most of the blame for this on the upper levels of Japanese
government, who cynically inculcated this fanatacism, and callously spent
the lives of their people, first in a bid of conquest, then in an attempt to
sell their lives in exchange for a negotiated surrender.

But should the Japanese today be held to blame for the actions of Japan
during the war? Certainly not anyone who was a child or not yet born during
the war. Probably not anyone alive today who was an adult during that time,
either.

> then what have you seen in your lifetime that
> convinces you of what Japanese did in Nanking?

Wrong rant, Eric. I know it's tough to keep track of who you are arguing
with when you think the world is out to get you, but please try to keep your
ravings sorted appropriately.

-- 
Regards,
Ryan Ginstrom
ryang@gol.com