I am a Japanese who want to say a thing about Hiroshima/Nagasaki

[hertopos]

I was reading Hiroshima/Nagasaki threads.
As a Japanese, who is married to an American, I just want to say a thing or two.

I do not take any of the position listed in the original thread because I am Japanese.

Being a Japanese means to me:
I know what is really like to have a fear of nuclear holocaust.
I know what is really like to know that our parents� generation supported the government which committed hideous atrocity and committed those atrocities themselves.

At the same time, I am proud to be Japanese in 2004 because we are still keeping our 'Peace constitution', which permanently abandon the right to engage any war. No matter what LDP may try, overwhelming majority of Japanese people support this. In fact, the latest move by Koizumi administration (sending our unconstitutional defense only force to Iraq) is unconstitutional.

I don't deny any of atrocity that Japanese imperial army committed during the war. However, that does not imply that Japanese are violent and evil people by nature compared to the people in the countries where Japanese committed the most hideous crimes in their own history. Unfortunately, many Korean and Chinese people believes that Japanese are more violent and evil than them mainly because the inept Japanese government post-war diplomacy and rather biased education about Japanese national character by both Korean and Chinese government.

I repeat. Japanese really learned something from the war. Though American government was the one which originally forced �Peace constitution� on Japanese, we are the ones keeping it even after U.S. wanted us to have our unconstitutional defense only force.

I would accept the fact that many American feels those bombing was right thing to do then. My point is not criticizing the historic decision. What I am asking is that after knowing what is really like to be bombed by a nuclear bomb, will you support the use of nuclear weapon in future?

Pray, do not use same type of logic to justify the use of nuclear weapon in future. That will be no different from Panac and Bush administration.

Hertopos

[Ashes]

1. Excellent post - thank you

Americans have a hard time personalizing this sort of thing. It can't happen here still permeates the society, no matter what the politicians tell you about the changes since the infamous 9/11.

[Skittles]

5. yes

I believe I received a good education in war from my mum and grandparents who witnessed the bombs falling on their tiny town in England. My mum always says these people that warmonger obviously have never experienced war.

Although I really cannot comment on how other countries in Asia view the Japanese, I agree this is an excellent post.

[Melinda]

2. Hertopos, I am opposed to the proliferation and/or use of nuclear

weapons, period, and I am sorry and ashamed that it was the country of my birth that rained down nuclear destruction upon yours.

Peace be with you and your family.
Melinda

[Ein]

3. Agreed, no nukes

It should've never been produced. I disagree with the bombings whole-heartedly.

[NYC]

4. There is no justification.

There will never be justification. (Your question: What I am asking is that after knowing what is really like to be bombed by a nuclear bomb, will you support the use of nuclear weapon in future?)

I remember your post about this last year (around August 6th & 9th). I responded then as well.

I don't know 10% of what you know, but I saw pictures of women at Nagasaki. Nobody who has seen those pictures can want the use of nuclear bombs. Even worse, today's bombs are much, much more powerful than the bombs dropped on Japan.

I don't know what kind of people can call for the use of nuclear bombs, or the new "small tactical nuclear bombs". Some people are just heartless. Because of that, the rest of us will always be at risk. I can never think of those women without crying. What was done to them was totally unforgivable.

Re: "In fact, the latest move by Koizumi administration (sending our unconstitutional defense only force to Iraq) is unconstitutional."

Koizumi is another cowboy. I hope he doesn't get away with this. Bush is trying to talk him into sending the Japanese "defense" force to a place where they would have no choice but to defend themselves.

To make war unconstitutional is a wonderful thing. I hope it spreads. (Seems to be little chance of that at the moment.)

[hertopos]

17. What motivated me was...

That the other thread about Hiroshima/Nagasaki poll went to the wrong direction...again.

I was saddened to read the post which support the historical decision even though this person clearly was a great admirer of MLK. I got an impression that MLK would not like the justification of the use of Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombing. Please understand I am not
criticizing the decision already made. It was rather strange and inconsistent to hear the support of the logic behind Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombing from a person who clearly admires MLK greatly.

I believe Japanese people themselves are not vocal enough about how strongly anti-war they became. Thus, each year, I end up posting rather similar post.

hertopos

[Thor_MN]

96. This kind of person.....

NORM COLEMAN COMMITTEE ON
MINNESOTA GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
CHAIRMAN

PERMANENT SUBCOMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS
FOREIGN RELATIONS

WASHINGTON, DC 20510-2307 CHAIRMAN
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
WESTERN HEMISPHERE. PEACE CORPS. AND NARCOTICS A -
COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ON

July 7, 2003 AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION. AND FORESTRY
COMMITTEE ON

SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP


Dear Mr. :

Thank you for contacting me concerning your opposition to low-yield nuclear weapons.

As you may know, the Senate passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year
2003. This act included a provision which repealed a section of the fiscal year 1994 Defense
Authorization Act that prohibited research which could result in the development of a new low-yield
nuclear weapon. I supported this provision not because I desire new nuclear weapons, but because I
believe it is the responsibility of the government to be prepared to address all possible threats to national
security.

While I supported the repeal on researching low-yield nuclear weapons, please know that with my
support, the Senate passed two amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year
2004 which clarify that no testing, acquisition, or development of low-yield nuclear weapons can occur
without specific congressional authorization.

Thank you once again for taking the time to contact me. I value your input. Please do not hesitate to
contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance to you.

Sincerely,
Norm Coleman
United States Senate

HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING 2550 UNIVERSITY AVENUE WEST

SUITE 320 SUITE 100N

WASHINGTON, DC 20510-2307 ST. PAUL, MN 55114-1098

TEL: [phone] TEL: [phone]

FAX: [phone] http ;% /coleman.senate.gov FAX: [phone]

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

6. Ashes, we could get into...

A long and long-winded discussion regarding what happened in WWII with the Japanese Army. How much of what happened was due to average folk being conscripted and being indoctrinated with a corrupted understanding of Budo and The Way of The Samurai.

But lets not. That war is over and I pray we never see its likes again.

[hertopos]

15. I believe there is no justification about Japanese atrocity.

However, under certain circumstance anyone may commit atrocity unless one check one's doing and thought processes all the time.

Until I have a baby, I was 100% sure that I am against death penalty.
After I had a baby, I started wondering what I would feel if someone killed my baby.

Hertopos

[calimary]

83. Yes, Hertopos - that conflict is one I face also, having had two babies.

The bomb drops on Hiroshima and Nagasaki SHOULD teach us all what nightmares can be unleashed by these horrible weapons.

It's the same thing with Iraq. How quick so many Americans were to condemn France and Germany for wanting to go more slowly and carefully as bush and friends were so eager to race toward war. How Americans trashed them! I was completely ashamed of this.

We MUST remember - we in America are like a child in comparison to other nations around the world. We're just over 200 years old. That isn't much in the scheme of things, especially considering we're now bullying nations and cultures that are THOUSANDS of years old. It seems to me that if a country like France, or ESPECIALLY Germany voiced hesitation about rushing to war, shouldn't we be listening? Don't they speak from hard, sad, miserable, horrifying experience? Shouldn't we pay attention to their cautionary words and TRY TO LEARN SOMETHING FROM THEIR AGE-OLD, HARD-WON WISDOM?

One of our comedians (I think it was Bill Maher) noted with irony that we reacted with such hostility to Germany's not wanting to go to war. We should be upset about this??? We should be angry that Germany doesn't want to go to war??? Instead, shouldn't we be encouraged and happy about this, that a country that once provoked two of the worst wars we've ever seen in human history would have learned its lesson and would now back away from further aggression??? SHOOT!

It's the same lesson you speak of, that the Japanese have apparently learned VERY WELL. I sure wish we Americans would. But, unfortunately, not with these paper-tiger cowboy-pretender chickenhawks in charge. And funny enough, all the prominent people who desperately wanted to go to war in Iraq were those who NEVER saw combat when they were younger and their time came. That includes our so-called president, everybody in his inner circle (except for Colin Powell), the republicans in the Senate and Congress, and virtually ALL the media pundits. NONE of them saw combat or did ANY of the heavy lifting or shed blood or faced danger or put themselves in harm's way. But they sure feel fine about putting other people and their children there.

Bless your heart, Hertopos. You'll find MANY sympathizers here at DU. We are glad and honored to have you with us.

[hertopos]

18. The atrocity has nothing to do with budo...

Things like 'Kamikaze attack' may be said to be based on wrong application of Bushido or budo.

However, Japanese atrocity has nothing to do with budo or the samurai.
It is ultimately based on hate. It is based on the perception that all enemies are evil and subhuman and therefore it is good to kill and torture them.

Once you see your enemy something less than human, all hell can break loose.

Hertopos

[rasputin1952]

94. Precisely what I have been saying for years...

most people would not contemplate killing others, unless they viewed others as less than human. The Nazi's were mnasters at this type of propaganda, as were the Japanese and the Americans.

The two bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki came were authorized by Truman, because of previous situations the Japanese military had created themselves. The invasion of China, especially the Nanking episode, showed the world how savage some can become. Pearl Harbor, and the invasions on SE Asian countries didn't help the situation.
Looking at this in the context of 1945, I can understand why Truman authorized the strikes. For four years, the Allies had been fighting brutal battles in Europe and Asia. Often, yards of earth were fought over for days, with both sides suffering horrendous casulties. The Germans and Japanese were fanatical in defense, and there was no reason to believe that the attack on Mainland Japan would not be overwhelming for both sides.

The use of nuclear devices is a spctre we could all do without. If there is any redeeming grace in what happened those days, fortunately, they were never used again. With bush in the drivers seat though, all bets are off. This man ENJOYS power and death. The few times he beams, is when someones life is on the line, and he holds the key to their survival.

Let us all, throughout the world, never forget what happened on those two days in '45. Most of the people that died during those attacks had little, if anything to do with prosecutiing the war. Let us also not forget the firestorms that enveloped European and Japanese cities.

[Against ME]

7. Ahh, very enlightening.

But, regretably I am glad that we used the Nuke when we did, not necessarily that we used it on Japan, but rather that we saw the horendous effects, when the bomb was so small. I think that Japan tought the world a lesson, a lesson on the destruction of the bomb, and without the bomb being dropped then, I am sure it would have been dropped later, when we had several, and they were city busters. Those two days acted as a deterent for the world, it was a lesson we needed for the sake of the world to learn, but it is hard to see it that way when you are directly effected by it. It had to be done, it needed to be done, but I regret that it was done.
Sorry if this sounds callous, but i didn't know any other way to say it.

[hertopos]

13. So long as people oppose future use...

Yes, we just have to learn.
Ironically, in 1954, Japanese fishermen got radiation poisoning from Hydrogen bomb experiment.

In fact, that incident inspired the making of original Godzilla movie.
For my generation, Godzilla is the pop cultural icon of 'nuclear holocaust'. As a kid, I had a Godzilla nightmare like everyone else in my generation. ( I was born 1954.)

Hertopos

[Against ME]

20. I'm reluctant to admit it, but science doesn't always help us.

While nuclear power is inmearsuably important to us, the A-bomb is something that was a terrible side effect of furthering our knowledge of nature.
The price is big, only if it happens to you, as with most things.

[alaine]

36. Science? Oh yeah, that's right, gotcher A-bombs, forget

about famine/ land a man on the moon,but can't stop child abuse/ got satellite TV, but still need prostitutes/ attach a baby rat's head to an adult rat's thigh and keep it alive for days/ but can't keep diabetics off sugar/ step right up, here's a great way to masturbate, tell 'em forget your feelings, emotions are inferior/ give really smart people a place to run and hide/ have no imagination/ only scientific observation/can't estimate the effects of the A-bomb/ have to smell the burning flesh. Deep breath,mmm that's it, well, it obviously worked, won't have to do that again. For a while. Til somebody builds a bigger masturbator we gotta spin around the block in. Fetishizing genius for the sake of hiding from our own vulnerability. Yeah, science, gotta love it.

[Against ME]

61. The potato,

electriciy/food food food/ soap/ indoor plumbing/ schools/ mass media/every medicine ever created/ the ability to leave our planet/the root of all knowledge/cars/train/planes/computers/surgical equipment.

Yep, pretty evil.

Science has already saved more humans that it could possibly kill.

[diamond14]

67. "science without humanity" is one of the seven greatest sins....

I am proud to be a chemist...

As a chemist, my work contributes to the high quality of modern life.

Chemistry is the key to solving many of the Earth's problems.

Chemicals help people live longer, healthier lives than ever before..


There are many chemists who refuse to work in the military death-and destruction industry fueled by obscenely wealthy defense contractors, who demand a war economy to make huge amounts of money off the middle-class taxpayers...

We are proud that we refuse to participate in the KILL-people industry...and we use our science to make a better world...

[Against ME]

90. Humanity without SCIENCE is the GREATEST sin.

ignorance is not bliss

[Against ME]

91. Humanity without SCIENCE IS THE GREATEST sin.

ignorance is not bliss

[bpilgrim]

14. thats GROSS

Sorry if this sounds callous, but i didn't know any other way to say it.

if it is a demo you want it wasn't necessary to include 10's of thousands of live inoccent civillians and the unborn :puke:

peace

[Against ME]

19. Demo's isn't what was needed.

The world had to see it first hand, or it would have no deterrant effect.

I didn't want it, but I recognize that using it then stops us from using it now, and using it now would mean 10 of millions of live inoccent civilians and unborn, probably including americans.

[bpilgrim]

21. a LIVE demo... gotcha

:puke:

peace

[Against ME]

23. Yes, with something as ill-understood, and powerful as

a Nuclear warhead, only something as ill-conceived, and desructive as using it could teach us not to use it.

Do you not admit that using it then was the ultimate deterrant to using it today?

[bpilgrim]

24. disagree %100 it has only made it more likely by leading to the arms race

yet who can blame the world after witnessing what evil we are capable of.

i also disagree with your advocation of a 'live demo'.

we could have at LEAST warned them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :'(

a vaperized city or two... would have been much more effective by giving us the moral high ground to loby to place these weapons under strict UN control and possibly even outlawed way back then.

peace

[Against ME]

27. Okay, maybe it did bring about the arms race,

but that is a stretch, it was more of a technology competition, and world power competition. But even so, it was the only thing that kept the arms race from amounting to anything more than an arms race.

If the United States was willing to use a nuclear weapon, when we knew not the effects, then wouldn't every other country be willing to do the same. Knowing alone has kept us from nuclear disaster all these years.

I'm sorry, but the U.N. did not exist when Russia was stockpiling, and when the Cuban missle crisis happened. The world was at the mercy of these nuclear countries, and what would have stopped them from using them had we not know the effects. If both countries having nukes stopped it, then it is only because both countries know the horror it causes. This cross applies to all nuclear standoffs.

[bpilgrim]

30. thats not true 'we knew not the effects'

after a demo the world would know the effects.

your position is untenable considering what we now know.

peace

[Against ME]

59. What we know now is irrelevant.

We didn't know untill we dropped the bomb, and then the whole world knew. That alone has stopped nucleaer war.

[bpilgrim]

60. i was talking about what we now know they knew at THAT time

if it is a demo your advocating it didn't have to include innocent men women and children to be effective.

the only thing we done was start an arms race and lowered the bar to barbarity in terms of modern warfare.

we all must live with it now.

peace

[Against ME]

66. IF we knew then what we know now,

then why did we send marines into a blast site, and set off the weapon on our own soil?

We did not know the effects of the bomb, the radiation, the lasting effects. The only way we could have known about the horrendous after math was to do it on a city. That is the only way we could learn that it is terrible, and should never be used again.

[bpilgrim]

69. we DID know of it's destructive power, hello... that's why we built it AND

why MANY scientist wrote letters AGAINST it's use, gimme a break... please

"then why did we send marines into a blast site, and set off the weapon on our own soil?"



why do you think noone knows about UNIT 731?
http://www-users.cs.umn.edu/~dyue/wiihist/germwar/731rev.htm#deal

we desperately wanted their data, information IS very important doncha know?

reminds me of that quote...
"don't ask for whom the bell tolls... it tolls for thee"

peace

[Against ME]

75. You are seeing things in black an white,

there are more dynamics to a nuclear explosion, than just vaporizing a city, and killing thousands. Yes we knew about that, but we did not, could not have known about the effects of radiation, and the devastation it would have on the country side. We knew it was a big explosion, we did not know the effects. We did not know that 50 years later there would still be horrendous effects, creating monstosities, and sterilizing the environment.

We know now, we know that it could cause nuclear winter, we know that the bomb damages a fast area, and wind patterns play a role. We did not know that then, and we would still not know the effects had we not used the bomb when we did.

[bpilgrim]

81. that's the first i've been accused of that

:hi:

peace

[Against ME]

84. Okay, but you're saying that knowing a bomb explodes

correlates with knowing the nature of radiation.

[bpilgrim]

100. no i am saying that we KNEW it would out the CITY without warning

men, women, children, dogs, cats, birds, insects, buildings, roads, bridges, etc.

damn!

and we KNEW that radiation is harmful to living organisms, of course we always needed to do more test to know just how harmful and long lasting etc.

but we KNEW what kind of carnage we would cause that day on a DEFEATED, SURRENDERING nation and their 2 cities of inocent civilians.

got it?

peace

[Against ME]

103. You are wrong!!!

We knew that It was a bomb, that would explode in a gigantic display of horrefic destruction, and that radiation would be dispersed. But we did not know how the radiation would be dispersed, we did not know the effects of the radiation. We did not know that the radiation would be effecting them 50 years after it happened. We did not know that the land would be sterile for hundreds of years.

Knowing that radiation is harmful to an organism does not correlate with knowing that radiation causes severe burns, terrible sickness, and birth defects years later. Knowing that Radiation is harmful does not mean we knew what it did, and how bad it was. Had we known that it would last 100's of years, and leave millions harmed, we probably wouldn't have used it.

There is more to know about a Nuclear explosion, than just that it explodes and sends radiation.

Get it?

[Tansy_Gold]

68. U.N. did exist during Cuban Missile Crisis, arms race

U.N. was officially "born" 24 October 1945 with ratification of charter by U.S., U.S.S.R., U.K., and majority of other original signatories.

[Against ME]

78. Yeah, you're right.

I said the wrong thing, but it's too late now. Thanks for pointing that out.

[bpilgrim]

80. that ain't the only thing

your own words are very revealing.

peace

[Against ME]

85. Isn't that how they should be?

[bpilgrim]

101. yes

and thank you for putting them on display :toast:

peace

[Against ME]

104. Anytime, I would expect the same from you.

[hertopos]

28. What I see....

It is deterrent to some and has an opposite effect to others. What bothers me now is that clearly US's new interest in the use of nuclear weapon is making others want to arm themselves.

Hertopos

[bpilgrim]

29. it is history repeating itself...

we triggred the first arms race and we are heading down the same road.

some days i think the world would be safer if every nation had nuclear weapons as it does seem to serve as a deterant.

but then you always get a leader like bush :scared:

peace

[IndianaGreen]

64. A fine example of American education system!

You were conditioned well, brother!

[LWolf]

77. Stop right there.

I'm reading through these posts on as grave a topic as we are ever likely to discuss, and I appreciate every person who speaks their mind, whether or not I agree with him/her.

As a teacher, I refuse to fall on my sword because someone has a different viewpoint than you think they should.

The American Education System, for all its ridiculous flaws, is not responsible for an individual's opinion.

And I find the implication that I would "condition" someone to be highly offensive. I realize that you were not referring to me personally, but you were referring to my profession. It does not help the horrendous situation public ed finds itself in today to casually toss off snide criticisms and blame.

My apologies for hijacking...

On the topic:

I would never use any type of a nuclear device for any reason. Including power generation.

I would not advocate attacking another nation for any reason. I do support defense...against an attack that is happening at the moment. I wouldn't use a planet-killing device to defend anything.

[Against ME]

93. No, thinking that our education system would teach ideas

as complex as what i have been saying, is "a fine example" of you being conditioned.

Was I also conditioned to hate my president, and retreat to a liberal forum, when I'm surrounded by ignorance?

I've never heard someone argue the point that I'm arguing, and I find it funny that instead of arguing that i'm wrong, you decide to attribute it to ignorance bred through conditioning.

You're willingness to dissmiss an idea because it does not correlate with your own is a fine example of the American Education System.

[Eloriel]

8. Yes. NO to nuclear ANYthing

Nuclear bombs, nuclear power, depleted uranium bullets and other stuff used in war.

In fact, NO to war would be a nice start, wouldn't it?

Thank you for your post. In fact, thank you for your contribution.

BTW, I don't think of the Japanese people as violent. I never have -- the war was the war. Wars are not known as times of sanity.

Eloriel

[GOPisEvil]

9. Excellent! My mom is Japanese. She lived through the war years.

She has seen enough to know that it is a horrible thing. She taught me to be the peace-lover that I am...

She also has a few harsh words for fascists, too...she says they always lead to war.

[Generic Other]

53. My mother is Japanese too

She was a young girl during the war. Her father opposed the war believing the attack on Pearl Harbor to have been a tragic mistake, but opposition was silenced by nationalistic fervor, the same kind of thinking that exists in America today.

Interesting that those of us of Japanese ancestry seem to have a greater understanding of the horrors of atomic warfare. The Japanese psyche has been forever scarred by the experience.

For me, the deaths of so many in Hiroshima and Nagasaki have meaning as long as there is never another nuclear war. To think otherwise is to trivialize their deaths.

[Octafish]

10. Thank you, Hertopos.

Each person represents an infinite universe.
The loss of any one is an irreplaceable loss to us all.
These are just two reasons why each person is priceless.

PS: The B-29 Bockscar is on exhibit at the United States Air Force museum at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, Ohio. I looked up at it. I crouched underneath it. I could feel its presence. I could not bear to touch it. Never can I forget it.

[bpilgrim]

11. well said

thank you :toast:

i hope that more folks via this crisis study the horror of war.
i know the japanese have a great deal to teach the world and i am always grateful to learn from japan.

:hi:

peace

[diamond14]

12. most Americans are opposed to nuclear bombs and opposed

to the continous waste of our tax money on military nuclear bombs...and the massive environmental damage...essentially poisoning ourselves, and many generations to come...

it is clear to me that some comments here come from American soldiers and military officers...they have a horrible need to justify their killing in their minds...for many, it haunts them...
but they claim it's for peace...it is the most convoluted madness....we try to help them, but they are convinced...no doubt, you have people in your country who also feel the answer is WAR...

for myself, I will not work for military, and I will not build nuclear bombs, or any portion thereof....because of my education, I have been offered many high paying jobs in nuclear bombs...but that would require that I sell my soul to the devil...others will do it, but some will not...

dropping the bomb is like our current madness in America, two wars in progress...our leaders will not search for any other solution, they are just excited to use their NEW weapons for death and destruction...we try to stop them, but they believe that WAR is the ONLY answer...and other more sane Americans believe that there are many many other ways besides war...some Americans are idealists, and others just spew death and destruction (mostly caused by their poor upbringing and their lack of education)...we are also terrified of the power of the nuclear reactions...let us hope to stop it...

PEACE....


Dr. Leo Szilard was one of the scientists who built the first atomic bomb...this interview was published in August 15, 1960, U.S. News & World Report. It created a crisis, because it challenged the thinking that America was right to have vaporized TWO cities, killing and maiming thousands of innocent civilians. By making atomic bombs, we have forever poisoned ourselves with cancer-causing Plutonium, Uranium, and other environmental toxins in our water supplies, soils and air.



a good interview to read...from a scientist who built the bombs...
and tried to stop it, as he realized what they had done, in unleasing the atom and CREATING an element...

-snips-

Q Dr. Szilard, what was your attitude in 1945 toward the question of dropping the atomic bomb on Japan?

A I opposed it with all my power, but I'm afraid not as effectively as I should have wished.

http://www.peak.org/~danneng/decision/usnews.html

[DemBones DemBones]

16. Excellent post, Hertopos. I also want to call attention to what you

said in a reply within this thread:

"I believe there is no justification about Japanese atrocity.

However, under certain circumstance anyone may commit atrocity unless one check one's doing and thought processes all the time."


This is a truth that bears repeating: We are all capable of great violence.

I think (and hope) that realizing this can help us avoid acting violently.

[JackSwift]

22. Few nations have learned the lessons of war

as well as Germany and Japan. I think that part of it was defeat, and the other part was the Allied insistence on showing the evidence of the atrocities of the fascist war governments. I've met people who lived in Nazi Germany and went along. They are no different then your average American. I have always been concerned that Germany and Japan do not and will not teach these awful episodes of their history to new generations. But I am more concerned with the world's current military giant, the US. We have become an arrogant, jingoistic, bellicose, ignorant, callous, greedy and deadly nation.

[hertopos]

26. LDP was very bad at teaching but...

One thing we learned for sure, no more war. Many people, including myself, learned about the war atrocity outside the classroom. Teaching at school may not be the most effective thing. Think about U.S. Most of political correctness somehow inspired backrush and freepers.

Most recently, (I recall it was early 80�s), a book about Ishii platoon became a national bestseller.

Ishii platoon committed one of the most hideous atrocities. They operated a biological and chemical weapon research facility that used enemy captives as human specimen. Ishii himself was never punished after the war because U.S. wanted the research result from them.

We (Japanese and I believe Germans) know so well that anyone can do the most hideous thing under the 'right' condition.

Hertopos

[SoCalDem]

38. No country "learns the lesson" about war...

OPB* is cheap and meaningless..Country "leaders" are too quick to resort to battle, when words would suffice.. Wars always enrich the "manufacturing class" , not matter which side they are on, and after the war, the "winner" does even better..

The mother who lost sons, the wives who lost husbands, the children who lost fathers...never "get over it".. Vengeance is always just under the surface, whether they admit it or not..

Making the enemy into something less than human is always necessary to entice people to kill strangers who they personally have no beef with..

Governments are expert at propaganda (they have been doing it forever..and still are)... the thoughts and fears that have been so meticulously planted in to the subconscious of a nation do not go away after the hostility has ended.. Just like racial prejucide, it perpetuates itself generation after generation, until the "next" time..

We truly never do learn anything..

What makes it even more abhorrent , is that long after the wars, scholars always seem to find truths that were covered up because it was politically damaging to the ones running the show..

*other people's blood

[Forkboy]

25. Thank you Hertopos

A very fascinating post.

[Art_from_Ark]

31. ��ʼ���������ȿ��

���ܤ�ʿ�·�ˡ����ޤ��礦��

[bpilgrim]

33. probably need to use romaji

software can't handle it? :shurg:

わかない

pisu

[Art_from_Ark]

35. The Japanese characters show up fine on my computer

At any rate, the romaji is: Kakuheiki shiyou zettai hantai
Nihon no heiwa kempo wo mamorimashou!

pi-su
�s�[�X

[FlaGranny]

41. I think you have to have

the Japanese character set enabled on your PC. I just checked my language options (they are still set on the default settings). Japanese was not checked.

[alaine]

32. I appreciate you speaking out.

Right before I saw the other thread I had just watched "Globe Trekker" on PBS and they were in Japan and filmed the museum in Nagasaki dedicated to remembrance of the event and the victims. The camera banned over pictures of the bodies of the burned victims, the burned childred, the scorched earth...

I wasn't alive when this happened and finding the truth about anything in this country takes alot of time and digging to try to form an opinion about what possibly may be true, even then, one can't be sure...we are told so many lies.

I just read a bunch tonight about "Operation Mockingbird", the CIA infiltration of the media that began in the 50s.

They were saying at the museum that many many people developed leukemia within 5 years after the bombing, so many more than the original 70,000 were killed in Nagasaki, and lingering radiation still causes sickness and birth defects.
I did not get to read the other thread, but one thing I hate is when people use the terminology "we" when referring to America's military actions, as in "we" bombed Iraq, "we" bombed Japan.
No "we" didn't. Less than 1 percent of "us" will ever get into the echelon of power charged with orchestrating such action. And I like to think most of "us" would oppose it.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

34. Gozonji ka mo shiremasen ga,

watashi wa Nichi-Ei hon'yaku wo shite imasu.

You may know this, but I'm a Japanese English translator.

I guess I've seen both sides of the story of Japan in World War II, because a few years ago, I translated a book, written by a Japanese, that detailed the atrocities that the imperial army committed in China. It was hard to work on, and I had to stop and do some technical translation every once in a while, just to keep from being overwhelmed by the horrors.

But this summer, I translated some personal stories of survivors of the Hiroshima bomb. These were equally horrible, although shorter. One man told of going to the nearest hospital for minor injuries, finding the hospital building destroyed and the hospital grounds full of horribly burned people lying on the bare ground, lying in their own urine because they were too weak to move, having to wait literally for days to see one of the few surviving doctors, who couldn't do anything for them anyway. The man who told the story was haunted by guilt, because instead of trying to help the people, he freaked and ran away.

The total devastation wrought by even that tiny bomb was unimaginable.

I have visited both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and both cities have been rebuilt. I found Nagasaki especially touching, because the people, like the rest of the people in western Kyushu, were exceptionally friendly.

I agree that the Japanese people are strongly anti-war. I was with a student group in Japan during the 1991 Gulf War, and some of the students didn't understand why Japan wouldn't send troops to the Middle East, even though it is so dependent on Middle Eastern oil.

I told them that it is quite common to go into the homes of older people or three-generation households and see 1940s era photographs on the family altar, photographs of soldiers and civilians who did not survive the war.

Nearly ten percent of the population was killed.

[tanizaki]

43. Nichi-Ei?

That's �a�p, isn't it?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

87. That's what I thought, too, but

my clients (translation agencies in Tokyo) are using Nichi-Ei more and more.

[diamond14]

37. our protests have not been about only Iraq war, but about WAR

itself...

without a draft, the current wave of protests across our country, from small towns and cities, to the big million-people protests in New York and DC...it is a real different objection being voiced to our government....

people are protesting WAR itself, as a solution to our National and World problems...WAR is not the answer...

by going to war in Iraq, bush* accidentally organized a huge outpouring of activists....not just to stop the Iraq war, but to stop the BIG National Defense CONTRACTORS...the profiteers of war, the economics of war as our biggest export...and to change the conditions that create wars...much of which are American policies in foreign aid, and out of our State Dept.

in one way, it is uplifting and indicative of a changing culture here...my generation is the Vietnam generation...there are few left from the WWII soldiers, who are building themselves a "glorious" monument on our National Mall...but my generation is not enthralled with wars - the "glorious" parades, the bands, the medals, the uniforms...it all looks so superficial when your legs are blown off, when the Veteran's Hospitals have no funding to help you, or, in my own case, where my cousin came home in a box, with a flag and his uniform photo mounted on top, with his silver star and purple heart...those who lived through Vietnam are trying to change our CULTURE of war...we were doing fairly well under Clinton, closed a lot of military bases, cut back obscene spending by the Pentagon and STOPPED the production of nuclear bombs in our country...bombs are being re-cycled, but new plutonium manufacturing was stopped...it was stopped by activists, whistle-blowers, protestors...the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons site (near Denver) was TOTALLY shut down...the Hanford site was scaled back to primarily environmental clean-up...

sadly though, the Vietnam-era Americans are getting older, and we got beat up bad, but now...younger people are totally unwilling to vote or participate in politics or protests...they just don't care...we don't know how to help them...but the lack of effort by younger Americans emboldens and creates a madman bush*. Bush* almost started plutonium production AGAIN...and we activist have temporarily stopped him...congress just stopped the funds because many of us wrote and petitioned our congress...protestors are in front of the White House even today...

here's the protestors web site, right outside the White House....this protest has been CONTINUOUS since 1981...bush* harrasses these people often, but our DC lawyers step up and defend their right to protest...sadly, young people are not stepping up to help here at all...

http://prop1.org/

[Muddleoftheroad]

40. I wildly disagree

Sorry, sometimes war is INDEED the answer, it just depends on the question. Should we fight a war rather than have the likes of the Nazis or the Japanese empire take over the world? Yes!

The same went for the former Soviet Union. The same for the Confederacy.

Sometimes war is your only option.

[diamond14]

45. there are other boards to post on....DU may not be your board..

.

[Muddleoftheroad]

49. Or maybe

It's not yours.

Frankly, I'm proud to say that DEMOCRATS helped defeat fascism in WWII under FDR and Truman. That JFK held his ground against the Soviet Union -- both in Berlin and Cuba. We can be a party of peace when needed and a party of war when that is needed.

Personally, I prefer peace in most instances, but there are always those who seek to take advantage of that attitude. Because of them, you must offer peace and be ready for war.

[Pallas180]

63. WISE. but no nuclear device should ever be used again. Anywhre.

:thumbsdown:

it is a question of destruction of the world.

Alhtough now they have devices that kill all the people
but leave the buildings standing.

And who do they think will occupy them?

The chosen few that the "leaders" of the countries hide
in their bunkers?

not likely they'll survive for long either in radiated
environment.

Inhabitants of earth, have written their own obituary.

[Darranar]

92. I agree completely...

I don't really know about the bomb, because I don't really know about the Japanese attempts at surrender before it and how serious they were and if they really occurred. But the rest is completely correct. Sometimes war is the answer, though very rarely. And when it is, it must be done well and as humanely as possible.

For those of you who wonder, no, I do not support the Iraq war. That war was simply inhumane in the way that Bush ran it, and the only goal that was at all reasonable was regime change. Bus has hardly done that democratically, and it could have been accomplished without war.

[Gringo]

108. I have to differ on that...

I agree with you that muddle's thinking on this is a bid muddled (har har), but I'm happy to have him, and other center-right dems here, and I hope that he and his ilk are happy to have us lefties here.

The fact is that we can NOT win elections on a ntional level without the center-right voters. They also would be unable to win national elections without support from the left activists. WE have worked together well in the past, and will again, these philosophical disagreements notwithstanding. You might want to keep in mind that Muddle has outlined the case for his side respectfully, politely, and seriously since the beginning, and hasn't done or said anything to call for that kind of a swipe.

I disagree entirely with his thinking, and have even wondered why he chose a left-wing peacenik avatar, but if he belonged at say, FreeRepublic, I can assure you that his arguments would not be thought out, or respectful, and they would probably be peppered with words like "jap" and "gook".

Muddle, you're wrong on this, but you're okay in my book. Please stick around here at DU for a long time to come.

So we can brainwash you :-).

[davidinalameda]

102. you're right

war for a moral purpose is always correct--defeating the Nazis and the Japanese during WW2 was a moral necessity. They both had enslaved millions of people and killed hundreds of thousands. The governments had come close to pure evil as anything human history had seen.

My partner's mother was one of those who survied the Japanese invasion and occupation of the Phillipines. To this day, she hates the Japanese for what they did to her family. Tell her that the dropping of the bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima was wrong. She'll disagree.

[Gringo]

107. Your Avatar says:

"One day, youngsters will learn words they will not understand.
Children from India will ask:
What is hunger?
Children from Alabama will ask:
What is racial segregation?
Children from Hiroshima will ask:
What is the atomic bomb?
Children at school will ask:
What is war?
You will answer them:
Those words are not used any more
Like stage coaches, galleys or slavery
Words no longer meaningful.
That is why they have been removed from dictionaries."

Yet you say:

"Sorry, sometimes war is INDEED the answer, it just depends on the question."

I'm not sure of Dr. King's exact thoughts regarding Hiroshima, but I know he was very much actively anti-war, and actively maounting a campaign to forsce the establishment of this country to distribute its wealth more equitably. You're entitled to your opinion, of course, but wouldn't Truman or LBJ be a more apt avatar?

[jonnyblitz]

39. good post!!

:thumbsup:

[revcarol]

42. Global Peace Campaign:

1047 Naka, Kamogawa, Chiba, Japan 296-0111
Tel: [phone] FAX: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Website: www.peace2001.org

"Founded after the September 11 attacks, GPC supports anti-war education in the United States and Japan. Among its projects have been anti-war billboards and peace ads in major newspapers."

(From the resources index of "Addicted to War," a drawing-cartoon serious book about why and how we are addicted to war,,and the results thereof, by Joel Andreas.)Floridians will love his drawings on Bosch!!

So disappointed Japan didn't turn down Bush's request for troops. This may have been as a result of international economic blackmail. Strange how we seem to want to overturn other people's lawful constitutions...isn't it? First the Philippines, now Japan...
;(

[LiberalLibra]

44. I could NEVER support the use of nuclear weapons after seeing.....

....only pictures of the devestation caused by those weapons. My stance is that nuclear/bio/chem weapons should be banned world wide and any country, up to and including the US, who uses them should be punished severely by the UN.

[tanizaki]

46. A bit inaccurate

Hertopos, your claim about the majority of Japanese people is inaccurate. Over 60 percent of the general populace supports amendment of Article 9 of the Constitution to allow an expanded military role. See Ted Osius, _The U.S.-Japan Security Alliance_. (Westport, Connecticut: Praeger, 2002), 67.

As I am sure you know, the ���@������ are more than halfway through their research into the Constitution, and in less than two years they will submit their findings to the Speaker of the House of Representatives. It is a nigh certainty that Article 9, the so-called "peace amendment" will be amended in no small way. A significant reason for this is its conflict with Article 51 of the UN Charter.

It goes without saying that the SDF are constitutional. The Supreme Court has declared them as such.

It is my prediction that Japan will be the next state to declare a nuclear arsenal.

[diamond14]

47. all because of bush*, everyone wants a nuclear weapon...

bush* has pushed this nuclear stuff again, because it is BIG payoffs to his donors, and fuels the way-too-big DEFENSE INDUSTRY...profiteers of war, people who make money by KILLING, MAIMING and DESTROYING everything.....


bush* new policies of pre-emptive war, and political assassinations, followed by triumphally display of the dead bloated human heads is what is fueling this....


the face of EVIL....

[tanizaki]

48. Believe it or not...

There has been a push within Japan for an expanded military and a nuclear arsenal long before Bush* ever became president.

Also, "alumni" is the plural. Don't they teach Latin at Michigan, or do you have MPD?

[diamond14]

50. welcome to DU tanizaki.....and yes, they do teach latin at the

University of Michigan...

my use of the plural "alumni" is to show the support of my colleagues (and the entire University) for diversity....we are all proud of OUR University...you'll also note the plural "OUR diversity is OUR strength"

in case you want to learn something, here's the link
University of Michigan...
http://www.umich.edu/index.html

of course, we realize that there are people in Japan who want WAR WAR and KILLING KILLING...sadly, there are also people here like that...there are still WWII Veterans here who get excited about KILLING Japanese people and speak of them as monsters (which we view as sick and militarily brainwashed)...our more educated people and well-reared people work for PEACE and PROSPERITY...


welcome....

:toast: :hi: :toast:

[bpilgrim]

51. we are twisting their arms to begin making nukes

"It is my prediction that Japan will be the next state to declare a nuclear arsenal."

i think it will be a long fight but we will probably get our way in the end... as usual

peace

[Art_from_Ark]

76. Like hell they do

I do not know where this figure of 60% of Japanese supporting an "expanded military role" comes from, but it sure as hell is not representative of the Japan that I live in. The right-wing kooks driving around in their black loudspeaker trucks clamoring for a stronger military are still looked upon with a mixture of amusement and contempt.

[Art_from_Ark]

86. By the way, a recent Asahi Shimbun poll shows that 55% of eligible voters

in Japan are opposed to sending Self-Defense Forces to Iraq, and only 33% show support for such a move (down from 46% support a month ago). I would think that after today's threats by Iraqis against Japanese SDF, and with news of continuing violence and death in Iraq, the ratio of supporters will continue to decrease.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

89. That's what the Japanese right wingers say

You know, the guys who go around in their loudspeaker trucks, playing WWII marching songs and beating up the occasional peace demonstrator?

Those pinheads--who are exactly the mean-and-dumb types who would be Klansmen or Neo-Nazis if they lived in the U.S.--have been driving their loudspeaker trucks were a familiar sight when I first went to Japan 25 years ago.

Like Art, I don't know anyone in Japan who wants to see the country become a military power. The most common belief about war seems to be that World War II was billed as a glorious adventure and turned into sheer hell, and that Japan must never again go to war.

Some of the older people are afraid that the young might miss this lesson. Back in 1985, the weekly showing of a popular teen music program (Best Ten) happened to fall on what we call V-J day and what the Japanese call Shuusen Kinenbi, or "End of the War Memorial Day." The host (Kuroyanagi Tetsuko) took the unusual step of making a personal statement about her memories of the war. She reminded the viewers that they had recently collected money for the starving children of Ethiopia, but that 40 years ago, Japanese children had been as hungry and ragged as those in Ethiopia. She added that the street where the TV studio was located was now lined with expensive modern office buildings, but that 40 years ago, it had been all rubble. She said, "We've done a tremendous job of rebuilding our country, but we could lose it in no time if we were ever in another war."

That particular television moment stuck with me, because I have never heard the host of an entertainment program on a commercial network in the U.S. make a political statement like that.

[Name removed]

52. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bpilgrim]

54. a perfect example of the mindset of the imperial japanese of wwII

when i read messages like these and look at our current leadership i truely fear for all our futures.

this disgusting, display of ignorance, hostility and nationalism are exactly the kind of thoughts required to drop such a horrid weapon, without warning, on 2 helpless cities full of innocent civilians.

this is the 'cartoon world view' typical of many americans that we are up against. it isist on seeing us as the good neighbor, minding our own business, and only responding to protect ourselves, well that is just foolishness to think that we are not actively engaged in the world and that our actions have no consequences.

what especially gets me upset is that people who are still extremely upset by the extreme actions of the imperal gov of japan at that time turn a complete blind eye to our own which can be argued to have exceeded theirs in some aspects and even worse completely onboard with our own gov aggressive and violent foreign policies since wwII.

i guess thats to be expected in a consumer orianted society.

the indian society is always looking better and better from where i'm sitting.

peace...

[diamond14]

57. grandpa prescott bush funded hitlers rise to power...the $$$$

industrials that build weapons and fund wars are all part of the equation that makes war....you are exactly right...to many Americans, it is a simple cartoon-like salute the flag and watch patriotic parades and cheer our country...

and underneath it all are the BIG WAR profiteers....people who make tons of money on the backs of our patriotism, creating death, maiming and destructions world-wide...and rarely are they called on it...bush* learned a lot from his grandpa, prescott bush...bush* is running the same show in Iraq and Afganistan... to the war profiteers, it's important to get the population in a lock-step miliary "glorification", complete with statues, medals, ribbons, flags, monuments and ignore the horrible mental and physical injuries to our soldiers, the life-long cost of their care, and the massive reconstruction costs to pay after spending all our taxes on weapons...it's a full-circle and self-perpetuating industry of death... and amazing wealth for those who sell their souls to the devil....

here's bush*'s grandpa's effort: convicted of trading with the enemy, hitler...and personnally paid for hitlers rise to power and oversaw slave workers at auschwitz....
http://www.clamormagazine.org/bush.pdf

[Generic Other]

56. My mother is Japanese

and my father is a decorated US war veteran. You got a problem?

I mean, like, what side did your family fight on in the war between the states, son? I aint holding it agains't ya.

[Name removed]

62. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Pallas180]

65. ridiculous. Americans did not die for Japanese freedom. They died

for your freedom American.

[JNelson6563]

55. excellent post

and it really helps to highlight how flippantly Team Bush and their devotees refer to nukes. The Simian can't even say nuclear.

Thanks for your thoughtful and thought-provoking post. I never cease to marvel at the horrifying things we humans do to one another. I'll never get accustomed to the idea of such brutality much less relish the idea of it as Freepers, Danny Coulter and other wingers do.

Julie

[diamond14]

58. bush* will never let us see the carnage in Iraq, or know the total

numbers of dead and wounded, bush* will never attend a military funeral...

these reTHUGlicans make a HUGE effort to keep the public under the enjoyment of just parades and flags and patriotic speeches....

it was even easier in WWII, with no TV and "glorifying" headlines...even my dad, who fought in WWII, was absolutely traumatized to watch "Saving Private Ryan"...nobody of his generation ever looked at war like that....

in Vietnam, it took just a few gross war pictures...the napalmed girl running...the guy shot in the head....

that's why bush* and his minions have made incredible efforts to keep "loose" reportings out of Iraq...way too many reporters have been killed in our TWO current wars, including warnings to reporters like the Daniel Pearl execution...there are no real war photos for average TV Americans...if there were, this would end quickly...

bush* prefered the viewing of "shock and awe" as some kind of patriotic fireworks display....

and now, bush* orders political assassinations by the military, then then publicly displays his trophy bloated human heads...encourages the CHEERS, GLOATING, BRAGGING and patriotic flag-waving to fuel more of the same...

[loudsue]

98. AMEN to that!!

It's just getting worse.


:kick::kick::kick::kick:

[jody]

70. You ask "will you support the use of nuclear weapon in future?"

Yes but only as a deterrent, never for preemptive attack on a suspected adversary.

Historians may disagree, but the risky US policy of Mutual Assured Destruction over the cold war was the best policy under the circumstances.

It is true that nukes are devastating, but so are chemical and biological weapons.

Until someone comes up with a 100% way of (a) guaranteeing that all countries have destroyed all CBR weapons, (b) all production facilities are destroyed, and (c) no country or rogue group will ever develop CBR weapons again, then I see no alternative except to maintain a deterrent force.

I'm not willing to sign on to a Faith Based Initiative regarding destroying our CBR weapons.

[bpilgrim]

71. and that goes for the rest of the world

and the race continues...

btw: how is it a deterrant if it is used? do you mean by putting the fear-of-god - to terrorize - the rest of the world into submission?

peace

[jody]

73. May time bless you with wisdom. eom

[bpilgrim]

74. thank you

I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance.
Socrates

peace

[Forkboy]

79. seems to be your answer

to anything you can't answer.

[jody]

82. Do you have a question about my reply #70? eom

[GOPBasher]

72. Excellent post!

I enjoyed hearing your perspective. Thanks for that. I agree, by the way, no nukes ever again.

[Aristus]

88. Arigato, Hertopos. Arigato, honto desu.

I would never, ever support the use of a nuclear weapon in the future. It would be the end of us all. We have inflicted more pain and suffering in this world than we can ever atone for. Let's strive for peace everywhere.

[Tinoire]

95. Thank you for your post! That was stirring!

And I hope we'll all think twice before ever, ever excusing the use of such horrible weapons.

Never, ever again.

[loudsue]

97. This thread is tied to what the Hopi & Aztec Elders have been saying

Here's one link:

http://www.chiron-communications.com/communique%207-10.html

And here's more:

http://www.spiritofchange.org/fa030403b.shtml


I think we'd better act NOW to stop any government -- but especially our own -- from ever using nukes.

Nukes are a bad idea whose time has passed, and it's time to take back the media and start EDUCATING the world in PEACE!! 24/7/365.
:kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick:
:nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke:
:kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick:

[diamond14]

99. look at this photo...one brave whistle-blower shut this nuclear

weapons plant down...Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant, shut down by a guy who took years of fraudulent RCRA permits down to the FBI and the EPA...twice (the first time, the Feds didn't know what to do....the second time, they got a Federal Judge to order the plant shut down)...a true American hero...he's a really old guy and I try to visit with him whenever I get to Denver...I was honored to meet him when I lived in Denver and stand in awe of his achievements...

keep fighting...don't give up...bush* has been trying to restart these closed nuclear weapons plants to steal more of our taxes in give-aways to rotten defense contractors, and brave Americans are fighting the shrub...we've come a long way, but bush* is shoving us back...keep the effort moving forward...we can get rid of nuclear bombs in American (which is where most of the world's nukes are located)

on edit: during Clinton's Presidency, many nuclear bombs were being dis-assembled and the Plutonium put in storage, so it would not be easily used...at PanTex Plant, both American and Russian bombs were dis-assembled, and the program provided jobs to Russian scientists, to prevent theft of Plutonium from desperate unemployed nuclear scientists in the collapsed russian economy...bush* immediately stopped all that upon taking office...and that stupid bush* move exposes us to major nuke terrorism and is a HUGE mistake...

[wontmoveon]

105. Thank you for your post.

May your life be blessed and at peace.

[chookie]

106. You know what it is to be a sheep in an ambitious empire!

My understanding of history is: the Japanese aristocracy, and the Japanese people, wanted no part of an imperial war. But around them, a warrior class arose, which seized the agenda and all power.

Not much known over here: the militant Japanese wanted access to Pacific coaling stations in order to conduct trade with the new world....

You may be living at an actual ground zero, in a country which has had a nuclear hit, but we were told to live under this fear for decades -- which is worse? tell me, as I am not sure.

You are yet another proof of the greatest of the Japanese, in that you look history straight in the face, understand the actions taken in the past, take the responsibility one must, and live to share the wisdom of one's experience. When I meet folk like you, I *KNOW* things are going to be okay, because we really do share the same hopes and the same hearts.

It's a funny thing: there has always been a love/love relationship among the citizens of the world, for the most part. It is just our crazy governments that make the wars. We the People of The World are cool with each other -- we love and admire one another, and hope and bleed for one another.

As to our position regarding the wider world: I believe most DUers would agree with me: we have been appalled by the arrogant unilateralism displayed by the Bush* administration; we wish our government to be working in concert with other nations for the betterment of the world community; and, if an international emergency emerges, we want a multilateral workforce to confront it.

As for the use of nuclear weapons in future-- no. Their creation was a terrible "Pandora's Box" being strategy, beyond sanity, beyond morality. ( We are still grieving that our country ever used them, and this karma is ever to Japan....)

When we hear about "smart new nukes" and such to be used in this so-called war on terror -- I think it makes decent Americans sick.

There are some of us who are wondering if instead of a war to redress the horrific attacks on our country on Sept 11, our current government has chosen to occupy and exploit energy-rich regions like Afghanistan and Iraq.

I hope we are proven to be wrong, but some of us wonder if we are under the same imperialist facist influence as were Japan, Germany, and Italy a generation ago....

Whatever happens, I hope all the world's peoples know that we are all buddies, always friends, in spite of our governments. I wish I could say it more eloquently -- but we are all buddies.....

[Gringo]

109. I understand your position

and I agree that preventing this happening again is more important than condemning the original bombings. I am an American with a Japanese wife, and two children we are raising Japanese-style. I can assure you that they will learn everything about Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and I'm confident that they will come to the inescapable conclusion that those bombings were wrong.

The further use of these weapons under any circumstances is unacceptable. Even the present use of enriched uranium shells is causing horrible contamination and must be stopped. If we were fighting a formidable enemy, there might be an excuse, but against the crippled non-army of Iraq, those shells are an atrocity.

I'm not an authority on the Kenpou, but I agree that most Japanese want Japan to remain a pacifist nation. It's very puzzling how Koizumi has been such a lapdog to the filth Bush. He should be condemning him in no uncertain terms. It is also puzzling how the Japanese people continue to elect an LDP majority after almost 50 years of LDP rule, and 13 years of consistent LDP failure and corruption. Japanese politics with its multi-party and parliamentary system is confusing to me!

Anyway, I appreciate your thoughts - they carry more weight than those of us gaijin.