Koizumi takes a lesson from Reagan, Bush
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Koizumi takes a lesson from Reagan, Bush Tuesday August 15
Sixty-one years ago today, a recorded message of the voice of the Emperor of Japan was broadcast all across the country. The war was over; Japan could no longer sacrifice its population and meager resources for the sake of a lost war. Despite that, there was even a faction within the fascist military leaders at the time to steal the recording, as not to end the war. That's how crazy things were getting. Of course, all that history goes more into the intricate details of the end of the war. The point is that it ended, but only after over two million Japanese soldiers' lost their lives. Let's avoid the civilian death discussion for now.
The idea at the time was that if you died in the Imperial Army, you were honorable (as you were dying for the Emperor), and your soul would forever be enshrined at Yasukuni Shrine in central Tokyo. Mind you that Yasukuni was selected for this purpose in the 19th century, and this isn't an "ages-old" practice as much as an idea developed to boost morale in the post-Tokugawa army. But I digress. I recall reading one document indicating that Japanese kamikaze pilots would say to each other that they would "meet again at Yasukuni", but I lack the proper citation to state that as a scholarly point.
So, now, here we are, sixty-one years later, and we've got two million plus souls hanging out in this shrine. They get lonely. They need someone to come by and tell them that they died for a reason, and that their sacrifice is remembered.
Enter the political mess.
The current Prime Minister of Japan, Junichiro Koizumi, loves to visit this shrine yearly, donate about two-hundred and fifty bucks, and cause a media fanfare. No one argues, of course, that he has the personal right to do so. The point is whether he makes an "official" visit as the Prime Minister of Japan, or whether he visits as an individual.
You see, among these two-million-odd war dead are post-humously convicted class-A war criminals. History may be written by the winners, but in terms of documents alone, it's quite obvious that Japan broke many, many of the "rules of engagement" in the Pacific War. Of course, I'd be failing the truth to neglect to mention the hundreds of thousands of civilians that were burned to death in the air raids by Allied forces in 1944 and 1945, but this post isn't about the West at all, actually.
It's about China and Korea, both colonized by Japan during (and before) WWII, saying "why are you honoring a shrine that houses the souls of war criminals that allowed (and committed) such atrocities as the Rape of Nanking?" How can the current Prime Minister of Japan, in today's world, think of such a thing? It's an insult to the civilians people who died at the hands of Japanese cruelty. Some of it will really make you sick, seriously. I recommend this book. I don't think Japanese people were any more "cruel" than any other human that walks the Earth, I just think that the circumstances were excellent for brainwashing and fascism. It worked in Germany, too, unfortunately.
So, (South) Korea and China think this shrine-visit hootenanny is an insult. And I see where they are coming from. That doesn't necessarily mean I take a stand either way; I think it's not an issue that can be reasoned out easily. There are many more, much smarter people thinking about this than I am. I'm simply putting my thoughts on it in English.
However, let's look at Koizumi again. The guy has clearly stated he's not going to be Prime Minister much longer. In fact, he probably won't be Prime Minister next year on August 15th, when the memorial comes up.
So, taking a cue from his actor son, former actor-turned-President Ronald Reagan, he made a bold move today. On the day of defeat, he visited Yasukuni Shrine acting as the Prime Minister of Japan. There were protests, there were supporters rallying. It's a point that bothers Japan internally quite a bit, actually. He still adamantly, at press conferences, in front of the Diet (Japan's bicameral legislature), or wherever, sticks to his story, and almost sounds like Bush on Iraq or Reagan on the Communists and Star Wars.
In this way, I can see why Koizumi and now-President Bush get along they way they do. Who cares if what you do is very, very unpopular with half of your voting population? You do what you feel is right, because that's what any self-respecting person should do. You have to have principles, you can't let your voting electorate lead you (tongue currently pressed against cheek), can you?
I'm more of a realist. I don't have any emotional stake in any of it, so it's very easy for me to be realistic and say that none of it really matters. The dead people are dead, have been for sixty years, and pretty soon, most of the people who were alive at the time will also be dead. The only stakes left involve pride, anger, and resentment -- three things which I don't believe help anything. I'm not saying we should forget everything that happened -- actually, I disagree. I think everyone should learn about these historical events -- I am saying that people are people, and the point is that the world was in those circumstances at that time, and it is not now. We live in a different world, so there is no need to carry on that legacy of the past. Rather, let's look forward. Let's stop the people who are dying needlessly right now.
Way to take a few weeks on responding in Lebanon. You know I love you, UN, but you really need to pull it together and stop letting the Americans run you.
