sorry seems to be the hardest word
So the Japanese finally said sorry for the shit they did during World War 2. An apology 60 years in the making. 60 years of hiding, denial and disbelief finally shown for the sham its always been.
I happened to read the Rape of Nanking a couple of months back and honestly, anybody who's hopelessly in love with the Japanese culture, maniacally bopping away to their music without ever understanding any of the lyrics, blowing oodles of money on jap hairstyles and jap fashion trends, ought to spend some time with this book.
This is what the Japs were like a mere 60 years ago. Rifle bearing teenagers going around savagely raping women, ramming objects into their mouths and vaginas, forcing sons to rape their mothers and fathers to rape their daughters and then shooting them all after. Forcing people to commit necrophilia, bestiality and other sexual horrors. Officers holding competitions where they raced to see who could behead more Chinese within a certain time frame. Approximately 260,000 people were killed in Nanking alone. Thats pushing the combined death toll from every country affected by the monster tsunamis last year. At the time of the Japanese overthrow of Nanking, there were about 600,000 people living in the city. So essentially almost half of all the people were victims, whether direct or indirect, of the Japanese.
For us Singaporeans we don't even need to look very far. How many thousands of Signaporeans were mowed down on the beaches of Changi. Beautiful as Changi Beach Park might be now, it was a living nightmare a mere 60 years ago. And the only way out was to end the part about living.
This is just what people have conveniently put aside in their heads. I'm no fan of China, but I can't say I blame them for protesting against Japan and its quiet aloofness.
'Well thanks for the history lesson, but aren't you overdoing this a little? That was a long time ago. The Japs are different now. Look at them, they're so polite and efficient and all. Give them a break.'
Maybe. But honestly, the sheer brutality and grotesqueness of Japanese movies and manga speak for themselves. Don't me wrong. I enjoy the movies too. Some of them at least. But they do speak volumes of the writer's mentality. Need I mention the growing number of violent outbursts in Japan. Everyone remembers the 17 year old kid who hijacked a bus and had to have a CT squad storm in after him. Battle frikkin Royale.
The events of the Last Samurai happened somewhere in the 1890s. So that means, 40 years after Tom Cruise proclaimed them honorable, hardworking and dedicated people, they got a little sick of being called that and when all out to disclaim it.
This is long.
I happened to read the Rape of Nanking a couple of months back and honestly, anybody who's hopelessly in love with the Japanese culture, maniacally bopping away to their music without ever understanding any of the lyrics, blowing oodles of money on jap hairstyles and jap fashion trends, ought to spend some time with this book.
This is what the Japs were like a mere 60 years ago. Rifle bearing teenagers going around savagely raping women, ramming objects into their mouths and vaginas, forcing sons to rape their mothers and fathers to rape their daughters and then shooting them all after. Forcing people to commit necrophilia, bestiality and other sexual horrors. Officers holding competitions where they raced to see who could behead more Chinese within a certain time frame. Approximately 260,000 people were killed in Nanking alone. Thats pushing the combined death toll from every country affected by the monster tsunamis last year. At the time of the Japanese overthrow of Nanking, there were about 600,000 people living in the city. So essentially almost half of all the people were victims, whether direct or indirect, of the Japanese.
For us Singaporeans we don't even need to look very far. How many thousands of Signaporeans were mowed down on the beaches of Changi. Beautiful as Changi Beach Park might be now, it was a living nightmare a mere 60 years ago. And the only way out was to end the part about living.
This is just what people have conveniently put aside in their heads. I'm no fan of China, but I can't say I blame them for protesting against Japan and its quiet aloofness.
'Well thanks for the history lesson, but aren't you overdoing this a little? That was a long time ago. The Japs are different now. Look at them, they're so polite and efficient and all. Give them a break.'
Maybe. But honestly, the sheer brutality and grotesqueness of Japanese movies and manga speak for themselves. Don't me wrong. I enjoy the movies too. Some of them at least. But they do speak volumes of the writer's mentality. Need I mention the growing number of violent outbursts in Japan. Everyone remembers the 17 year old kid who hijacked a bus and had to have a CT squad storm in after him. Battle frikkin Royale.
The events of the Last Samurai happened somewhere in the 1890s. So that means, 40 years after Tom Cruise proclaimed them honorable, hardworking and dedicated people, they got a little sick of being called that and when all out to disclaim it.
This is long.
posted by isaac! at 4:34 PM
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