My Taiwanise Parents

hauptmannn · Post by **hauptmannn** » 23 Feb 2004 11:43

Of course you are entitled to an opinion as long as they are rational, unoffensive to others, or povocative. And this thread matches some of these things.

dead-cat · Post by **dead-cat** » 23 Feb 2004 13:10

my father, at the age of 17, while being a theology student, was arrested and send for 5 years forced labour to the soviet union. same for my grandmother and roughly 100 000 other german civilians. 30 000 didn't survive. none of them was a combatant, if you don't count WW1.

my grand-grandfather, a ww1 vet, was captured by serbian partisans while fleeing from the red army advancing through the country. he and the rest of the males from the group were forced to dig their own graves then shot. 2 escaped to tell the story.

neither my father nor my grandmother ever spoke with hate about russians or serbs. he certainly didn't cheer for them when watching a football game, but i never heared him swearing or complaining or anything.
i guess when you're trying to bury a truck full of your fellows in the frozen earth it kinda changes your perspective...
it's intresting that most often ppl, which wern't directly involved are much more radical.

David Tang · Post by **David Tang** » 26 Feb 2004 06:37

What is unquestionable is that the Japanese has their great historical guilt(or, I would rather say, CRIME). But there is no need to quarrel nowadays because we all know the War is due to those facsists in Japan who forcedly zeised the government and assassinated or persecute those righteous governors. Hatred should be lay on the FASCISTS.
But anyway, what I said above is just an objective judgement according to the history. Personally I want to say that I really have the preconception to Japan. Some events happening recent couple of years in China reflect that there are still conflict between Chinese people and Japna.

Beppo Schmidt · Post by **Beppo Schmidt** » 25 Mar 2004 21:06

Japanese and Germans who were not even alive when WWII occurred have nothing to apologize or be forgiven for themselves because they weren't even born and had absolutely nothing to do with it. If you expect some teenage Japanese kid to apologize for the rape of Nanking, then all Americans should apologize for slavery and the genocide of American Indians.

Unsere_Freiheit · Post by **Unsere_Freiheit** » 07 Apr 2004 15:13

what?at least they should know what's right or wrong

worshipping some kind of criminals in the Shrine to prove that Japan is strong is not a right way.

it's like let's say,Germany's strong now,nearly the head of NATO,and she builds a temple for people to worship guys like Hitler

to show the world that Germany afraids nothing now
is it correct then?

Beppo Schmidt · Post by **Beppo Schmidt** » 07 Apr 2004 20:05

That's not what I was saying, all I said was that people aren't guilty for things which happened before they were even alive.

superise · Post by **superise** » 27 Apr 2004 10:12

Different cultures causes different attitudes toward WAR2

Countries suffered from war2 (such as us, russia,german)have deeper feeling than countries away from war(such as brazil, turkey)

Furthermore, Countries who have been invaded in war2 (russia , china)have deeper feeling than countries who have not but involved(UK, USA)

Furthermore, Countries who have been invaded and massacred millions (such russia, china, poland) have deeper feeling than countries who have been invaded but treated comparatively fairly (such as france, holland)

Furthermore, Coiuntries who have been invaded and massacred millions but not got deserved compensation have deeper feeling than others...

That 's China. that's what chinse ppls think about Japanese viewpoint toward war2, and why other ppl can not understand those thoughts

SpiritsEye · Post by **SpiritsEye** » 29 Nov 2004 08:19

weird thing is, the person who REALLY experienced the hardships during that period, they dont blame anyone now

take my grandfather for instance, he joined a student resistance force in Singapore, alot of his fellow students were captured and of cause, tortured or executed. My grandma was nearly killed by a bomb, which luckily did not blow up. But when i asked him about his life during the period, he would talk calmly wihtout hate. He did not curse or swear at the japs.

but for me, i'd say but the 'damn' japs did not even apologize till now! he would say, "what's over is over"

zstar · Post by **zstar** » 29 Nov 2004 12:51

Andy wrote:It is over, why do the japanese of today have to apologize for what their ancestors did? Most people of the WWII era are dead, it is over and it is time to move on.

That attitude is outright ignorant.If America was invaded by a foreign power you'd want to destory the whole country so why should China be different?

Obserwator · Post by **Obserwator** » 29 Nov 2004 13:58

Beppo Schmidt wrote:Japanese and Germans who were not even alive when WWII occurred have nothing to apologize or be forgiven for themselves because they weren't even born and had absolutely nothing to do with it. If you expect some teenage Japanese kid to apologize for the rape of Nanking, then all Americans should apologize for slavery and the genocide of American Indians.

Personally they don't but if they want to belong to the culture they must accept everything that comes with it. As a person you have no need to say sorry for anything you are not guilty of, or couldn't stop.But as a member of a culture you can't be selective and forget about your culture past crimes.

weird thing is, the person who REALLY experienced the hardships during that period, they dont blame anyone now

Untrue generalasation-I have seen and heard several Polish victims of German nationalism that demand recompensation and blame current German govt. for its inaction to stop today's nationalists and refusal to give recompanstaion.
During the Warsaw Uprising ceremonies several veterans booed Schreoder when he started talking.

Windward · Post by **Windward** » 02 Dec 2004 16:39

Beppo Schmidt wrote:Japanese and Germans who were not even alive when WWII occurred have nothing to apologize or be forgiven for themselves because they weren't even born and had absolutely nothing to do with it.

As an ethnic German, you needn't apologize to victims, but the state and government of Germany need.

If you expect some teenage Japanese kid to apologize for the rape of Nanking, then all Americans should apologize for slavery and the genocide of American Indians.

We don't want kids' apology, but just imagine today's teenage (and older) German deny Holocaust or cry "kill out Jewish pigs", "the so-called 'sex slave' in Nazi Germany concentration camps were only common commercial behaviors" and imagine they were not punished, even be supported or connived by German government.

And try imagine Hitler and Himmler's statues and monuments were built aside Reichstag and BRD president and chancellor hold official and national memorial ceremonies for them on May 9th every year.

Or try imagine USA government conceal or gloss or even glorify the genocide of American Indians, call it "Great American Holy War", "liberation of American Indians".

That's what Japanese gevernment doing now and what really angers Chinese and Korean.

Barry Graham · Post by **Barry Graham** » 03 Dec 2004 02:54

Apologies from todays generation are not required.
Acknowledgement that such events occured is essential.
The failure of all participating nations to admit that atrocities and war crimes occurred or to rewrite history to erase events of the past is the real crime.

Windward · Post by **Windward** » 03 Dec 2004 04:44

Barry Graham wrote:Apologies from todays generation are not required.

But they must learn, know and admit (but not deny) what their country did 60 years before. That's the only way to avoid their jingoism history happens again.

The failure of all participating nations to admit that atrocities and war crimes occurred or to rewrite history to erase events of the past is the real crime.

Well say!

regards