From: davidg@aegis.or.jp (Dave McLane)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: An open letter to the Emperor Akihito of Japa
Date: 20 Aug 92 10:45:27 GMT
Organization: Aegis Society, Kyoto Japan

zzuo@iastate.edu (Zhiqi Zuo) writes:

>In article <2404@aegis.or.jp> davidg@aegis.or.jp (Dave McLane) writes:
>>zzuo@iastate.edu (Zhiqi Zuo) writes:
>>
>>>I can't understand this completely. For me, a war-hate person, many 
>>>Chineses and Koreans still hate Japanese, for the simple reason that
>>>the lies are continuing floating in Japanese history books. 
>>
>>Sorry, but I don't see the connection. 
>>
>>From what people have told me, yes, the history in Japanese books is
>>pretty 'creative'. But why does that lead you to hate them? Why do
>>you care? Why do you spend any time trying to stop people from
>>telling what you believe to be the truth, why not just tell it like
>>you think it is? 

>I simply stated a fact. Whether it is reasonable or not is another issue.
>After I had met some kind Japneses, do I think it is reasonable to hate all 
>of them?

Sorry to have to shatter your mind, but it is *not* a fact that
Chineses and Koreans still hate Japanese, for the simple reason that
the lies are continuing floating in Japanese history books. 

Japanese history books say what they say (whether it be true or lie
only some ultimate authority can decide and there is none) and
Chinese and Koreans allow them selves to be upset about it.

....

>I have read a lot of your recent stuffs. You reasonings gave me the 
>impressions that the blame should goe to the victims. I simply can't get it.

What you appear to be missing is the Chinese and Koreans are being
victimized by their own hatred which prevents them from dealing
effectively with Japan. This is not to say that Japan didn't do what
it did, only that China and Korea don't seem to be very adept at
dealing with it.

...

>>Why not assume a worst case scenario and consider the possiblity
>>that Japan has learned nothing except that it has to create it's
>>empire some other way. What are you going to do about it other than
>>complain that Japan should change to make your life easy for you?

>From you reasoning, I now understand that we chinese and Koreans must
>be well prepared for not being sorry again. The reason is well founded:
>many people in Japan are still deceived and misunderstandings about the 
>war is till there.

>Are you alright, Mr. McLane?

Yes <whew>, you got most of it :-) 

But I hope it would be more than just being prepared, I would hope
that all the energy that is being burned up in being angry at Japan
(which, after all, hasn't shown a great deal of willingness to
change) could be used to do something more constructive. 

Having spent a great deal of my life being pissed off at various
injustices and crimes I felt had been committed against me, it looks
China and Korea have a real losing strategy going for them. I only
began to feel my life was worth living when I just let people do
what they felt they had to do ... and that me too! 

I wish I could play you a song from 60's by the Who which contains
the lines:

   I don't have to fight, 
   To prove that I'm right,
   I don't have to be forgiven...

They probably don't mean a lot to you but somehow those lines got
stuck in my head and never let go. My life began to change for the
better once I took them to heart. 

Dave

--
Dave McLane 
JUNET: davidg@aegis.or.jp (ONLY within Japan: post otherwise)
Nagaokakyoshi, Kyoto Japan Tel: +81-75-951-1168 Fax: +81-75-957-1087



Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan,soc.culture.china,soc.culture.hongkong,soc.culture.taiwan