August 6th and 9the were the 75th anniversaries of being bombed with atomic bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively. They should have been memorable ones for everyone in our country as well as in the world.
At the memorial service in each city, our prime minister has made almost the same speech. The chief cabinet secretary has excused for that telling that the prime minister was so deeply involved in the thoughts for the atomic bomb victims as well as survivors that his expression for each ceremony was almost identical. That excuse was, however, evidently a sophistry to anyone.
What has brought this issue?
One problem is that any memory could be forgotten and would not be seriously remembered as own painful one. It occurs when the memory is fading away as a historical event and there are very few who have experienced it by themselves. We should make effort to retain the memory and to deliver it as our heritage to the next generation however difficult it might be. Needless to say education is the fundamental importance in this succession of historical memory between generations.
The other issue is that the prime minister, a grandson of a war crime politician, Shinsuke Kishi, has gone up the stairs to this position as a ultra right historical revisionist, who dreams to realize the prewar sociopolitical system of imperialism. It is his own problem whatever idea he owns. The problem is that there are certain percentage of people support such an idea. The historical revisionists are aiming at revising the constitution. Abe administration has substantially changed it as for the article of collective self defense for the past years. The public opinion has questioned of that. But in the elections, his administration has won. The revised plan of constitution by the LDPJ, the major party, denies the basic right of the people or the pacifism of the present constitution and adds the article of emergency clause as the German Nazis has realized dictatorship with the Plenipotentiation Act. There is, I am afraid, an atmosphere to accept it, intentional or unintentional, in our country. The prime minister's indifference to the nuclear bomb victims may reflect his intention toward returning to the prewar system.
I have spent a quiet day at home on the memorable 75th anniversary of defeat yesterday doing with the garden under the heat. I could not help remembering of my father who spent cruel days as a soldier in WWII and won't stop accusing those responsible for the war.
I had to think about this for a while. Your Heading was that we should not forget about what happened 75 years ago. I agree completely, but we have. During the ten years ending in 1945, many people lost their most valuable possession. Most of the losers had nothing to do with the goals, greed or aspirations of power from the driving forces. They served as was expected. In some cases, just in the wrong place at the wrong time. What is concerning is the apparent direction of some to erase the past. It's ugly, so don't talk about it. Most intelligent people say we learn from past mistakes. History is important to tell us what to avoid in the future. People won't change, greed won't change. Allowing the environment that created the chaos of WWII to re-invent itself and exist will result in a repeat engagement. Erasing history is a serious social mistake. Forgetting history is a fatal social mistake.
ReplyDeleteDon,
DeleteThanks for the comment. Without experiencing the tragedy as own pain, it might be quite difficult for us, the post war generation, not to forget the history. We have heard of things about it from our parents of folks directly. I am afraid it could be even more difficult for the next generation to share it. Forces toward military expansion and conflicts with "enemies" are always driving us to wrong way in the name of patriotism. Learning history and taking care of the situation going on in the world should be more and more important.
I hope your visit to Durango went on well and you are having a glass of Kirin at home by now. See you.
Shin
Dermatologist found nothing new. Wen went with me and we had sushi lunch in Durango.
DeleteDon