Osaka mayor: WW II sexslaves 'necessary'

[JadedWolf]

Whenever I think I've seen it all, something comes along to make my jaw drop.

 

'TOKYO — An outspoken nationalist mayor said the Japanese military’s forced prostitution of Asian women before and during World War II was necessary to “maintain discipline” in the ranks and provide rest for soldiers who risked their lives in battle.

 

The comments made Monday are already raising ire in neighboring countries that bore the brunt of Japan’s wartime aggression and that have long complained that Japan has failed to fully atone for wartime atrocities.

 

Toru Hashimoto, the young, brash mayor of Osaka who is also co-leader of an emerging conservative political party, also told reporters that there wasn’t clear evidence that the Japanese military coerced women to become what are euphemistically called “comfort women.”'

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/osaka-mayor-says-wartime-sex-slaves-were-needed-to-maintain-discipline-in-japanese-military/2013/05/13/4151bac4-bc43-11e2-b537-ab47f0325f7c_story.html

 

This sort of news makes me do a double take. "Did that just happen? ..."

 

[Gorgon]

He's like Shinso Abe, but he doesn't bother with allusions and subtlety. This kind of thing obviously gets a lot of play because Japan is still held up against its WW2 self by its neighbours and they have gotten tired of being told how to feel about it.

[HoonDing]

I guess the Imperial Army lacked enough geishas to service the entire army.

[Gorgon]

This kind of rhetoric is bread and butter for ultranationalists, you can find those anywhere.

[Malcador]

I am outraged by this!

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

I wonder how he feels about the US bombing Japan. Surely he recognizes that it was "necessary" to end the war with the least amount of US casualties.

[Nepenthe]

"It wasn't easy, but it was necessary"

[Gorgon]

He also told US base commanders that American soliders ought to use more prostitutes. You know for morale. A real charmer.

[Meshugger]

What? Aren't prostitutes boosting soldier morale or what? They're trained killers after all.

[Nepenthe]

He also told US base commanders that American soliders ought to use more prostitutes. You know for morale. A real charmer.

Meanwhile, I never even went to the Wednesday evening "erotic show" at bar Crazy Kaiffari during my time in the military. (I've always thought that if I feel the urge to go to a strip joint or similar, I'd rather go to, say, Spearmint Rhino in Vegas than to the local joint across the street where the recruitment ad says that the ability to dance is not necessary...)

[Walsingham]

Field Marshal Montgomery got into terrible trouble with assorted vicars when he attempted to regularise brothels in North Africa...

 

*snipped for gibberish*

 

Bottom line for me is that until this guy gets significant votes in anything I'm not looking down my nose at the Japanese.

[Raithe]

Well there's a few ultranationalists in Japan doing the whole "people talk about forced prostitution by Japan is similar to the talk of wmd's in Iraq. There's a lot of propoganda, very little actual evidence."...

 

All fun and games...

[JadedWolf]

 

Bottom line for me is that until this guy gets significant votes in anything [...]

 

Mayors in Japan are chosen by popular vote. He's the mayor of Japan's second largest city, with 2,7 million inhabitants. I wouldn't call that insignificant.

 

Having said that, I don't think anyone says we should look down our noses at the Japanese. It's just shocking to hear a man in such a position say these things. And it is not an incident. Just last year another Japanese mayor denied the massacre of Nanjing.

 

You can't make Japan's problematic treatment of its past go away by pointing out that you have ultranationalists everywhere either. Do German schoolbooks deny WW2 atrocities? Are there German politicians in important places of power that deny German atrocities in WW2? This really is a problem that is particular to Japan.

 

Edit: The reason why this sort of thing is surprising to me, is because it is happening in a democratically ruled country, which is basically one of the 'western' countries. I am not surprised when the Russians say such things as that the Baltic states 'chose to be under the protection of the Sovjet union". But when this sort of talk is from a country you imagine you share values with... Also, it is coming from a man who appears to be quite young. Not from some old geezer stuck in ancient history.

 

It is not something to hate Japan for, of course. The whole idea that people in a country are responsible for what their grandparents did is laughable. Denying historical events for the sake of nationalistic pride is something else.

Edited May 14, 2013 by JadedWolf

[Walsingham]

OK. I see what you mean, then.

 

I'd say there's a distinct difference between denying an event occurred (however well established it is) and denying the quality of an event you accept occurred. Or to put it another way, it's worse to deny that Auschwitz was bad than to deny Auschwitz happened. 

 

This fellow seems to be denying the forced rapes were bad. This makes me sad. If anyone would care to do something beastly to him it would certainly improve my morale; and I therefore declare it 'necessary'.

[Volourn]

"forced rapes"
 

Isn't rape, by defintion, forced sex? You don't need the phrased 'forced rape'. It is meaningless.

 

As for actual topic, the guy is a punk. Rape is NEVER neccessary.

[Drowsy Emperor]

If you imagine you share values with Japan I can only tell you that you're an idiot.

 

The current form of government was created by US bombs and bayonets. It has nothing to do with the Japanese mentality, which like in all Asian countries, leans implicitly or explicitly towards authoritarianism in some form or another.

 

Democracy is at best only formal in that part of the world. I see no reason why it should be otherwise either.

[JadedWolf]

If you imagine you share values with Japan I can only tell you that you're an idiot.

 

Gee, thanks!

[rjshae]

Whenever I think I've seen it all, something comes along to make my jaw drop.

 

History shows that human beings are very capable of justifying the most vile and reprehensible behavior conceivable. We're flexible that way.

[Volourn]

Unlike other animals who don't feel the need to justify any of their behaviour - whether it is vile or not.

[Gorgon]

If you imagine you share values with Japan I can only tell you that you're an idiot.

 

The current form of government was created by US bombs and bayonets. It has nothing to do with the Japanese mentality, which like in all Asian countries, leans implicitly or explicitly towards authoritarianism in some form or another.

 

Democracy is at best only formal in that part of the world. I see no reason why it should be otherwise either.

You know Japan was a democracy before those authoritarians took over, like Germany. True story.

[NOK222]

 

You know Japan was a democracy before those authoritarians took over, like Germany. True story.

 

Really? I remember only clans. Tokugawa and then Emperor. If you're talking about that "Taisho" period, looking at it and it's failures proves only this 

 

 

Democracy is at best only formal in that part of the world. I see no reason why it should be otherwise either.

 

[Gorgon]

So conversely Europe which had Hitler, Mussolini and Franco is demonstrating it's penchant for the rights of man in this same period. If the good guys hadn't won there would have been no democracy at all, formal or otherwise.

 

If you are going to take stock of democratic tradition you need to do so after the deciding confrontation.

[NOK222]

 

So conversely Europe which had Hitler, Mussolini and Franco is demonstrating it's penchant for the rights of man in this same period

 

It's kind of an inverse deal, huh, good for pointing that out. Japan was experimenting with democracy while three of Europe's major countries experimented with theirs. 

[Drowsy Emperor]

 

If you imagine you share values with Japan I can only tell you that you're an idiot.

 

Gee, thanks!

 

Just didn't want you to get your hopes up 

[Drowsy Emperor]

So conversely Europe which had Hitler, Mussolini and Franco is demonstrating it's penchant for the rights of man in this same period. If the good guys hadn't won there would have been no democracy at all, formal or otherwise.

 

If you are going to take stock of democratic tradition you need to do so after the deciding confrontation.

 

Who said most of Europe had a democratic tradition either? Spain and Portugal were dictatorships until "yesterday". Germany was always an authoritarian state, the Weimar republic's short lived existence is the best proof you need. 

 

But that's not what I was arguing. I was pointing out that Asian societies are nothing like the west even when they're formally democratic. Most are strongly collectivist, traditionalist with a strong element of subordination and accepting one's place in society - and the "fate" that goes with it. Etc. Etc.

 

Japan is still an occupied country dominated by the US. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Forces_Japan

 

When the US is gone I wouldn't bet a dime on Japanese democracy. 

Edited May 15, 2013 by Drowsy Emperor