Basically, a lot of Japanese still want to pretend that their soldiers didn't act like a bunch of barbaric animals in China, Korea and almost every other Asian country that was unfortunate enough to be invaded by the "Imperial Army." I think the Japanese need to quit hemming and hawing about honor and just own up to the fact that they did a lot of bad sh*t to a lot of people. I think that would be a helluva lot more honorable, anyway.

The facts are against them and they need to accept that.

I remember when I read The Rape of Nanking the author wrote that one of the main reasons the atrocities in China were never given much attention was because of post-war Japan's economic boom and the fact that no one, not even the Chinese government, wanted to rock the boat and upset the Japanese by discussing such "dishonorable" things. I wonder if...as China becomes an economic giant in its own right, one that will certainly eclipse Japan very soon...if that will change things. And maybe this time, Japan's attempt to wipe clean its own WWII-slate, will piss the Chinese off enough to take a stand. I hope so anyway.

The US State Department should also be ashamed of itself, but I guess they're still stuck in the "don't piss of our buddies the Japanese" mindset.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack would not comment on Abe's statement. "I'll let the Japanese political system deal with that," he said.

Labels: WWII