I am hearing in the news some things about Chinese young people angrily protesting against Japanese businesses and diplomatic sites in China. These protests are expressions of anger regarding the fact that new Japanese history books for young Japanese students do not properly or honestly explain the terrible acts of the Imperial Japanese soldiers against innocent Chinese civilians in the "Rape of
Nanjing" (As it is known in the West) and many other places in China during the
brutal attacks by the Japanese starting in the 1930's. I am very pleased that
young people in China take history seriously and demand that Japan teach it's young people the truth about empire building and racism that drove the terrible deeds of the war. I am an American who read about the criminal acts of the Japanese as a young boy and I was horrified that such things were possible. When I was a teenager and my own country's soldiers were actually doing similar things in
Viet Nam I protested angrily to stop the war because I knew something of history. The wise philosopher George Santayana correctly said "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." I will continue to fight against American empire building and military adventurism as long as I live.
I believe that if Japan wishes to benefit from trade with China that they must clearly and without reservation apologize for the terrible acts during the war and show their sincerity by paying compensation to surviving victims of the criminal acts and by paying for a significant memorial to the victims of Japanese atrocities.
Tim