[lit-ideas] Re: Is Huntington right?
- From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 20:46:35 -0700
You needed to overlook what I wrote to manage this one. I wrote "We did
indeed clash with them in 1941-1945, but once their militaristic government
was overturned, they have evinced an enormous number of similarities to the
U.S."
I indicated some of the things I admired about Japan, their poetry, their
Samurai tradition, a sensitive writer like Shohei Ooka, and a courageous
warrior like Sabaru Sakai, but Omar concluded that I must like them because
they are racist and you conclude that I shouldn't forgive them because of
the 1937 Rape of Nanking during their militaristic period. Quite
imaginative of you two.
Lawrence
_____
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Andy Amago
Sent: Monday, April 10, 2006 7:31 PM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Is Huntington right?
Lawrence, you don't think that was bizarre? Obviously not. You said it was
cute. Cute little tanks going boom boom, then going to bed. A regular
bedtime story. No wonder the Japanese were capable of Nan King. They
obviously saw nothing wrong with it. It strikes me as strange that you get
all up in the air over Muslims torturing, but you admire a population that
did what it did in Nan King, which was far worse than what any Muslim has
done, beheadings included and think cute their reduction of tanks to a
bedtime story (or whatever that was). Is that a bit inconsistent? If they
had half a chance, you don't think they'd do Pearl Harbor all over again
with those cute little tanks?
----- Original Message -----
From: Lawrence <mailto:lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Helm
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: 4/10/2006 10:05:37 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Is Huntington right?
Occasionally after writing a note Ill have the vague impression that some
Leftist or Liberal will find something to criticize. I had that feeling
about the note below. I thought it might be in the category of neglecting
some other nation like Australia, or perhaps an indication that I was
looking for trouble, but I didnt anticipate your approach Omar: that you
arent surprised that I like Japan since they are racist. Well, there you
go.
Lawrence
-----Original Message-----
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Omar Kusturica
Sent: Monday, April 10, 2006 6:27 PM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Is Huntington right?
Ah, Lawrence, I am not surprized that you would have a
liking for the Japanese. Here is an article (prompted
by a recent report) on Discrimination and Racism in
Japan.
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=10066
O.K.
--- Lawrence Helm <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> That's cute, Andreas. The Japanese have always
> interested me. I was there
> in 1953 on my way to and from Korea, studied
> Japanese history briefly and
> have read things off and on over the years. When I
> was considering
> Huntington's thesis, Japan was a "Civilization" that
> didn't seem to fit -
> from my perspective. We did indeed clash with them
> in 1941-1945, but once
> their militaristic government was overturned, they
> have evinced an enormous
> number of similarities to the U.S. One that is
> often presented in movies is
> that the Japanese revere their Samurais as we revere
> our Western
> Gun-fighters. Neither conception is quite true but
> that doesn't make any
> difference-they are true enough for modern purposes.
> Japanese and Americans
> can enjoy Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven
> equally.
>
>
>
> I remember being impressed by Fires on the Plain by
> Shohei Ooka. It's been
> reprinted recently. Here is the Amazon.com
> description: "The author's
> experience as a prisoner captured by American forces
> during WWII figures
> prominently in this haunting novel about the
> ultimate degradation of a man
> by war. Set in Leyte, where the Japanese army is
> disintegrating under the
> hammering blows of American forces, the story
> focuses on the disintegration
> of one man, Private Tamura. One by one, each of his
> ties to society is
> destroyed, until Tamura, a sensitive and intelligent
> man, becomes an
> outcast. Yet it is the novel's uplifting vision
> during a time of ultimate
> horror that has made it one of Japan's greatest
> novels."
>
>
>
> But in another realm there was Saburo Sakai, Japan's
> greatest World War II
> Ace. Here is the Amazon.com description: "Written
> by Martin Caidin from
> Saburo Sakai's own memoirs and journalist Fred
> Saito's extensive interviews
> with the World War II fighter pilot, Samurai!
> vividly documents the chivalry
> and valor of the combat aviator who time after time
> fought American fighter
> pilots and, with 64 kills, would survive the war as
> Japan's greatest living
> ace. Here are the harrowing experiences of one of
> Japan's greatest aces:
> from fighter pilot school -- where the harsh
> training expelled over half of
> his class -- to the thrilling early Japanese
> victories; from his incredible
> six hundred mile fight for life from Guadalcanal to
> his base in Rabaul, to
> the poignant story of the now-handicapped veteran's
> return to the air during
> the final desperate months of World War II."
>
>
>
> And who interested in poetry would not be affected
> by some of the fine
> translations of Japanese poetry available?
>
>
>
> If I had to choose one nation to stand with us in a
> crisis it would be the
> U.K., but if two, I would add Japan. Huntington be
> damned.
>
>
>
> Lawrence
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> On Behalf Of Andreas Ramos
> Sent: Monday, April 10, 2006 10:00 AM
> To: Lit-Ideas
> Subject: [lit-ideas] Is Huntington right?
>
>
>
> Huntington's Clash of Civilizations may be right.
>
>
>
> Here's a Japanese video. It's proof that they have a
> totally different
> understanding of
>
> reality.
>
>
>
> http://www.devilducky.com/media/40572/
>
>
>
> yrs,
>
> andreas
>
> www.andreas.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
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