[lit-ideas] Re: Is Huntington right?
- From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 11:17:41 -0700
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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