AlexNoaburg's past comments

  • 6

    AlexNoaburg

    Honestly, this is scary. Abe's grandfather was imprisoned though never tried as a war criminal and now he is advocating for a return to a more collectivistic culture - Japan is already the most collectivistic culture in Asia and we have seen how the Japanese people can be led to commit atrocities in war - I fear a change in its constitution will return Japan to the dangerous conservative roots of Abe's grandfather.

    Posted in: The deeper agenda behind Abenomics - constitutional change

  • 0

    AlexNoaburg

    There is no point in front paging this article. It's an editorial from one journalist at a single newspaper with far right views. Splashing this over the news will only play up a South Korean-Japan divide that really does not make any sense to have due to all the commonalities the two countries share. The editors in Japan should show more responsibility as they are not writing an editorial however they are still editorializing by what they choose to put in front of its readership.

    Posted in: S Korean paper says A-bombs on Japan were 'divine punishment'

  • 4

    AlexNoaburg

    This is the right move. Don't be alarmed if some Chinese and Koreans bring it up again, but keeping the apology will show the moderates in those countries Japan's good intentions. You can't ruin the world with doing good is what I'm saying.

    Posted in: Japan says it will honor apologies for World War II atrocities

  • 1

    AlexNoaburg

    If Abe and his conservative party is able to lower the 2/3 majority to a simple majority to set the ground to change the Japanese constitution, I fear that the public, as other posters have mentioned, will succumb to domestic propaganda in the national referendum. Though the possibility of a more war-like Japan seems inconceivable, remember that it is not the general population but those at the top - Abe and his circle - that will dictate policy which will trickle down to the public. It's a slippery slope that I hope the peace-loving Japanese who I know will not succumb to.

    Posted in: Abe's 'stealth' constitution plan raises civil rights fears

  • 1

    AlexNoaburg

    If China keeps provoking Japan, this will eventually become a reality.

    It's more like Japan provokes China so that China will provoke Japan so that they can say to their people, look, there's danger out there. There's no time to think about our economy because we need to unite and boost our military.

    Every country does it, but with the attempt to revise their WW2 history, I fear that that is walking in Hitler's footsteps which is what he did with Germany's WW1 history.

    Posted in: Abe says restoration of sovereignty day signals hope, pride

  • 1

    AlexNoaburg

    It's been over a hundred years that these islands were taken either knowingly or unknowingly by Japan. 100 years is a long time. These islands are Japan's now, as the Dokdo's are Korea's and the Kuril are Russia's. China needs to take a more balanced approach in its textbooks to stem its increasingly nationalistic people, Japan needs to come clean in theirs. Rising nationalism in both will lead to WW3.

    Posted in: Abe vows to expel by force any Chinese landing on disputed isles

  • 1

    AlexNoaburg

    Honestly, Nigelboy, I don't know what your aim is, but I'm for peace; I'm for Japan being at peace with its neighbors. For that to happen, Japan must come clean in its textbooks and strike the names of war criminals from Yasukuni. Then Japan has the high ground and if the other countries can't see it, common sense and logic dictates that it will be the other countries that are seen to be in the wrong. Japan will become stronger by accepting and truly instilling its past in its people, not weaker. It is the strong person who can admit their wrongs, ask forgiveness, and move on. It is the strong that can own up their mistakes for that is human and we are infallible. It won't come easy but to rise above and be great isn't easy.

    Posted in: 168 lawmakers visit Yasukuni shrine

  • 1

    AlexNoaburg

    I thought we're talking about "profits"? Korean war caused the devastation. Great leap backwards caused devastation. Japan simply aided those two as a sign of goodwill.

    Perhaps Japan didn't immediately profit from their loans, but eventually they did and continue to do so in these countries.

    Other than the two (Korea and China), why is Japan looked favorably among other 45 countries? (BBC poll)

    How many of those polled were in Asia and asked about their stance on Japan as related to Yasukuni?

    Your opinion support nothing. Japan has concluded normalization and friendship treaty with Korea and China. It's been well over 40 years now. It's not Japan's problem that these two childish nations can't move forward based on those treaties.

    Japan is undermining these treaties by its officials visiting the shrine. Again, if present day German officials were to visit a Hitler shrine, imagine the response. It is because of a lack of awareness of what the Japanese war criminals did that you're failing to match the Hitler analogy.

    No it hasn't. U.S. had asked Japan to be more aggressive in terms of global security since the Korean war. And to the second setence, it's the Yasukuni shrine that chose to enlist the Class A war criminals along with the other 2.5 million enshrined there. And like smith, you are in no position to dictate what's in the textbooks when you haven't even read one. Let's be clear. Every nation whitewashes their atrocities to some degree. Singling out Japan makes you look like a hypocrite.

    Japan is forbidden from the US from acting as anything other than peacekeepers. It is written in their constitution. We can't judge Japan for not causing any military deaths if they are forbidden from doing so. What we can judge them on are the choices they've made and we see whitewashed textbooks and visits to Yasukuni shrine. Germany willingly includes Nazi atrocities in their textbooks unlike Japan. It is nothing something that another victimized country should ask for. About every nation whitewashing, let's try to keep the issues separate and about being a hypocrite, let's not resort to namecalling, shall we?

    Again, you are getting mired in the details and the ideal, when practically speaking Japan has not done enough to atone for their wartime crimes and in fact have doubled down and taken an aggressive stance. It's like a bully who is caught doing something wrong and instead of apologizing, attacks the one who caught him.

    Japan will not improve relations with its neighbors no matter how economically entwined they are unless it takes long-lasting and serious measures like Germany. Its neighbors are not going anywhere, and are only growing stronger.

    Posted in: 168 lawmakers visit Yasukuni shrine

  • -2

    AlexNoaburg

    Can't. You can't de-list them. Study on the subject about 合祀

    Sure you can - it is pure human construct that something "can't" be done.

    No. Grant Element pretty much negates it since there are other more profitable outlets for the money.

    Soft loans still require interest repaid, and is a drop in the bucket of the destruction Japan caused in human and economic numbers to those countries.

    Pretty much the same for Japan in all of Asia.

    This is where I think you have willingly put blinders on. I've spoken to a number of Asians - Filipinos, Koreans, Vietnamese, Chinese - who still regard Japan as "evil" because of their actions during WW2.

    Merely your own personal opinion.

    The current view of Japan's neighbors and state of relations seems to support my opinion. In Israel just recently, the PM apologized to Turkey for a ship raid that caused the deaths of Turkish citizens. Tensions between Israel and Turkey have cooled as a result. One public apology for a relatively minor incident can produce such a result. Japan's apology needs to be more comprehensive and proportional.

    *After the war, Japanese military has not killed a single foreign civilian while that could not be said of Germany. *

    Comparing Japan to Germany as the only measure of what constitutes a change in policy is myopic. Let's not forget that America has forbidden Japan from being the aggressor in war. But where Japan does have a degree of control, it has chosen to honor 14 war criminals; its education system whitewashes its wartime atrocities.

    Let's face it. The ones complaining are China and Korea. Their opinions about Japan is not shared by the rest of the world. Wake up please.

    As I said above, try actually talking to people from other parts of Asia. If a recent mock A-bomb dropping at an American air show had went through, you can be sure Japan would have "complained" as well. But America refrained and relations between it and Japan are fine. Now try to think of it from the Korean and Chinese perspective.

    This tit for tat is a microcosm of the problem. We can keep arguing in circles, or people like you/Japan can step up and be a constructive partner.

    Posted in: 168 lawmakers visit Yasukuni shrine

  • 1

    AlexNoaburg

    Nigelboy, the names of the war criminals are there and should be stricken.

    Regarding the loans, so Japan didn't profit one yen from their loans?

    Though you mention Greece's conflict with Germany in court, the popular opinion and current state of government relations is that Germany is seen favorably and is a leader in the EU.

    What Japan ignores is the basic human trait that people will not follow or see favorably those who don't acknowledge their shortcomings. In this case, though Japan has apologized, these apologies are not proportional to the level of atrocities Japan committed - Germany's apology through its education program is and this is what accounts for the stark differences in views by its neighbors.

    Suppose you work at a company. The boss does something very wrong to you as a result of policy. He can apologize, he can give you money as compensation, but if he doesn't change the policies that resulted in the wrong in the first place, you as a worker will still feel aggrieved.

    Bottomline: People do not follow those who do not earn their respect. Japan can keep playing in the sandbox or step up and lead.

    Posted in: 168 lawmakers visit Yasukuni shrine

  • 0

    AlexNoaburg

    The commentor who likened the 14 war criminals at Yasukuni to Hitler is spot on. 14 Japanese Hitlers are enshrined there and that is the only reason South Korea (who should be an ally of Japan as another democracy) and China are against the visits.

    Though Japan did invest in South Korea and China, as Smith said, they didn't do it merely to atone but as an investment. What Japan should do and is the only way for everlasting peace is to be like Germany and embrace the atrocities they committed in WW2. Look at Germany's relations now with its neighbors: it is a leader to the nations that if it hadn't installed the education program it has, would hate it. Japan cannot pretend like nothing happened as they will be doomed to repeat its mistakes which with its rising nationalism is its current path.

    And let's try to keep issues separate.

    Posted in: 168 lawmakers visit Yasukuni shrine

  • 8

    AlexNoaburg

    Ossan,

    If 80 years is so long ago and victims shouldn't be sensitive, are Japanese also being overly sensitive when they have a problem with the US doing a mock A-bomb drop during their air show?

    Posted in: S Korean FM shelves Japan trip over Yasukuni shrine visit

  • -1

    AlexNoaburg

    Let me add to that: war is a failure on both sides. Media through its propaganda and appeal to emotions, blinds the public into believing that the diplomatic option is gone when it's not -- strained, yes. But when the stronger party (US, Japan) is faced with a weaker "child," the stronger party does not act emotionally - they exhibit patience along with sternness. You'd expect our police to treat suspects with proportionate force so let's try to show that ourselves. I think the US and Japan's ratcheting down of language against North Korea has been a good step, now to John Q public: try to do the same.

    Posted in: N Korea threatens nuclear retaliation against Japan

  • -1

    AlexNoaburg

    What I learned over the past two weeks: it's easy to drum up support among otherwise level-headed people for a war - where innocents on both sides will die - through the media.

    Posted in: N Korea threatens nuclear retaliation against Japan

  • -10

    AlexNoaburg

    These are the facts: the Soviets and Japan were looking to expand their empire in Korea, fought, and Japan came out the victor. Fast forward to WW2, Japan is forced to give up their colony, Korea, which leads to the Soviets and the US dividing Korea.

    Only the disingenuous would make the argument that Japan saved Korea from the Soviets. "Saved" is where the spin comes in. Korea was invaded by one of two foreign countries and colonized.

    Presently, Japan is in a diplomatic row against China and Korea for two measly islands - we're not even talking an entire country. So let's cut the b.s.: is it right when one country invades another?

    Posted in: S Korea leader vows strong response to North

  • -16

    AlexNoaburg

    Ossan,

    The Soviets took the North after WW2, the Allies the South. The Soviets would not have taken the North if Japan had not started WW2 as you said so yourself, "North Korea was created by the USSR as a counter to the US creation of South Korea (ROK)." The US would not have created South Korea if it had not been drawn there by the Japanese.

    I'll let the others decide which of us has made the more logical case. Japan's sins during WW2 reach well into today, which people like yourself have tried to obfuscate with spin.

    Posted in: S Korea leader vows strong response to North

  • -24

    AlexNoaburg

    Japan is directly responsible for the North Korean situation. If Japan had not invaded Korea and acted as a primary aggressosr in WW2, the Soviets would not have occupied the northern half of Korea and the allies the Southern. Koreans are justified in having animus towards Japan.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korea#Japanese_occupation

    "The aftermath of World War II left Korea partitioned along the 38th parallel, with the north under Soviet occupation and the south under the occupation of other allied countries. Consequently, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a Soviet-style socialist regime, was established in the north while the Republic of Korea, a Western-style republic, was established in the South. The Korean War broke out when Soviet-backed North Korea invaded South Korea"

    Posted in: S Korea leader vows strong response to North

  • -2

    AlexNoaburg

    Interesting. Japan may have placed 4th because of their rigid and polite society resulting in passive aggressiveness whereas Westerners are more likely to tell you directly how they feel and consequently seem more brusque/rowdy. Just compare the customer service between the two countries, or even personal relationships. I've found that my Japanese friends are more likely to be like a sounding board (I talk, you listen dichotomy) whereas my non-Japanese friends see it as a honest back and forth (imo more livelier) conversation when we talk.

    Posted in: Japan 4th in world liar rankings

  • 1

    AlexNoaburg

    what's likelier, these servicemen making this all up, or this nuclear reactor causing them cancer? the lack of transparency in your motives and spin will make some of you great politicians.

    Posted in: 126 U.S. military members to sue TEPCO

  • 10

    AlexNoaburg

    Being mature is not reacting tit for tat, but looking for the best solution and working at it.

    Posted in: S Korean small businesses urged to boycott Japanese goods

View all