Actor Kim Myung-min (YSS) speaks on Dokdo Issue

[TheBo]

What, general, you have no response to my assertion that you all dress well? ("smarty pants")

I wasn't responding to your hat remarks--in fact, I found them quite humorous. Rather, I took the opportunity to use your remarks about political correctness to make a point--namely, that if you look at what is accused of being politically correct, it is not, while what is not supposed to be, is.

See if you can find that definition in your Funk & Wagnall's.

Bo

PS - My remarks about historians may be pessimistic, but I stand by them. They are, after all, only human. And so are those who follow and "correct."

[generaldu]

As a child of the sixties (waist length pony tail included)who dresses inalterably in fatigues and faded jeans, I must admit that I assumed your smarty pants fashion reference was aimed at some of the other members.

As for the other issues we can, of course, politely agree to disagree, or is it disagree about agreeing, or agree not to be disagreeable, or...

[MasterCrabby]

The Bo points out a seldom raised reality. Examined in practice, many guidelines designed to sanitize the way people relate are really squashing the expression of the people who are supposedly protected. One must respect not to defame other values, but discussion of those values is often at odds with statutes in force.
The sum total of this activity is to reduce diversity as it has developed, and create a practical, insect-like culture.
History is often embellished to flatter the side from which the story is written. That is sometimes due to the great risk that honesty can bring. Suetonius documented historians who were executed for their accounts during the Roman Empire. Today, I imagine that history is often shaped to sell well.
Incidentally, the hat is a Cubs hat, and I know GeneralDu would never make comments on that.

[generaldu]

A Cubs hat?

Much the same as that worn by Hack Wilson?

That Wilson whose single season RBI record, steroids or no, will never be broken?

[MasterCrabby]

Although similar, the colors have changed. This model is closer to the hat worn by Hack Wilson's son, George, who briefly played on the team before the success of his work as the neighbor of Dennis the Menace came into first flower. To this day, many fans can be seen on the rooftop seats dressed in striped red shirts and overalls. Homeland Security agents carefully collect the slingshots from their back pockets. It's sad how our freedoms have to be sacrificed in this way, but we hope for a day when "Hello, Mr. Wilson" has its joy recurved upon itself.

[generaldu]

How sad.

The elder Wilson's life was cursed by drink.

Your apocryfal, younger Wilson was haunted by the nightmare kid-next-door.

But all seriousness aside, if I may return to the original topic of this thread, if the nation of Japan is so oblivious to even the symbolic nature of its claim to Dokto and other nearby rocks then the United States didn't do such a great job of "reconstructing" Japanese politics after Japan's last disastrous foray into neighboring territory.

[BungalowDweller]

Guest-meowmeow said:

I am just curios. How western europe could reach at current state (at least they have EU and shared money euro) after world war II.

How do they reach in a sense they can form economic community setting a side all the historical difference
and booldshed?

Pacific war ended with Nuclear bomb. So does it make japan utlimate victim of war?

If Japan does not educate their young gneneration what they did wrong in World War 2, there is a big chance for the repeat of tragic history.

I am really curious about how europe could reach current state. So all that booldy european history does not go away that easily.

You can see still that craziness in that world war I region.

Excellent points,Meow-Meow! The Europeans have NEVER set aside the historical differences--the internationalist elites, elected by no one, decided that the EU would go forward. It's a mess. Irish farmers now have to apply in Brussels for insurance monies hitherto handled in Dublin. The elite few are making out as are the poorer brethern of the union such as Portugal but not much good can be said of it. Europe is hemorraging jobs to China and no one knows where its going.

The people only now are waking up to the fact that when they surrendered their sovereignty as nation-states, they lost more than their currency.

The former Communist states of Central and Eastern Europe will never look upon the Russians or Germans as brothers--too many people have died.

Japan will never discuss its role in Korean genocide without kicking and screaming. Someone earlier mentioned Japan's behavior vis a vis Nanking. An excellent book--The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang detailed the atrocities committed by the Japanese. Chang was continually harassed by the Japanese diplomatic/cultural elites for the book. Raised by two parents who taught at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Chang was methodical and scholarly in her approach. Unfortunately,Chang committed suicide--some say she became overly involved in the tragedy of Nanking victims and survivors.

Russia,like Japan, has never come to grips with what it did to its own people in the gulags--concentration camps. According to the latest scholarly data, some 27 MILLION people died between 1918-1984. Eastern Europe and the Baltic States are continually agitating for Russia to take responsibility. But they won't because the children of the murders are running those "newly democratic" countries. For more info on that issue, see "Gulag: A History" written by Anne Applebaum in 2003. She won the Pulitzer Prize.

In our world today it is difficult for true victim nations to get a voice,much less an apology. Korea's strategic geographical position has sealed its fate in world affairs. Like the former Czechoslovakia it must speak up loud and clear for itself and not look to the international community for leadership in defending its interests. As Neville Chamberlain said concerning his refusal to stand by an international security treaty,effectively giving that nation to the Nazis, "They are a little people, an obscure people. . .about whom we know nothing."

Is this forum great or what? I rest my rant.

[MasterCrabby]

Wow! It sure is. I love that. I should mention that Czechoslovakia was the home to the great Alphonse Mucha, a great hero of mine, who died shortly after grilling by Gestapo interrogators. His crime? They didn't like his art, and the dignity it called for in his native land. How painful it is to see that in distant parts of the globe, cruel and heartless people assume the reins of power over the dedicatedly stupid, and quest to ruin happiness for people elsewhere.

[meowmeow]

Thanks for your gut thought, bungalowdweller.

I really appreciate that.

[IAPD3000]

pakyownage4eva said:

There may be some bias but how can you not understand it?

When the Japanese invaded anything-Korea, China, they slaughtered innocent civilians and soldiers alike in unbelievably gruesome ways.

I don't think it's exaggeration; it is fact that the Japanese were savage back then.

You might be right! And thanks to Western Influence by Europeans that spreads into Japan- it is now a powerful country.

[FrederickII]

TheBo said:

As for history being a subject that "tells it like it is"--that is not a strictly accurate remark, Fred, my boy. History is rewritten by the powerful, from generation to generation. History is basically someone's opinion of what happened. Isn't that your gripe about this show? That the history of how the Japanese "were" is not portrayed accurately?

Bo

True it is not strictly accurate, however, when you analyze history based on archaeological, scholarly and other evidence you can obtain knowledge free from bias; but nothing is ever for certain especially as you go back farther and farther.

Japan has many records from this period. each clan had scholars who could read and write and the Samurai kept track of their ancestor. Furthermore, in many parts of the world in many era’s of history you can find testimonials of events (such as battles).

in this case, we get a good idea what the Japanese were like (in fact we KNOW what they were like) in this time and how they absolutely devastated Korea. The Japanese used the model of Bushido in WW2 and if you study their invasion of China, the death of Queen Min of Korea ect. You see that they weren’t the nicest people around.

That is fact, it has no room for political correctness.

Ok, "smarty pants"......

[FrederickII]

IAPD3000 said:

You might be right! And thanks to Western Influence by Europeans that spreads into Japan- it is now a powerful country.

when the Japanese modernized them selves back in the 1800's they were just fine. however it was only when the militarists came to power that there were major problems.


It is true that even before that Japan’s militarists came t o power that they were expansionists. But it wasn’t uncommon in that time. in fact i don’t think we in the west can criticize from some moral base Japans expansionist policies circa 1900.

[moreshige]

FrederickII said:

when the Japanese modernized them selves back in the 1800's they were just fine. however it was only when the militarists came to power that there were major problems.


It is true that even before that Japan’s militarists came t o power that they were expansionists. But it wasn’t uncommon in that time. in fact i don’t think we in the west can criticize from some moral base Japans expansionist policies circa 1900.

True. Japan made a treaty with the US at the time so each country would recognize the other's "sphere of influence" in East Asia for Japan and the US's interests in the Philippines.

[generaldu]

And in the early part of the twentieth century Great Britain built the first modern battleships for the Japanese Navy. Japan learned rather quickly how to build their own battleships (not to mention aircraft carriers, cruisers, etc.) as the British, Americans and Dutch would find out in 1941.

[IAPD3000]

IAPD3000 said:

You might be right! And thanks to Western Influence by Europeans that spreads into Japan- it is now a powerful country.

What I meant to say was that Europeans play a role in the 16th Century. When the explorers and the missionaires came to Japan for business and trading items (such as guns, Christianity, Military Traning, etc.) It changes the Japanese culture into a new way of power.