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Re: Absolutely fascinating responses!

Posted by Tulio on Sat Apr 13, 2002 12:01:34 AM

In reply top Absolutely fascinating responses! As I knew they would be... posted by Karen on Fri Apr 12, 2002 02:17:14 PM

Karen:

: In short, I believe an enemy is no longer an enemy whe
: n it is financially, and politically beneficial, for both
: countries. (I.E. The U.S. normalizing relations with Vietn
: am.)

You have hit it in the head!

The politicians, the ones who decide for a nation to go to war, but who rarely fight in them, also decide when the economic interests dictate a change in the direction of public opinion towards a former enemy.

I do believe though, that the Japanese were vilified, all you have to do to understand my point of view, is to see a propaganda poster agains Japan, where the Japanese were portrayed as "monkeys, yellow devils," with exaggerated physical and facial features while the Germans and Italians were mostly caricaturized (there were exceptions to this, of course).

I am not defending the Japanese. I have extensively read about their atrocities, about the rape of Nanking, about the abuses and crimes committed not only in Bataan and other territories they captured, but also their medical experiments with POWs.

As you and may others, I have met veterans who, to this day refuse to buy anything made in Japan.

And in some instances, (Eastern Europe, some places in Asia, Africa and the Middle East) the enemies continue to be enemies.

Sad, but true, IMHO.

Thank you for posing this very interesting question

Saludos!

Tulio

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