User blog comment:AegisIsKing/A Change of Plans/@comment-4097945-20151009192316

Aegis, I must admit that Japan's lack of empathy towards the victims of the war crimes is one of the most despicable aspects about the country. It is common, although I should preface by saying I don't follow Japanese news closely, to hear about Japan refusing to apologise or acknowledge historical facts.

There can be many factors involved in this, and the first thing to admit is that it is a multi-faceted, complex, and perhaps, at times, incomprehensible subject to approach. One could say, maybe, that Japan refutes such statements so as to not have to deal with the guilt associated with such tragedies.

However, it is, according to most other countries, more correct to admit error and apologise, as well as suffer all possible consequences of it, than to deny such facts and compromise honesty.

Japan, is, as a whole, a troubled country, one with an incredible culture and history that spans thousands of years, but that faced many problems: globalisation during the 19th and 20th century pressured Japan into developing quickly and becoming industrialised. The Japanese adopted a militaristic and imperialistic mentality that was, in many ways, immoral, as they fought wars with many neighbouring countries.

And after such large (albeit, in many occasions, abhorrent) efforts to keep up with the rest of the world, they were targeted by nuclear attacks, unprecedented in history, that in many ways marked a new period in their history. After the war, they rebuilt and once again developed, having now become one of the most powerful and advanced nations in the world, but at the cost of its people as well: Japan has the lowest birth rate in the world, and an economy that is wholly dependant on future generations to sustain it. Its people live to work, and work to live, and are sheltered in a cultural bubble, in various aspects.

As such, I do believe that one must be political about it, because it is, in fact, an entirely political issue, and I commend you, as a minor (perhaps of the same age as me), for being opinionated about such a topic and expressing your interest in honoring history in your work. There is no shame in discussing politics, and I don't believe age to be, in any way, a determining factor on what topics one should address.

Perhaps the entirety of this issue can be viewed as though it were a dilemma between two people: any troubled person will find escape from their own shortcomings by blaming another or attacking those weaker than them to try to prove something.

I live by the philosophy of being both student and teacher throughout life. We must never be so arrogant as to say we understand how things work. We may have grown accustomed to the reality of a situation, but to claim we understand its innermost mechanics is boastful. I look forward to your contributions to the wiki with your work, and I am fully available for any future help required.

I will leave it here, in fear of becoming unnecessarily dull, and wish you the best of luck.

Kindest regards,

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