Sweet Irony...

My grandfather was a POW for 3 1/2 years in a Japanese prison camp. I find this to be highly ironic that I'm such a Japanophile. He saw and did horrible shit that no one should have to see/do. The dropping of the atom bomb is the only reason he's alive and more irony, why I'm alive too by descent. Sometimes I feel really awkward about this. Truly a mixed feeling if you know what I mean.

So should we feel bad if we drive a German car? Same concept. Different side of the war.

It's all part of days gone by. A different world now.

So don't worry about it.

I fully agree, the mistakes and horrors of the previous generations should not be blamed upon the new. I just was thinking about this and wanted to give voice to what I was thinking. I figured it might be food for thought though.

Besides, simply because he fought and was captured by the Japanese, doesn't mean he hated them outright.

It was war. Regular rules do not apply there. Shit happens that never would otherwise. No other way to describe it.

Well they DID torture him (knocked his teeth out etc.) and he actually did kill a few of them before he was captured and possibly whilst in captivity. So, again... kind of awkward. But you're right, rules tend to go out the window during big conflicts like that.

Might be because I don't have any personal relationship to it (although I do believe my grandfather was at Okinawa, but my dad can't prove the story,) but I can't really relate to the irony in it. Things that happened in previous generations start affecting our day-to-day lives less and less with each passing moment.

If your father is carrying a burden with his past it has nothing to do with you.
If he had done something drastic or anything, as his son/daughter, you can just correct it by living in a good way. Don't be troubled too much by it.

The Japanese today are quite different from the Japanese back then. They truly believed that any other demographic was less than human, and that it was an honorable thing to do to kill as many white abominations as you could. Brainwashed into believing whatever the leaders wanted them to do; humans are easily persuaded, all you need to know is how to get to them

Yes, for example convincing people it's a good idea to use atom bombs.

If you want, make a topic and I'll debate with you all day on the ups and downs of atomic bombs. Otherwise, don't use such a grossly overstated analogy

Oh you fool, if you've ever played Civilization 4, you'll realize that the Japanese are trying to either achieve a Cultural Victory or a Space Victory.

I'm Chinese, I'm also a Japanophile. Same shit. Lmao, the Japanese raped and killed my people. They killed my great great grandfather as well. (Yes, I did come from a family that was a supporter of Mao's, my dad is too but that's cause he was raised under a communist system, I don't really care since I'm Canadian).

The thing is, that was all in the past, we can't always dwell in the past, we got to look forward to the future. We are rooted in the past reaching for the future.

Yes Japan did Cruel experiments in the World War 2 era, but ii was because of one man psychotic idea.

Now if I can remember the units name, I can link the facts from wikipedia...

Toujou I think

nah, Toujou was just your ordinary "power thirst" war general. This unit is almost independent and Toujou is just tailing Hitler anyway. but I can't seem to remember their name.

EDIT: AHHH~~~ I REMEMBERED!!!!!!!!!!

the unit is called Unit 731 led by Commander General Shiro Ishii, and he's like Japanese Hitler, only in a MAD SCIENTIST way.

try reading without getting sick lol.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731

hong kong even made a film about this in 1988
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men_Behind_the_Sun

We can't "blame" Japan for this, blame the psychotic commander, since it was a secret unit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiro_Ishii

Unit 731, very interesting topic.

Sadly, I never found Men Behind The Sun, but I have a copy of Philosophy of a Knife, which fits the same bill. Brilliant movie.

That's really interesting. I'm looking for Men behind the Sun with subtitles right now. Damn me, for being Chinese and knowing a language that only the southern part speaks!

I don't think Ishii was mad. Just a scientist with no rulebook of ethics to follow and since it was secret, he could do as he pleased pretty much with people being the lab rats.

This is why I don't use this section much. Some of you guys have no sense of humor and react to anything that doesn't fit into your approved patterns with hostility.

Ahhh, I see someone brought up the infamous "Unit 731"; I've read numerous documents on it before. There's nothing cute or pretty about any of that. Very much an equivalent to Mengele's experiments and whacked out desires. Actually, what's more disturbing is that many of them got away with it. I know for a fact that our government (US citizen here) let a lot of them go for the information obtained as to not let the Soviets get it.

Humor on the internet is about as easy to detect as sarcasm or musical patterns. I'll try and work with others on making S.D. less "hostile" as you put it. Hopefully this "hostility' will morph into a mentality of demanding fact driven arguments rather than opined. I'm personally trying to disperse the past hostilities between us by not being so hostile. Though, I'll continue to make you justify your arguments like any other member in S.D.

On topic:

As K.o.I said, it's in the past now and that's all there is too it.

Edit: Unit 731....*Twitch & Cringe*