What happened 60 years ago matters not in the world of today - we should be past that, looking for ways to move forward. Why should China need to harbour such a grudge against the Japanese civilians? Why do the ancestors of the Japanese war-time people have to pay the price for decisions made before they were even born?
Sure, why don't you head over to South Korea and explain that to the old women who were raped continously for years in the Imperial Japanese Army brothels. You can find some of them protesting outside the Japanese embassy in Seoul every Wednesday. Keep in mind that they didn't receive proper recognition (or compensation for that matter).
You know, many victims - at least of those that didn't get killed during the imperial days - are still alive. From the victims that are dead, many of their children are alive. Also, many of the soldiers who committed these crimes are still alive. So really, how do we move on? Sir, that ball lies in the hands of the Japanese government. If Japan wants Asia to move on they should just recognize what truly happened for the good of all Asia. In order to learn from history we need to study it. Believe me when I say it surely works better than censorship or even denial.
You're only seing things one dimensionally, you are making it sound like these are pressing issues that NEED to be resolved. How exactly are they going to be fixed? Are the Japanese citizens expected to grovell eternally at the feet of the Chinese? Do they want the Japanese to make a time machine and go back in time to fix the mistakes that made? This situation is extremely unreasonable and can constitute as nothing more than PETTY nationalism - and that makes me sick, if you can identify with it then go you, but to me this is nothing more than a petty grudge against a group of people who don't deserve such prejudice against their ethnicity.
They ARE pressing issues that NEED to be resolved. This is a constantly returning topic in East Asian politics. Time machine? I think something more realistic would be - guess what? - truthful acknowledgement of the past.
I do not support China's actions. I don't like the methods of neither China nor Japan, but, I was hoping I could help you should gain an understanding to why it looks like it does. It's simply not fair to blame the Chinese like you do. You are very focused on what the Chinese government is doing wrong in this matter but you don't say anything about the Japanese one.
Why does it matter?
All I can say is that whatever anger the Chinese have against the Japanese after all this time should not be directed at a group of non-political rock musicians. If you really think that refusing X Japan permission to play in the Beijing National Stadium is some sort of deep political statement and anything other than a crude piece of prejudice I really do doubt your capacity to even be involved in this debate.
Deep political statement? Not really, it's quite a simple one. They do not want a Japanese band making the first music performance at Beijing National Stadium. Remember, what is Yoshiki's band's name? 'X Japan' making the first musical performance in 'Beijing National Stadium'. How can it not appear as symbolic to some? They still have the choice to perform somewhere else.
I also find it a bit annoying how you keep mentioning how I/we don't deserve to take place in this debate unless I/we share your opinion. Let me remind you of what you wrote in an earlier post:
if you think that the Chinese population have ANY right to feel upset at the fact that a group of post-war Japanese musicians want to play a concert in their national stadium on the grounds that they are Japanese you are an absolute moron and you don't deserve to have a say in the discussion.
Don't be so stupid.
The Chinese have (according to me) every right in the world to feel upset about such a fact. With free speech comes freedom of opinion. So, if I am a supporter of free speech, I am an absolute moron? What kind of an elitist are you?
are any of you guys Chinese/ Japanese? Im just curious.
No, I'm Swedish, both by nationality and ethnicity. I did however travel China, Japan and South Korea a few times.
