Japan politics? No to Comfort women, yes to Political whoring

If you had any doubt regarding the motivation behind yet another sabre-rattling period between Japan and its neighbors, know that Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda reached his goal: a reelection as president of the Democratic Party of Japan and thus, as Prime Minister. Because his position was particularly weak a couple of weeks ago, he had to push the usual "political whoring" game full throttle - as it happens, he tugged the Dokdo Style tug of war with China over Senkaku-Diaoyu almost all the way beyond the war line.

Again*, in the archipelago, no one can remain in power without pledging allegiance to the pseudo nationalist clique that prevents Japan from facing the darkest moments of its history. Noda regularly licks their boots by promoting visits to Yasukuni shrine, by claiming that Japan's A-class War Criminals are not war criminals, by deliberately reigniting regional tensions and dousing them with gasoline. Prime Ministers pass, the system survives without any reaction from the peaceful people of Japan. The imposture works so well that Korea's extreme right is considering the same tricks (see "Worst followers"). Needless to say, Beijing hardliners are also more than happy to find partners playing their favorite game, and to silence moderates within the nation as well as across the region.

The Japanese people? Overwhelmingly unaware of the monstruosity of the situation. Barely annoyed by Uyoku dantai trucks roaming the cities with shameless extreme right propaganda. Dutifully using the official pink-painted words covering the dark spots of a distant past ("Comfort women" could be a brand of cosy slippers). Our politicians? A distant, selfsustained bunch of cosanguine bureaucrats. Of course they're corrupt and incompetent, but they more or less take care of day to day business. It's not as if we could lose our land or our soul because of them (never mind about Fukushima, never mind about Japan becoming a synonym of revisionism).

I don't know what it will take for the Japanese people to become actual citizens, to realize how ashamed they should be for what the whole political system does in the name of their beautiful nation, to demand an end to revisionism and fascism, and to make sure the next generations are not taught the same distorted vision of history.

I've got news for you, Japan: "Comfort women" were "sex slaves of the Japanese military", and your politicians are, still now, raping your own country before your very eyes. I'm not sorry if I shocked you: if you don't wake up now, you never will.

Seoul Village 2012
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* see previous episodes