The Great Goose
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- Sep 26, 2015
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GENEVA, Feb. 24, 1933 -- The Japanese delegation, defying world opinion, withdrew from the League of Nations Assembly today after the assembly had adopted a report blaming Japan for events in Manchuria.
The stunned international conclave, representing almost every nation on earth, sat in silence while the delegation, led by the dapper Yosuke Matsuoka, clad in black, walked from the hall. The crowded galleries broke into mingled hisses and applause.
Japan's formal resignation from the league is expected to be filed later.
"We are not coming back," Matsuoka said simply as he left the hall.
The assembly's report, recommending that Japan withdraw her troops occupying Manchuria and restore the country to Chinese sovereignty, was adopted, 42 to 1, Japan voting against it. Paul Hymans, presiding, announced it was unanimous, since the vote of interested parties does not count.
The session which made history, signifying the final break between the league and one of the world's major powers, was fairly brief and simple.
As the roll was called down the alphabetical list of nations, delegate after delegate voted for the resolution.
When China was called, there was a slight stir of expectancy and W. W. Yen, Chinese delegate, firmly answered:
"Yes."
Japan was called a few moments later. Matsuoka's decisive "no" could be clearly heard in all parts of the hall.
Summer Thoughts 65 Years after WW2 Compassion, Sympathy, and Understanding : Opinion : Chuo Online : YOMIURI ONLINE
Let that be a lesson to you.
Should we apologize to Japan for destroying their empire?
Was Japan REALLY trying to build an "evil empire" or were they simply just trying to get ahead? Maybe we all were suffering from tall poppy syndrome. After all, it wouldn't be the first time Japan was punished for trying to be equal...
The stunned international conclave, representing almost every nation on earth, sat in silence while the delegation, led by the dapper Yosuke Matsuoka, clad in black, walked from the hall. The crowded galleries broke into mingled hisses and applause.
Japan's formal resignation from the league is expected to be filed later.
"We are not coming back," Matsuoka said simply as he left the hall.
The assembly's report, recommending that Japan withdraw her troops occupying Manchuria and restore the country to Chinese sovereignty, was adopted, 42 to 1, Japan voting against it. Paul Hymans, presiding, announced it was unanimous, since the vote of interested parties does not count.
The session which made history, signifying the final break between the league and one of the world's major powers, was fairly brief and simple.
As the roll was called down the alphabetical list of nations, delegate after delegate voted for the resolution.
When China was called, there was a slight stir of expectancy and W. W. Yen, Chinese delegate, firmly answered:
"Yes."
Japan was called a few moments later. Matsuoka's decisive "no" could be clearly heard in all parts of the hall.
Summer Thoughts 65 Years after WW2 Compassion, Sympathy, and Understanding : Opinion : Chuo Online : YOMIURI ONLINE
Let that be a lesson to you.
Should we apologize to Japan for destroying their empire?
Summer 65 Years after WW2
Now we find ourselves in yet another hot summer 65 years after WW2. After the end of my final Communication Theory class, one of the specialized lectures that I teach, I happened to learn that two of the female students who had questions for me were from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This made me think even more about the summer of war 65 years ago and the situation afterward. What led to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Are we really able to find further significance behind Hiroshima and Nagasaki than merely considering what occurred as tragic?
Understanding, Compassion, and Sympathy
I wonder what we have come to understand about Okinawa. Of course, I imagine there are many people who are aware that over 70 percent of the US military bases in Japan are located on Okinawa. Although there are most likely many people who feel compassion for Okinawa, or more specifically, who feel sorry for Okinawans, there are probably few who are capable of sympathizingwith them. In other words, there are few people who are able to feel the pain themselves, just as the Okinawans do. Upon reflection, I feel that this is true. This is because compassion and sympathyare not the same things at all-on the contrary, they are substantively different. Put simply, feelingcompassion involves viewing a situation from a different standpoint or from a higher position than those who are suffering. By doing this, people act as if they understand something about the situation. Feeling sympathy, in contrast, means to deeply understand the issues firsthand and experience the problems and suffering for ourselves.
So what exactly do we know about Okinawa in the first place? For example, even if we feel sorry for the Okinawans, there are surprisingly many people who think it would be a problem if all the bases were taken out of Okinawa since the local economy is dependent upon them. There is more than likely a significant difference between the large estimate that the majority of people make regarding the income gained from the military bases in the Okinawan economy and the actual income gained from the bases. In fact, however, the current Okinawan economy is predominantly driven by tourism, with military bases accounting for only some five percent of total revenues. In pure economic or financial terms, this means that Okinawa could survive without revenue from military bases.
Was Japan REALLY trying to build an "evil empire" or were they simply just trying to get ahead? Maybe we all were suffering from tall poppy syndrome. After all, it wouldn't be the first time Japan was punished for trying to be equal...