beijingwalker
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A Kneeling German Premier Puts Japan and Japanese In Shames
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Willy Brandt kneels down at the monument to the victims of the Warsaw Ghetto. It is 7 December 1970 and the picture goes round the world. It becomes a symbol of Germany’s appeal for reconciliation, 25 years after the end of the Second World War. On the same day, Brandt signs the Treaty of Warsaw between the Federal Republic and Poland. It lays the foundation for a new peace architecture as one of a series of treaties with eastern Europe.
Willy Brandt's Silent Apology
On December 7, 1970, West German Chancellor Willy Brandt travelled to Warsaw, Poland and dropped to his knees before the monument to the Warsaw Ghetto uprising of 1943. Many in Poland and Germany were deeply moved by this famous gesture of repentance and apology. This reading explores some of the issues and questions around what it means to apologize. In the aftermath of genocide, those victims who have survived are scarred forever. They are left to cope with the loss of loved ones and the painful memories of violence against themselves, their family and their people. In such circumstances, how important is an apology? Is an apology a crucial piece of the puzzle of reconciliation, without which there can be no “moving forward,” and lasting, healthy co-existence? Or is the act of apologizing—of asking for forgiveness—an empty one that falls short, even to the point of being offensive to former victims?
On December 7, 1970, West German Chancellor Willy Brandt travelled to Warsaw, Poland on a state visit meant to improve relations with Poland and the USSR. On that day, Brandt attended a commemoration of the Jewish victims of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising of 1943. Although it had been decades since the historic uprising and the end of the Holocaust, Brandt was aware of the importance of this official state visit. He would later describe his thoughts leading up to the event:
An unusual burden accompanied me on my way to Warsaw. Nowhere else had a people suffered as in Poland. The machine-like annihilation of Polish Jewry represented a heightening of bloodthirstiness that no one had held possible. On my way to Warsaw [I carried with me] the memory of the fight to the death of the Warsaw ghetto.1
Filled with emotion on the day of the ceremony, and taken by the enormity of the moment, Brandt spontaneously dropped to his knees before the commemoration monument, a profound act of apology and repentance. Although he spoke no words, the image of this silent apology, seen in the news by so many Poles and Germans, had a powerful effect on both nations. Later, when Brandt described the moment, he wrote that he felt as though he "had to do something to express the particularity of the commemoration at the ghetto monument. On the abyss of German history and carrying the burden of the millions who were murdered, I did what people do when words fail them."
Done in the name of Germans past and present, the silent act was arguably more powerful than any words Brandt might have uttered. It demonstrates how language sometimes falls short of capturing the overwhelming tragedy of genocide and war—and of human beings’ inhumanity towards one another.
In general, Germans and Poles were touched by Brandt’s famous act of penitence. Many in Poland saw it as an important gesture towards peace and reconciliation. Younger Germans were especially moved by the act. But some Germans questioned Brandt’s actions. An active Social Democrat as a teenager, Brandt had fled Germany in 1933 when the Nazis took power. He lived mostly in exile and was involved in underground work until the end of World War II, before returning to his homeland in 1947. Some older Germans might have questioned Brandt’s patriotism and had difficulty with the spontaneous act at the Warsaw monument.3 The cover of the popular German magazine “Der Spiegel,” which came out one week later, posed the question, “Should Brandt have kneeled?”
At the dedication of Willy Brandt Square in Warsaw on December 6, 2000, German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder recalled Brandt’s heroic act of nearly thirty years before:
Here a German political leader, the head of government representing the Germans in the Federal Republic of Germany, had the sympathy and the courage to express something that words, no matter how carefully phrased, were unable to: we committed crimes and we confess to these crimes.
This image of Willy Brandt kneeling has become a symbol. A symbol of accepting the past and of understanding it as an obligation for reconciliation. As an obligation for a common future. Like so many Germans and Poles I will never forget this image. It has come to be a reminder and a political credo for entire generations.
http://www2.facinghistory.org/Campus/Memorials.nsf/0/DC396F572BD4D99F85256FA80055E9B1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Japanese government considers that the legal and moral positions in regard to war crimes are separate. Therefore, while maintaining that Japan violated no international law or treaties.
On October 2006, while Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed an apology for the damage caused by its colonial rule and aggression, more than 80 Japanese lawmakers from his ruling party LDP paid visits to the Yasukuni Shrine. Many people aggrieved by Japanese war crimes also maintain that no apology has been issued for particular acts or that the Japanese government has merely expressed "regret" or "remorse".
On 2 March 2007, the issue was raised again by Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, in which he denied that the military had forced women into sexual slavery during World War II. He stated, "The fact is, there is no evidence to prove there was coercion." Before he spoke, a group of Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers also sought to revise Yohei Kono's 1993 apology to former comfort women. However, this provoked negative reaction from Asian and Western countries.
On 31 October 2008, the chief of staff of Japan's Air Self-Defense Force Toshio Tamogami was dismissed with a 60 million yen allowance due to an essay he published, arguing that Japan was not an aggressor during World War II, that the war brought prosperity to China, Taiwan and Korea, that the Imperial Japanese Army's conduct was not violent and that the Greater East Asia War is viewed in a positive way by many Asian countries and criticizing the war crimes trials which followed the war.On 11 November, Tamogami added before the Diet that the personal apology made in 1995 by former prime minister Tomiichi Murayama was "a tool to suppress free speech.
In Germany it is criminal to act, talk and promote Nazism. They could be ended up in jail
In japan the imperialists, right wings and government and high profile figures are relishing promoting and honouring imperialism and their war criminals. they want to revive japanese imperialism
Japanese Atrocities Committed Against Filipinos in WWII
Japanese Atrocities Committed Against Filipinos in WWII
Japanese war veteran speaks of atrocities in the Philippines
Japanese war veteran speaks of atrocities in the Philippines - Taipei Times
In Southeast Asia, the Manila massacre resulted in the death of 100,000 civilians in the Philippines. It is estimated that at least one out of every 20 Filipinos died at the hand of the Japanese during the occupation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_war_crimes
What did we do to the Filipinos in the history,don't whine like we did terrible acts against you guys,it's really stranger that Filipinos like you are pretty much comfortable about seeing those average Japanese and their whole cabinet paying respect to those Japanese war criminals who killed thousands if millions of Filipinos in cold blood and by condoning that you quietly agree with their claim that they did invade other countriies,they were there to promote civilization.
what a nation,those people who received daily tribute were the ones who killed your grandparents or great grandparents..and now as an descedant of that war victims you are cheering for their acts,they even grudge to say sorry and admit that they did that wrong.from the nation's metality,one can tell the Philippines has no future.cause the success of a nation lies in her people.
Oh please troll you people know nothing outside of your own so please stop making a fool out yourself. Your reply is stupid one if that logic applies i should kill for what your ancestors try to do 16th century (Chinese Pirate attacks) Koxinga and Limahong to name a few two its really their decision to apology or not we can't force them too like us you can't force meet to admit china has rights in our territory and seas no nation has a right to claim a whole sea to being with and we are only claim small part within our EZZ as pointed in the archipelagic doctrine of UNCLOS etc so your so called logic once again illogical and idiotic so cry me a ocean
Oh please troll you people know nothing outside of your own so please stop making a fool out yourself. Your reply is stupid one if that logic applies i should kill for what your ancestors try to do 16th century (Chinese Pirate attacks) Koxinga and Limahong to name a few two its really their decision to apology or not we can't force them too like us you can't force meet to admit china has rights in our territory and seas no nation has a right to claim a whole sea to being with and we are only claim small part within our EZZ as pointed in the archipelagic doctrine of UNCLOS etc so your so called logic once again illogical and idiotic so cry me a ocean
Chinese pirates are not government policy. Admit it, Filipino are mentality colonized just like obedient house slave. The American have such a bad history in Philippines but since they are strong, the Filipino ignored all the war crimes committed by American GI's. Filipino women are women are pretty bad at rejecting their own country men because they deemed their people lower status.
Filipino's mentality is that if you deal drug but rich, Filipino will still look up to you for being rich.
ok,you stupid dimwit, now we know your mentality,anyone wants to get your love should kill you first like what Japanese did to you forefathers,now we know what the right way to get you love.it's very simply, if I kill you and your descendants will love us cause we were so strong to kill you at our own will.lol,so we better do this now to get your future love.
Filipinos stop dreaming about roping in help,no one will help you and in 10-20 years time,China will become the biggest economy in the world and our military clout will be so strong enough to deter any misadvantures against us,you better pray that China won't take the Philippines itelf instead of those islands.
Like Germany, Japan has a stricted arms export, imposed by a Japanese law. This law can be scrapped by a majority of law makers soon after the Article 96 of the constitution is modified.
MOFA: Japan's Policies on the Control of Arms Exports
Japan's Policies on the Control of Arms Exports
The Government of Japan has been dealing carefully with "arms" exports in accordance with the Three Principles on Arms Exports (hereinafter referred to as "the Three Principles") and their related policy in order to avoid any possible aggravation of international conflicts.
Under the Three Principles, "arms" exports to the following countries or regions shall not be permitted:
(1) communist bloc countries,
(2) countries subject to "arms" exports embargo under the United Nations Security Council's resolutions, and
(3) countries involved in or likely to be involved in international conflicts.
The Three Principles have been the basic policy concerning Japan's "arms" exports since they were declared at the Diet session in 1967.
I think the US won´t oppose the change.
The future Japanese army should be able to take on China. Selling arms to China is unlikely.
it's always unwise for a non nulcear country to challenge a nuclear country
Source of the above rant. ^^ hilarious, and how convenient that @beijingwalker quotes from there. Standard curriculum in the CCP debating school?
Sry dude, i dont mean to single you out, but i find it incredibly funny.
Isa ka! Wow other false flag troll one that's not true only a small group of filipinos think that way and what is the connection to what am saying to the chinese trolls? nothing please gagatogan mo (adding nonsense to the topic) is a weak response come up with some bright ideas like your own. Colonial mentality? first it was failed state now colonial mentality what's next we not malays because we have Spanish blood? again illogical nonsense replies that has no relevance just basic trolling
See that's why your illogical child with this kind of replies no one would take you seriously and hello chinese administrator troll alert! please band this kid please. on the count of no relevance to the subject matter.