Wars, and the reasons people go there are never simplistic.
My grandfather was beheaded by the Japanese at Sandakan ... two weeks AFTER the war.
Thousands of British and Australian POW's died at Sandakan, and yet the British government still won't acknowledge what happened there.
Also, apparently 'Operation Kingfisher' was designed to free the prisoners, but MacArthur wouldn't sanction the use of allied resources in the region.
So ... who should I hate?
The Japanese? The U.S. Forces? or the Australian and British governments who turned a blind eye?
Does that mean I should also hate the people of those countries? I'm an Australian, and I've met both in the flesh and in cyber-space, people whom I admire and LIKE from all the above countries.
I feel deep sorrow for what has happened, and hope that we as human beings can communicate and learn to respect each other.
We can show this respect even now. We know nothing much about the German guy, but his record sounds impressive.
Being closed minded, and exhibiting the attitude that 'right or wrong, my country', allows small atrocities to become larger ones.
A small atrocity IMO is the attitude that easymo exhibits re: "...if a single U.S. serviceman ... we should raise the country" and when ignored eventually escalates ... a very sad and scary thing.
We all have been guilty in the past of being small minded.
I hope my children grow up in a world where successful communication is put on a premium,
and the world realises that resources of the planet is finite, and needs to be shared fairly.
This is not happening yet ... but one day, it just might.
Cheers
Yosus.
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'One day, flight simulation will be so realistic, that you'll need to wear brown corduroy'
Phoenix Squadron.
