I'm living in Kusatsu-shi, Shiga-ken for an undetermined amount of time and teaching English as a second language at a local high school. This journal is to document my experiences, thoughts, and to stay connected with others at home and abroad.

Monday, June 05, 2006

Some Notes on Hiroshima

This was a pretty incredible experience to say the least. There is a building left in ruins from the day that America dropped the bomb on Hiroshima called, not surprisingly, the A-bomb dome. The National Govt and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) have consecrated this site and aim to preserve the memory of August 6th, 1945. In the Museum were several watches that stopped running at the moment of impact: 8:15 am. The A-bomb dome is located less than a few hundred meters from the hypocenter of where the bomb landed. During the explosion everyone in the building was incinerated.
The Hrioshima Peace Museum was amazing. It displayed the history of the city; for centuries Hiroshima was an educational nucleus and it also became a military establishment during the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japan wars. Facts about WWII and what led to Truman's decision to use nuclear weapons was also addressed. It sadly appears that many influencing factors on America's actions were not based on necessity. Some controversy exists over whether Truman decided to use a nuclear assault to justify spending $2 billion on the Manhattan Project. It seems that he also wanted to use The Bomb as an intimidating deterrent against Stalin from challenging America's authority (instead it had the opposite effect). The US's common justification for killing several hundred thousand civilians was that it saved the lives of soldiers during an infiltration of Honshu––Japan's mainland. They believed that kamakaze Japanese soldiers would vigorously fight to the death with their backs against the wall. But Japan's army was already enfeebled by the war and attempting to negotiate peaceful solutions. I personally didn't find that the means excused the ends.
On an more chipper note, the museum also detailed Hiroshima and Japan's advocation for nuclear abolition. Their optimism and lack of resentment in light of what happened surprises me, and I feel a strong admiration for their resolution of ahimsa (nonviolent protest). Japan has never invested in nuclear arms. I think this exemplies impressive character and respect for other humans––to not retaliate with blind rage against another's insult.
Anyway enough for now.
Peace,

1 Comments:

Blogger Salem Willard said...

Thanks for contributing Mel,
I certainly did not know as much detail about the plans of invasion and political scenario leading up to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I do also see evidence of many Japanese (Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi possibly included) denying the mistakes made by "patriots" during WWII. So yes, I do agree that there is a strong sense of loyalty, sometimes to a discomforting degree for me, that some Japanese possess. It would be the equivalent to seeing the continued adherence to Nazi principles in Germany, which I am sad to say also still lies entrenched in many places although the national consensus does not approbate the Party's crimes.

I think my comments were persuaded by my belief that no person has the right to take the life of another. Unfortunately, we are put in the situation where we must decide to use self-defensive tactics, especially in the case when the opposition chooses to disband reasoning capabilities. I don't know if it was right or not. Yes it did end the war, but at what cost to our national and international security. We capitalized on that move to become the world's superpower and now we're struggling with the consequences. The majority of our country and our leaders are in constant fear, as others are of us. Yes we protected Japan after WWII but did they want our presence? Or were we worried about them making allies with the Soviet Union against us and we wanted to watch over our new investment? I think there have been many moments where the Japanese felt our presence since (hopefully I hear we are soon leaving Okinawa) has been an occupation or invasion. Again this reeks of Iraq. I don't the think these questions can be settled using political and military strategy alone, because these systems of gain are dependent on a western way of thought. Yes, Pearl Harbor was bombed, but what was America doing there in the first place? Not just the fleet, but why did Europeans feel the need to stretch that far into the ocean to acquire another colony?

I think what disturbs me most is that politics is a way of wrangling herds of humans for power-hungry ends. Maybe this is a bit Machiavellian and cynical, but there has never been a necessary war, and those who suffer as a result are almost always the ones who deserve it least. Why did American pump $2 Billion dollars into the Manhattan Project? Because of Red Fear that Russia would have done it first?

You're right Mel, this is my psychological background speaking. But when I take a step back to see that the number one drive of human interaction is fear and insecurity and that the majority of the world governs by these means, it makes things seem so silly and worthless. If we, and I mean the Americans, the Japanese, and anyone else who contributes to this system, do not find a different way of cooperating, we will not be around much longer to enjoy the moment.

The bomb was by far the most horrifying culmination of human achievement, because now that we have tested it in action, we have opened up the possibility to erase our existence with the simple push of a button. I am clearly bleeding out an anti-war protest here, and I applaud Japan's stance on ridding humans of the ultimate death machine. At the same time I know that this speech is probably in vain––too many people believe so strongly in this system of power because they accept what they are given and are too afraid not to. I would just like to see the possibility of more or less total fatality to humans removed if possible.

Another interesting exhibit at the Museum was the display of "Anti-Nuke" zones in conjunction with the countries that possess warheads. America and Russia are neck and neck; America leads the race I believe. On the opposite end, Africa is entirely nuclear free, as is South America––as far as I remember. There is no surprise that Africa does have any, its countries have no power on a global scale. South American is gaining ground, especially in oil debates, and I hope that they remain uninfected in the future. The problem is that once one country gains the ability (the cancer cell would be an apt analogy here as well), it threatens the rest of the world, causing them to feel the need to invest likewise in unnecessary weapons in order to feel secure. But this is a never-ending construction project that eternally leaves each individuial feeling inadequate and insecure. This is the majority of the west, power-bent and mass-consumptive of its ills.

That does not mean the East is not without its own faults. I will likely find exposure to this the longer I am here. I do agree with the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and hope that we do not have to continue political actions that progress fear and insecurity.

Anyway, sorry for the ranting, but I'm glad to hear a different perspective. It challenged me to think more about how I really felt about the Museum and what it offered instead of letting my heart-strings get plucked by the propaganda, though it was quite disturbing to see the extremes to which humans (Japanese and Americans––I'm becoming fairly anti-social!) can go in search of their own misunderstood desires.

2:46 PM

 

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