Love thy neighbors

Everyone knows the famous Christ's teaching, "Love thy neighbors", which means neighbors are
always in troubles. It takes a great effort and wisdom, to love or get along with neighbors, your town's neighbors or your geographical neighbors.

A group of Japanese assentors recently published an paid article on Washington Post, 6/14
that "the truth" and "the facts" about "comfort women" are different. I do not wish to join
in the band of this debate as I don't really care about either the fact or truth of this
issue.

http://tamezou2.iza.ne.jp/blog/entry/199202/
http://nishimura-voice.up.seesaa.net/image/thefact_070614.jpg

One fact I know, is that no one really cares about paid pubs or paid articles.
How many US citizen actually read "the truth about comfort women" or
"the fact about comfort women"? Any American who read both, please send me your comments.

I'm not very happy about this "fact about ..." article. Because this mostly consists of
publicized articles by wartime Japanese government announcement, which means we need to
doubt the validity. We all know government never tells the truth but the facts!

Here's a couple of facts and truths I know.

1. Japanese government compensated wartime crime against South Korean government in
Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea, signed in 1965.
However, we still get many claims for compensation of wartime crimes from Koreans.
World War Second happened 60 years ago. So personally I'm not sure why we should be still
accused.

Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_on_Basic_Relations_between_Japan_and_the_Republic_of_Korea

2. Japanese wartime crimes were already tried in Tokyo Trial in 1946 to 1948.
I'm very doubtful of this trial as it doesn't look very fair. But it was tried anyway
and it's a done job. So why still make a fuss?

Tokyo Trial
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Trial

3. I assume there were much more crimes than those tried in Tokyo Trial. I assume there
are still victims. But if Japanese government should make official apology again,
how much tax will be on us for the compensation?

More tax? HELL NO!

Japanese and Korean share a similar cultural background as we are close neighbors
geographically. We have a tendency to make quick apology when any trouble occurs.
We think it is an effective quick remedy. Then we analyze what really happened and talk
about who and whom to compensate. But in a world of global business, when we make an apology, we admit the responsibility and thus compensate.

How much do Japanese still need to compensate and how long to Koreans?
Please make an invoice. I don't want to pay at all but I would like to see it in ONE invoice.

BTW, I'm a Japanese, have a 9-5 job at an American firm in Tokyo, pay my tax and regard
myself as an ordinary but good citizen.

外人がド〜思ってるか聞いてみたかったので英語にしましたが、コメントは日本語でも英語でも御自由に。

え？なんてヘタな英語？　あまりそれはつつかないでくだしゃれ。

23jun07