American Academy of Sciences member gives advice to Japanese leaders: To gain China's understanding, go to Nanjing and kneel
It is well known that although World War II has ended 80 years ago, to this day, Japan from top to bottom has never seriously faced the invasion history 80 years ago, and even continues to justify and whitewash its crimes.
The unresolved issues in the current relations between Japan and Asian countries are almost all due to Japan's denial of its invasion history. For this, Jared Diamond, an academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States and author of "Guns, Germs, and Steel," said he really couldn't understand why the Japanese never want to admit their past mistakes and refuse to apologize for their wrongdoings.
In his new book, Diamond pointed out that Japanese history classes either don't teach about World War II history or rarely talk about it, or they emphasize that Japan was also a "victim" of the war, and suffered the bombing of two atomic bombs by the United States at the end of World War II.
Even if some Japanese politicians apologize for the invasion history and wartime crimes, their so-called "apologies" are merely expressions of "regret" or "sympathy," filled with the meaning of shifting responsibility and denying their own mistakes.
Therefore, Diamond called on Japan to gain the understanding of Asian countries, especially China, Japanese leaders should publicly kneel in Nanjing, just like West German Chancellor Brandt's "Kneeling in Warsaw."
Although Diamond's proposal sounds very good, expecting Japanese leaders to kneel in Nanjing for repentance is obviously an impossible dream.
It is worth noting that even the former Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka Kakue, who facilitated the thawing of Sino-Japanese relations and visited China with a "determination to die," only offered a simple apology for Japan's invasion of China, saying "Japan has caused great trouble for the Chinese people, and Japan expresses its reflection." After returning home, Tanaka nearly had to commit seppuku to appease the right-wing forces in Japan.
Evidently, the hostility of Japan towards China did not form overnight, but rather since the end of World War II, the militaristic thoughts in Japan have never been thoroughly cleansed, and in recent years, there have been obvious signs of resurgence.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1840336153520324/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.