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[Ruth]

I've read a few autobiographies written about living through that era.  Truly moving stories.  Some are even available here in the PRC.

Your in-house point is a good one AMonk.  Just a pity the government isn't strong enough to stand up and say, 'these wrongs happened in our country because of...' as loudly as they speak about the atrocities at Nanjing.  I can understand why they don't, though. 

[cheekygal]

My grandmother was a young prisoner of the concentrative camp (?) during WW2. She was lucky and wasnt put through experiments but she was a servant girl at one of the German officer's house. She used to be severely beaten up. Her youngest sister died somewhere on the way to one of those camps. Yet, I don't hear her cursing current Germans nor were we brought up in a spirit of hatred towards German people. Fascists? Yes. Regular German people and especially recent generations? No. In fact couple of my very good friends are German and a thought of hating them for something THEY didn't do never even crossed my mind. In fact, the thought of hatred as it is never crossed my mind.
Whenever I hear the stories about Japan being unfair towards Chinese etc I bring up my own family's example. Most of the time it stops conversations about hatred and so on.

[AMonk]

Your grandmother is a Treasure!

[moon over parma]

Lifetimes covers some of it - but from the perspective of one family.  Interesting.

The Zhang Yimou film? If so - for anyone hasn't heard of it, it's also known as "TO LIVE" in some territories (i. e. the U. S. A.). Definitely worth checking out. It's a heartbreaking, beautiful film.

[Lotus Eater]

Same film - definitely worth watching.

[moon over parma]

To a dramatically lesser extent, Chen Kaige's FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE has part of its story unfolding during the "Cultural Revolution," and it's not particularly flattering about that period of time.

[phets72]

Your grandmother is a Treasure!

Yes, Cheeky she is indeed a treasure and you have inherited her good nature and kindness.

Those where very, very scary and sad times.  I think it's important to remember such things, but I think there are too many movies, some moving on graphic that are really unnecessary now.

I'll be quite now.

[dragonsaver]

I'll be quite now.

You don't need to be.  Your thoughts and feelings are important so don't be afraid to speak up. 

[AMonk]

"Those who do not remember History, are doomed to repeat it"!!



I have said this about the civil war involving the Serbs and the Croatians, the famine(s) in Africa, the slaughter of innocents in Darfur and the treatment of PoWs by US and Brits in the recent news reports.....the "I was only following orders" defense.....as well as many other times over the years.

Evil acts echo down through the ages.  But we do not have to be constricted and bound into a re-active cycle because of them.  Rather, let us become pro-active, so as ensure that they never happen again.

[Lotus Eater]

"Those who do not remember History, are doomed to repeat it"!!

Evil acts echo down through the ages.   Rather, let us become pro-active, so as ensure that they never happen again.

Please tell this to John Howard and his current Indigenous policies.

[AMonk]

For those who like a visual History lesson, I recommend "China: A Century of Revolution".  Contains 6-hour of film(s), with interviews of many older Chinese; those who were in favour of revolution and those who were its victims.  Covers 1911 to (just after) Tiananmen Square.

[AMonk]

I am afraid that it is too late.  He is (apparently) in the midst of multitudinous repetitions....and human disasters.

Please tell this to John Howard and his current Indigenous policies.

[Con ate dog]

The Chinese government needs to start forgetting or they will never move forward. Japan needs to shut up and ignore the Chinese.... the Japanese soldiers were horrible relentless killers [but] THOSE PEOPLE,for the most part, ARE ALL DEAD. This generation of Japanese people have nothing to say they are sorry for. They did nothing wrong and it is not their responsibility to pay for the deeds of their grandfathers.

Japan itself, as a state, however, should fully acknowledge what happened.  IMHO, nobody can let something like that go until it has been acknowledged.

I share your cynicism of the government's manipulation of the citizenry.  It seems to me that it goes beyond redress at times.  I wish I'd stop having students tell me they wish they could annihilate Japan.