Even more responses
The Japan Times, June 26, 1994
Europe is displaying
good sense
John E. Philips, in his
letter about European inaction (May 22), talks about anti-Americanism
in Europe. The egocentric, superficial and arrogant nature of his
comments might go some way toward explaining why this is the case.
America did not save the world twice "from Nazism
and from Communism." This kind of criticism, from a man whose government
and people have demonstrably shown ethics based solely on practical economics
throughout the last century, is particularly offensive.
What countries and people suffered the indignity
of invasion, saturation bombing and rationing during World War II?
Certainly not America. How long did the Allied powers struggle against
Hitler before the U.S. government finally decided it would be financially
disastrous to lose a democratically free Europe?
Don't kid yourself that America joined the war through
any altruistic motives like saving the world. More importantly still,
they suddenly discovered a little of the fear of invasion through Japan's
expansion in the Pacific. Who reaped the benefits of massive rebuilding
contracts and European influence without suffering any of the hardships
of nations ravaged by war?
Communism was laid low (I deliberately do not use
the word "vanquished") by the combined strength and fortitude of the NATO
powers and by an internally collapsing economy, not dear old Uncle Sam
and his valiant boys. The whole world knows of the instinctive distrust
of Arab Muslim countries for anything American. Could the U.S. politically
have had its "dessert" in Kuwait without the historical influence of European
powers in the Middle East (incidentally another case of the triumph of
economics over ethics)?
It finally displays an immense lack of understanding
to start drawing "lines in the sand" over the Yugoslavian problems.
When will Americans learn that the world is not composed of black and white,
good and evil, God and sinners, America and The Rest? Maybe the European
powers are displaying a little of the good sense and caution which the
U.S. sadly lacked in its approach to Vietnam.
PAUL. J. SPRING
Kobe
Forget
petty nationalism
Fifty years ago saw a turning point in the bloodiest
conflict in the history of mankind. To the millions of young people
who gave their lives fighting for freedom, I for one owe much. So
it somewhat sickens me that at the time of this anniversary certain readers
should choose to adopt an "if it wasn't for us" playground mentality.
Ten million young men of many nationalities made
the ultimate sacrifice. One should regard each of these lives as
equally significant, and be eternally grateful to all of them, whether
they be European, Asian, African, Australasian or American.
Europeans like to refer to the Allied effort, because
a joint effort it was, and are tired of hearing comments like "having already
fought in two wars to save Europe, Americans . . . " (Kevin
Smith); "America saved the world from Nazism" (John
E. Philips), which seem to imply that the 292,131 American casualties
(the official figure, fifth highest behind the Soviet Union, China, Yugoslavia
and Poland) are somehow more significant than the other 97 percent from
other nationalities.
Philips goes on to treat us to a rather interesting
interpretation of history: "Fact: Russia as
such played no role in the defeat of Nazism." Seven and a half
million young Soviets, mostly Russians (not Communists, just innocent victims)
died, and their sacrifice indirectly saved hundreds of thousands of others.
Perhaps to you, Philips, 7.5 million lives are not of consequence.
It is not so long until the 50th anniversary of
the end of World War II is upon us. I can only hope that by then
certain persons will have cast aside their petty nationalist sentiments,
and be worthy of the peace that so many suffered for so long to achieve.
NAME WITHHELD
Kanazawa, Ishikawa
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