I might just have reached my breaking point with regards to this country. This damn country. No, I am not talking about the usual flak on their inefficient subway, messed up teens or economy. It is their goddamn ideals of freedom, individual rights, hardworking christian/capitalist image. Why?
I had been reading a number of books, including Deloria's 'Custer Died for your Sins', Smith's 'Conquest: Sexual Violence and American Indian Genocide, Dower's 'Embracing Defeat' and just finished Silva's 'Aloha Betrayed: Native Hawaiian Resistance to American Colonialism'. Then, I turn to my next book for another class, Mccormack's 'Client State: Japan in the American Embrace' and the title chapter that greeted me on the first page was 'Forever Twelve Years Old.' This was my breaking point. I was too upset to continue.
This was how General MacArthur, the commander of the occupation force immediately after Japan's defeat in WW2, described Japan after he returned to USA.
All I can think was, America again?!?!
Then, juxtapose this with this Korean guy I know from the snowboard club. He immigrated to the US since he was five years old. And he absolutely hates all things Korean, pronouncing that you can't get freedom and individuality in Korea. Especially when you compare to America.
What freedom? Whose individual rights are we talking about? All these ideals are built on destroying the autonomy of countries like Hawaii and Philippines, destroying the life and the dignity of the American Indians and all the current/ex colonies, belittling a country like Japan (even Korea) who is forever inferior to the great USA. And as I type, I know I am sitting on the land bloodied with Indian lives. If a country need land to justify its status as a nation, America is not a country. This land was stolen from the Native Americans.
Of course, if you justify invasions and genocide as a valid method of creating a nation, America is definitely a legitimate nation.
You may say, Japan is both a victim and an agressor. But this damn country is simply an agressor, full-stop. And the worst thing is that this country uses ideals like freedom and rights to justify its agression and in the process, totally destroy the pride and dignity of others. It is good and right to destroy these people, for all is done in the name of civilization.
I feel so dirty being here.
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