Quote:
Originally Posted by Hack&Lube
My immediate family suffered under the Japanese occupation in Hong Kong in WWII. They were quite cruel in many ways.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Stephen's_college_incident
I would not equate the neccessity of dropping two atomic bombs to end the war to soldiers directly participating in and encouraging torture and attrocities. The guy who pressed the button to release Little Boy was not himself directly participating in and taking pleasure out of the eventual suffering that the bomb would cause.
That said, I love the Japanese and I put it down to cultural differences and wartime mentality (Imperial brainwashing) that encouraged such behavior. We all have those violent instincts deep down but we have been tempered by growing up in such a civil and loving society. You see this kind of behavior out of all child soldiers (I mean soldiers in the late teens) from any background when placed in certain stressful situations. Look at what some American soldiers did during the Vietnam war. |
I think this is the best explanation as to why.
I would add
Racism and a feeling of superiority towards their neighbors. The Japanese had dragged themselves out of the Middle Ages, defeated a European power and became the reigning Asian/World power in the world all within 4 decades. No other Asian nation could do what Japan could. Technologically, militarily, etc, etc, etc...
That is an ego boost if there ever was one! That makes it easier to portray others as less than human.