Posted on 07/02/2002 6:26:57 PM PDT by Phil V.
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The taming of the emperorThe speech by U.S. President George W. Bush once again raised the question: What will be Arafat's fate? Should he be harmed physically, exiled, or perhaps left as the head of the Palestinian Authority in a symbolic role, without any powers. This last solution has already been tried by the Americans in a totally different context, with considerable success.
On September 2, 1945, Japan surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, led by U.S. General Douglas MacArthur. This was after the Japanese emperor had declared, in a radio broadcast to his nation, that they had to lay down their arms and surrender. Thus came to an end the predictions that Japan would fight to the last soldier, and that the war on Japanese soil would exact a terrible price from the occupiers. The Japanese soldiers, who had sworn to die for the emperor, stopped fighting, and General MacArthur entered Tokyo as a victor, without opposition.
One of the questions facing the Americans was this: What would be the fate of Japanese Emperor Hirohito, whom they considered a war criminal responsible for the domination of Japan over large parts of Southeast Asia, and guilty of the deaths of hundreds of thousands of American soldiers on the Pacific front. The public called to have him stand trial in the court for war crimes in Tokyo, where senior army officers and politicians were tried, and where some of them were sentenced to death.
After much hesitation, U.S. President Harry Truman decided that it might be just, but not wise, to put the emperor on trial and to execute him. Despite the desire for revenge, the emperor remained on his throne, but his powers were taken away from him and transferred to a parliament elected by the nation. The Americans, who ruled Japan for only seven years, until they left the country in the wake of the San Francisco Peace Treaty, managed during that short period to enact far-reaching reforms that substantially changed Japan's political and economic structure.
When this chapter in its history had ended, Japan was a country with a democratic constitution, according to which the emperor is the symbol of the country, but without executive powers. Article 9 of the constitution determined that Japan would not have an army, a navy or an air force, and would not use force to settle international conflicts. There is no need to describe the huge economic success of Japan after the period of American occupation, which caused many Japanese to say, "We're lucky that we lost."
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is not Douglas MacArthur, Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat is not Hirohito, and the Palestinians are not the Japanese; but it's possible that we can learn a few lessons from the Japanese experiment. First, in the final analysis, most people are rational. Despite the intensive indoctrination they underwent during the war, the Japanese surrendered when they realized that they were losing, and that they did not have the strength to withstand the United States.
It is possible to make basic changes, within a few years, in the political and economic structure of a country, if the proper reforms are enacted. These reforms (including the new constitution of 1947), were in fact an American initiative, but they were carried out by means of the elected institutions of the Japanese, and in cooperation with them.
When there is motivation, people can change their views within a relatively short period of time, including feelings of hatred and a desire for revenge. The Japanese are considered proud people, with a tradition of centuries of hierarchic rule, who were never (until the end of World War II) under foreign domination. Absolute loyalty to the emperor and willingness to die for him caused some of them to carry out suicide missions as kamikazes. Despite the heavy losses they suffered (about 2 million dead), the Japanese laid down their arms and within a short period of time, trust was created between them and the Americans.
And finally, the decision not to harm the emperor, and to leave him in place as a symbol at the head of the government, proved itself, and contributed to the implementation of the governmental and economic reforms. But it's important to remember that this required the cooperation of the emperor, who placed the good of his people before all else. Will Arafat be able to do so as well?
The writer is a professor of economics at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, specializing in the economy of Japan.
By Tuvia Blumenthal
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After more than 1/2 of a century "the Japs"?
An argument against evolution I suppose.
What gives????????
Th' cat wuz captivated by a picture on the cover of WWN - "The world's fattest cat" (with contest and prize for guessing th' cat's weight). Socks may sober up enough to catscan and post tomorrow.
Love ya, CupCake
I understand, but one must be selecitve when saving keystrokes. For instance, it might be dicey to conserve keystrokes when writing about things Jewish.
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