Dear People of the World (formerly Dear Americans)

I just saw the film at a small theatre in Tokyo. 

It was a biopic about the French politician who lived through holocaust and after the war became a lawyer and the minister of French government and became the first female president of European Union assembly. 

She helped promote women's rights by legalisation of abortion in France, 1970's. She contributed to improvement of prisoners' condition. Why was she so enthusiastic about human rights issues? 

The film started with her childhood in Nice with her family living in a happy condition before the second world war. Her family were Jews and believed France would never betray them. 

But later her family were arrested by German Gestapo. She, 16-year-old, her sister and mother were deported to Auschwitz. Her brother and father were thought to be executed. The three survived in Auschwitz but they were deported again, and then her mother died in other concentration camp.  

After the war, Simone married a man and gave birth to three children studying at a law school in Paris. But she had been traumatized by her experience in the holocaust and couldn't sleep on a bed. Even after the war, she could not tell others about her horrible experience during the war. 

But such experiences motivated her to help others in the world. In her old age, she came back to Auschwitz on 60th anniversary of liberation of Auschwitz. She spoke and wrote all about her experience. She insisted that Europe should get united so no more war happens. Surprisingly she had lived in Germany after the war. 

The film taught us it is the responsibility of living people to make the world better place and right the wrongs. Indeed, we are living in a better world, at least much better than what she experienced. 

I, myself have visited Auschwitz in Poland, and learnt what happened there. 

Such history should never be repeated. I felt it is MY responsibility not to let such horrible events happen again.  

Sadly, it is happening and very hard to stop that. 

The movie described how the decision of murdering 6 million Jews in Europe was made in less than 2-hour conference at Wannsee in Germany 1942. 

One of the participants was Eichmann, a Nazis high ranking officer who later was captured by the Israeli police and convicted to capital punishment in Israel. 

What they cared was not ethics, they cared nothing but the efficiency, honour of the nation, compliance with the laws, diplomatic strategy and veterans' affairs. 

There was a phrase "Pearl Harbour" in the conference since Japan was allied with Germany at that time though Hitler claimed Japanese were the second-class people. 

They were ruthless and their thoughts were systematic. 

Unbelievable to know in Weimar Republic era (1918-1933), before Nazis took over the governance of Germany, there was some Jewish cabinet member. 

The world can suddenly turn into the hell. We are now witnessing such thing in Ukraine. 

Where are we heading? Where do we stand now? 

Academy winning film (1986) directed by Oliver Stone. 

A young American boy joined the military force combatting in South Vietnam, and witnessed the hell including division within the comrades. 

Although it gained a good reputation, it wasn't as good as I expected. 

I liked "Born on the 4th of July" better among Oliver Stone's Vietnam films. 

The cause for the Vietnam War was to defend Vietnamese from communism. 

But they failed. Then they failed in Iraq and Afghanistan later. 

Now the war between Russia and Ukraine broke out. US seemed to side Ukraine but announced they would not send any troops to help Ukraine fight against Russians. It was a kind of betrayal act since US said they would not block Ukraine from joining NATO and in the past signed the memorandum that ensures security of Ukraine in exchange for abandoning nuclear weapons of former Soviet Union. 

America proved themselves to be no police of the world. 

So please remove unnecessary forces from our country and stop building a new base on a beautiful island and the sea along the island as I mentioned in this post. 

Learning more about history of America's vietnam war and the island where a new base is being built currently, I came up with a novel and started to write on my Japanese blog. The story took place on the island. A Japanese female singer in 21st century time-slipped to the Vietnam war era in a bar on the island and met with American soldiers. 

After I finish writing up the story, I am planning to post English translation on this blog. 

The capital of Afghanistan, Kabul was suddenly occupied by Taliburn regime, managed by Islamic foundamentalists in the middle of August 2021 when the US forces were withdrawing from the country. 

A lot of Afghans are fleeing their homeland including the former President of the state, Ghani. The scenes of fleeing reminds me of what happened in Saigon, Vietnam, April 1975. 

A lot of Vietnamese who corporated with the South Vietnam and the US rushed into the US embassy. Helicoptors took off to carry then Ho Chi Minh's enemies to the sea outside Vietnam. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally helicoptors to carry refugees were dumped into the sea after landing on military ships due to lack of space to store them inside the ships. 

It seems like America failed again or America's mission in Afghanistan is over just like America's involvement in Vietnam. 

I recently watched the documentary programs that featured the Vietnam war. 

In early 1960's, wife of the South Vietnam dictator's brother said a terrible thing to those whom they oppressed. They were Catholics and they oppressed Buddhist monks. Then some of the monks burned their bodies in public in protest of the dictatorship. 

"What have Buddhist monks done? The only thing they have done is barbeque one of their monks whom they intoxicated and abused confidence. Even that barbequing is for self-sufficient mean, using imported gasoline." 

Then people in the South Vietnam stood up to fight for unification of Vietnam. 

North Vietnam force were attacking South Vietnam jointly with Viet Cong warriers within the South. 

To block weapon supply transport route called "Ho Chi Minh route" between Laos, Cambodia and South Vietnam, US military utilized Hmong tribe who felt Communism was threat to them. Their village lifestyle was depicted in the film "Apocalypse Now."

After the fall of Saigon, Hmong people became refugees from Vietnam and settled down in Minesota State. Their community was featured in the film "Grand Torino." 

What a history! Vietnam and Afghanistan. What are the commonality between the two!