Dear People of the World (formerly Dear Americans)

I went to see Tom Cruise's movie "Valkyrie." The film of actual event which took place in Germany during World War II.

German military officer, Colonel Stauffenberg tried to assassin German dictator, Adolf Hitler to remove Nazi Party from power and bring peace in Europe. The consequence was he failed and was executed.

I've seen German film of the story before. Then I went to Berlin and saw the memorial of his execution.

The film was more like documentary than drama. The story is fiction but it should be based on the facts.

A hamburger store chain manager goes to the meat processing factories to know why the poisonous bacteria were detected on beef for hamburger. The search reveals the harsh reality of fast food chain business and severe conditions of the workers in the factories.

This is something I, myself could more un-USA. But the film was of course produced by Americans. One of the characters was played by a famous actor, Bruce Willis.

The people involved in the story represent the problems of America and the world. Illegal immigrants from Mexico who seek much higher income than their homeland and end up working in meat processing factory where working condition is very, very dangerous.

Farmers who are fighting against corrupt food industry, liberal students who learn stupid system of their country but don't know how to change it.

Well, it just didn't happen in the U.S. Food industry is in fact scary sector. Very profitable but at the same time very competitive and people involved are very greedy.

But the bottom line is this phenomenon was caused by consumers' greed. We are always seeking cheaper products and more convenient way of life.

Then what we see in the end is McDonalds everywhere, people eating cheap but very poisonous beef.

What if we are more knowledgeable and considerate, things might be better.

I've heard that in Europe, there is a movement called "Slow Food. Slow Life."    

Well, very surprising! The movie was made in 1940 but the most important character was Black boy.

It was midst of World War I.

The story is a boy named Abu who lived his life by stealing things in Baghdad, met a young ousted king, Ahmad. Ahmad fell in love with a princess in Basra. Jaffar who was a closest retainer and ousted him to take over the position wanted the princess, too. Abu tried to help Ahmad and the princess. Then at last he killed a bad guy, Jaffar and saved the couple and had Ahmad to bring back his position, the king of Baghdad so that he could rule the kingdom peacefully. Ahmad said he wanted not to conquer the people but make them all happy.

Jaffar was Hitler at that time, or Hussein between 1979 and 2003, No! It is Mr. George W. Bush. Real war criminal.

Looked like a real story, I hope. Abu actually looked like Barak Obama, president of the United States.

Abu was a thief but very clever and brave. This was very different from a stereotypical Black character made by Hollywood. In fact it was British film.

In the last scene, Abu flew on the flying carpet and said to the king "I will go on a trip to find out what I want to do."

Well, the destination may be where Mr. Barak Obama is.  

In Berlin film festival, a very controversial film would be shown.

The title is "John Rabe." The story of German business man who saved tens of thousands of Chinese in Nanking when the city was invaded by Japanese imperial army. He and other westerners set up International Safety zone in the center of the city. He became the leader of the committee that managed the zone. He is like Oskar Schindler in China.

 The movie is scheduled to be released in April in Germany and China. Release in Japan seemed not be determined.

I think it should be shown in Japan, too at least in mini-theatres or civil conventions like No More Nanjing people did last December.

Please see the article for that event.

In September 2004, I actually visited the house Rabe lived.

It may be very hard for Japanese to see the bad past.

Many right wingers denied the existence of the massacre. They say Rabe was liar.

John Rabe was kind of complicated figure of the history. He was loyal to Nazism. He used Nazi flag to avoid bombing from Japanese army. He reported Nazi officials the atrocities in Nanking. But he was detained and interrogated by that act because Germany at that time was allied with Japan. Actually Nazis has done more of Nanking things so called "Holocaust" afterwards.

The film would be very interesting in the sense a good man loyal to the evil organization has done good thing. The below is trailer of the film.