Column: Letters from Japan (Part 1)

This Spring I have been granted a sabbatical leave from the University of Nevada,Las Vegas. I have chosen to study a broad topic--gambling in Asia and gambling by Asian people. My central question is: do Asians gamble more, and if so, why? The question has led me to a consideration of Eastern religions. Also as I am starting my sabbatical travels in Japan, I am seeking to observe matters Japanese and of historical relevance re Japan and the U.S. and perhaps even relevant to events today.

A first thought re the start of our recent and current war in Iraq.

To prepare for this trip I watched several movies--Lost in Translation and also, Tora, Tora, Tora. In the latter movie there was a scene that may or may not be factual, but since the movie was presented as a dramatic account of a factual course of events, the scene deserves observation and comment or at least inquiry.

In the scene an American military ship cruising INTERNATIONAL waters near Hawaii makes a sensing--or discovery--of an unknown (and obviously not
American) submarine. The captain clearly presumes that the submarine is Japanese.

He responds by ordering depth charges and other responses which will have the result of militarily destroying the submarine. The submarine is destroyed. All this occurs the week BEFORE Pearl Harbor is attacked.

My questions--is this true, but if not, why was the scene in the film?

If indeed this happened, should we not revise our history a bit and recognize that we fired the first shot, a PREEMPTIVE shot, that became the initial military action in our hostilities with Japan in World War II.? If such might be the case, could we ask if the Pentagon and even President Roosevelt himself had established the position that we should when the opportunity presents itself take advantage of the opportunity and make a preemptive strike against the Japanese military?

Just something I wonder about as I hear those who have elevated Mr Roosevelt to an almost heavenly emperor status in our "history books" condemn our current president for engaging in the use of preemptive strikes in our recent and current war.

Second Observation

In 1942, the heavyweight boxing champion of the world, Joe Louis Barrow, proclaimed for public consumption that the United States was certain to win the military struggle which already was known as World War II. In his words, this would be the case, because "God is on our side."

As I was (hopefully) growing up in the 1940s and 1950s, I did so under the very dark shadow of an unlikely but still possibly imminent nuclear attack on my country from the Soviet Union. While doing the "duck and cover" and "stock the basement with foodstuffs" things, my friends and I shared a belief, one strong enough that we actually expressed it in words on occasion. When we did so, it was rare that anyone would contradict us. Namely, we said that "God" would not allow an enemy to attack the United States. And certainly, if there ever was such an attack and hostile forces sought to engage us in a war, even a nuclear (then called "atomic") war, that "God" would intervene, and "God" would assure that the United States would be victorious.

Implicit in our thought patterns was the notion that Americans were a people superior to other peoples of the Earth, or that at least our "culture," and "way of life" was superior to that of other peoples. This was the culture and way of thinking that had permitted our polity to conquer our land mass from "sea to shining sea" under the banner of "Manifest (ergo, Godly) Destiny."

From the time of World War II through Korea, Vietnam and conflict that followed, I have heard prayers seeking God's intervention on behalf of the health and fortune of peoples everywhere, but always especially for our "boys" and our "men and women" in uniform who stand in harm's way facing an enemy. The prayers have been made at regular weekly intervals in churches I have attended, but I have also heard the prayers evoked from the lips of political leaders both Democrat and Republican, Americans all.

I have also visited with reverence Arlington National Cemetery, and I have visited other national cemeteries (from Gettysburg and Vicksburg to Boulder
City) all of which are supported by public taxpayer dollars, and all of which display religious signs proclaiming faith in our "God," that is one God of our "Christian-Judaic" heritage. Indeed I cannot recall seeing a military grave that did not have some religious symbol on it. All part of our public persona, our faith in "the" "God" that will bring us through our military struggles with other countries, such as the need may present itself.

NOW, Let's just conjure up the unthinkable thought for but a moment. We engage in a war, and the United States is defeated, that is defeated, destroyed, vanquished--the country that has fought under the banner of "God is on our side" is subjected to the need to totally surrender. Assume that a population does survive.

The enemy will occupy our streets, and the enemy will put our war criminals on trial (Bush and Rumsfeld--too bad, but hey, it happened to Tojo, so, fair game), and the public will have to be reeducated. The enemy commander of the occupation will have to issue a decree. Our "God" religion that carried our armies into war cannot no longer be our state religion, that is, we can no longer make public demonstrations that this is our religion, that this "God" is part of our religion or religions, our government can no longer support military cemeteries proclaiming our adherence to this or these "God" religion(s), our public buildings can no longer have signs recognizing our "God." Our public meetings can no longer begin with prayers to our "God." The schools can not talk about our "God." In fact the schools will now teach the children about the tenets of other religions, ones that might have many Gods--gods of ancestors, gods of trees and the environment, gods of casinos and luck, gods with human type names like "Karl Marx." The occupying enemy will decree who shall be the leader of our "God" religious organizations, and what those people's standing will be in terms of their "godliness." No religion will be allowed to be evoked in support of the notion that the American culture or way of life is better than that of any other peoples. All religions shall be equal--as long as our "God" is not taken seriously.

I have taken the ridiculous to the extreme. Moreover, I do recognize that many Americans (and even at sometimes--me too) wish to have a totally secularized (me too for partially secularized) society and way of life. But the current effort at secularization is an effort that is being taken FREELY by American people and by means that are endorsed by our system of laws, be they called democratic or republican in form. I have taken the ridiculous to the extreme. But have I? In MY next Letter from Japan I'll discuss the course of the military occupation of Japan and the overt and VERY SUCCESSFUL effort of the American government (under another cult hero of the Democrats--Harry Truman) to DESTROY religion in Japan. But then, what the hell, they "lost."

God was on our side.