It took a direct order by Emperor Hirohito to make it happen. After Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he finally bestirred himself and ordered a surrender. And with that, the entire martial tradition shattered like broken glass. The influence of the samurai on Japan was destroyed forever, and Japan is now ruled by its merchants, as are the Western nations.It took a crisis of faith; it required the people of Japan to believe that they were defeated. They had to give up a thousand years of cultural chauvinism, to accept deep within themselves that their culture was inferior in practice, and had to be replaced.
Tag Archives: Places
Having Fun Is Easy When the Killjoys are Gone
MSNBC: Afghans recapture joy of lost holiday:
It is the eve of Eid al-Fitr, a three-day holiday celebrating the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and much of the capital has come alive with a festive spirit not felt here since 1996, when the rigid Taliban Islamic movement took power in Kabul and snuffed out the city’s soul. Now, with the abrupt departure of Taliban forces from Kabul on Nov. 13 and their final surrender of power in the city of Kandahar last week, many of Kabul’s residents plan to celebrate with a vengeance.
Newsweek on John Walker Lindh
Newsweek: According to his interview with CNN, Walker fought with Pakistanis in Kashmir in the summer of 2001. Anyone surprised?
Trouble in the Kingdom
The New York Times: Saudi Arabia has managed to lift virtually everyone out of poverty. But today, even with lofty oil prices, the petrodollars do not stretch as far, not least because they are being spread among more Saudi citizens. (Free registration is required to read this article.)