Bob took a cruise last month and Nagasaki was one of the stops. He sent me this:

“Enclosed a few pics from Nagasaki..

They were taken at the site of the A bomb explosion which is now a peace park and museum.  The sculptures(about 50) were sent by various cities/countries to Nagasaki in commemoration.  The photo of the young boy transporting his brother is in the museum.  It was taken 2-3 days after the explosion by an American news photographer at a public, recently erected crematorium where the Japanese boy was depositing his dead brother.  Horribly powerful.

Curious that I was self-conscientiously uncomfortable and embarrassed at the war museum in Saigon but in Nagasaki I did not feel the guilt.  In the museum there was a chronology of events. An interesting entry Dec. 1941 “Japan enters the war in the Pacific” (no mention that it was Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor).  Toward the end of chronologic museum tour it was noted that the bomb was probably unnecessary as Japan was near defeat (but without the bombs it probably would have necessitated an American invasion of Japan proper).  USA was also called to task for not issuing a warning.  Nagasaki was the secondary target that day – the prime target was fogged in (a city I did not recognize).  Also unfortunate that Nagasaki, at the time of the bombing, was primarily women and children – the men were off fighting.

It is scary that the Japanese people could have been led to such a fury of imperialism, blind devotion to the emperor and interpersonal cruelty (comfort women of Korea and China) the treatment of prisoners-of-war. (if you have not seen “Railway Man” check it out).  Very unlike my experience (brief) with the Japanese people.  I found them to be polite, respectful, well-mannered and genteel.  In Tokyo busy but in the smaller southern cities I was frequently stopped and engaged.  A small sample size granted but I was impressed.  But scary how a population can be enticed & subjected to demagoguery (American Trumpism?, or perhaps worse, American bible-thumping Cruzism?).  Emotionalism trumping rationality.”

My response:

Wow.

Nice piece.

I was interested in which countries/cities sent which sculptures.

I liked the Tree of Life done by aboriginals in Australia.  

The second I saw the big muscular peace statue, before I read an explanation, I was embarrassed to think of the U.S.  Japanese people don’t look like that.

Thoughts:

Your experience of Japanese people vs. what their government was once capable of. And what it has learned.

My experience of American people vs what our government is capable of. (eg. drones and torture) And what it has not learned.

Humbling…

‘But scary how a population can be enticed & subjected to demagoguery (American Trumpism?, or perhaps worse, American bible-thumping Cruzism?).  Emotionalism trumping rationality.’

Indeed.

But we don’t know history so how can we learn from it.