Forced sex okayed for US troops - Page 4 - U.S. Politics Online: A Political Discussion Forum

Josepha · #46 (**permalink**) 04-29-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheStripey1

Excuse me, but prostitutes work in a brothel. HOW they became prostitutes in that brothel is usually not what a patron of that brothel thinks about when he goes there. You can't blame american soldiers for what the japanese government did.

If the government of Japan was complicent in forcing women to work in those brothels, then the onus is on them.

If the US knew women were being forced to work in brothels serving US soldiers, they owe an apology to the women involved, and their families. If you don't think so - explain why. Don't give reasons why it was unavoidable, or acceptable - it is neither, according to this article.

Josepha · #47 (**permalink**) 04-29-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheStripey1

Now this is a different story and not at all connected with the 70 year old brothels that the GIs visited...

Here we can agree... the pedophiles that traffic in those locales should be prosecuted. No doubt about it. Incarcerated too... in their prisons...

But what if anything does this have to do with the american military?

Very little beyond the fact that I was struck by the irony of a largely ignored tragic and very public sex traffic in that area, and the rising use of rape as a war tactic - and the fact that it took 60 years for the US to officially acknowledge complicity in systematic rape during the war there - 60 freakin years.

There are times when I see an issue that trancends political parties, and I'm always curious how far from their knee jerk response other posters will go. Mostly I see responses from the paranoid right here - anything that requires an apology from America must be something it's really all right to do!

It's interesting that so many of you guys seem to not give two hoots about this form of abuse - unless a boy is raped. It doesn't give me much hope that the current situation will ever be a priority - nor do a lot of the responses. Not divisive enough to be a wedge issue, nor easy enough to solve to be a sound bite. Won't become part of the pod people's discussion.

Maybe in 60 years we will notice the current problems.

Josepha · #48 (**permalink**) 04-29-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheStripey1

The Japanese government has refused to do anything about it. They were the ones that forced the women into the brothels. Why do you think the US should apologize? and goodfella? There have been brothels in war zones for as long as there have been wars. Should we apologize for all of them?

Actually, Abe just apologized to Korea.

We knew the women were forced - we just didn't care. When you permit women to be enslaved, then you should acknowledge and apologize.

Josepha · #49 (**permalink**) 04-29-2007

This is proof enough for me - A Dec. 6, 1945, memorandum from Lt. Col. Hugh McDonald, a senior officer with the Public Health and Welfare Division of the occupation's General Headquarters, shows U.S. occupation forces were aware the Japanese comfort women were often coerced.

"The girl is impressed into contracting by the desperate financial straits of her parents and their urging, occasionally supplemented by her willingness to make such a sacrifice to help her family," he wrote. "It is the belief of our informants, however, that in urban districts the practice of enslaving girls, while much less prevalent than in the past, still exists."

Quote:

Originally Posted by agoodfella

First, the US government and military's involvement with regards to the brothels is not 100% clear as the article suggests. At a minimum, the US was complicit to the extent that tacit approval was given -- the issue of whether or not the US KNEW about this is not in question. At worst, we were passive participants who looked the other way.

Did I say that we should apologize for every brothel ever created? No. Please don't put words in my mouth.

Further, this situation refers to the period of US occupation in Japan which is clearly POST-WAR. So this "well war is hell and shit happens" excuse doesn't apply. Further, what is clear with regards to these so-called "comfort women" is that many if not most of these women who served in these so-called "brothels" were women of both Japanese and other Asian nationalities who were taken against their will from countries that Japan occupied. These weren't "whores" looking to make a quick buck. These were innocent victims of war perpetrated by a brutal imperial army with an official policy for the creation of sex slaves to service the Japanese imperial army. This was absolutely a crime against humanity by an reasonable measure. If the US was a willing partner and helped perpetuate this policy post-war, then yes, we ABSOLUTELY need to apologize for it. To what extent is unclear as I said before.

Even it it WERE in a time of war, are you saying that since things such as rape and murder happen in a time of war "we should not give a shit"?

Why should we apologize? Please re-read my comments in post #29.

I believe this is a situation which must be examined further. Once the facts become clear, and if warranted, the US should apologize.

jviehe · #50 (**permalink**) 04-30-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josepha

It's definitely an eye-catcher - but how would you say it misleads?

Everyone naturally assumes its about current US troops and that they are being forced to have sex.

Steve · #51 (**permalink**) 04-30-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by agoodfella

We should ignore this because it happened 60 years ago? No matter how wrong we were? So to you it's just a matter of time before its ok to sweep something under the rug?

Let me ask you this, what is the statute of limitations here? 60 years? 6 years? last week?

and here's another question, what exactly does it cost us to acknowledge this mistake and apologize?

The important question is "What does it accomplish?"

Nothing.

Ergo, it's stupid to apologize.

Or, bring in someone who was forced to have sex with American GI's, and wait for an American GI who had sex with her to come and apologize...

TheLastBoyScout · #52 (**permalink**) 04-30-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josepha

I asked about reparations and apology - not prosecutions. Reread the article - women who don't accept sex peacefully are being raped.

What would I like to talk about - why is rape so common in wars, and so commonly ignored or covered up? Yeah, this is WWII - but we're just acknowledging it now - and most of the male posters seem to think it's no big deal - not any sort of issue.

Would it be news if Japanese boys were forced into prostitution - how about American boys?

As for current and politics - this issue is huge in Japan - becoming larger in SE Asia, as the AIDS epidemic increases - and causing a communication breakdown between Korea and Japan which the US was mediating - but it's not getting much media play, so it mustn't be as important as bennifer and ANS's baby's father.

Who forced the Japanese women into prostitution? The American G.I.'s who wanted their services or the pimps who saw low supply and increased demand?

Do you know who the Pimps were? They were the Japanese Government!!

You're asking the wrong party for an apology. No rape occurred. It was all traditional prostitution - sex that was paid for. As for the enslavement and forced prostitution, look to the Japanese.

"Comfort Women" demanding justice « Sparkle*Matrix

doniston · #53 (**permalink**) 04-30-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpsartre12

Your indignation is a tad late. You should have been outraged 3 score ago.

I'm going to intragect here, and JP. you will be surprised: I agree with you.

I wondered when this thread started "WHY" and why so many people on this forum take so many pains to comment on situations long long past.

IMHO it is literally silly to keep bringing up things from the past as current subjects. but I do understand (thru this thread only) that Congress is taking it up. They too have much better things to do. Comparing Clinton or Reagon or Nixon to Bush is simple-minded. those three are long in the past. Bush and company, and the Present congress is what matters.

We should be doing something about the matters of the present, instead of dwelling on the past.

OK, my rant is over---- for now.

doniston · #54 (**permalink**) 04-30-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamInTheBurgh

I don't give two shits about it. We need to look to our future and worry about present day, not waste time pacifying a bunch of bed wetters who can't get over shit that happened generations ago and expect apologies for every misdeed since the dawn of man.

I usually don't agree with you either, but this time I do. "much ado about-------"

doniston · #55 (**permalink**) 04-30-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve

Ignore it. It may have been a trerrible thing, but it happened over 60 years ago.

And the idea of "reparations" is just silly...

"ET TU BRUTUS"

I AGREE.

TheLastBoyScout · #56 (**permalink**) 04-30-2007

I must state that the entire premise of the OP is flawed.

- The Japanese Government forced the women into prostitution

- The American G.I.s paid for sex which is prostitution, not rape.

The Americans can apologize for their dead fathers and grandfather's immoral engagement in prostitution.

The Japanese Government can apologize for the enslavement of the women.

With all this outrage and demand for reparations, it is being misdirected at America because of the current world climate of Anti-Americanism. Go get reparations from the dead Japanese men who set up and carried the enslavement. Not the dead Americans that were serviced as a result.
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jpsartre12 · #57 (**permalink**) 04-30-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josepha

Pretty much how I feel about invading Iraq - no immediate threat, no WMD, run of the mill dictator - and , as the only secular power in the region, no connection with Osama. You justify invading Iraq because saddam's sons raped?!.....

Run of the mill dictator? Don't do much reading do you? If you did, you'd be aware of te million plus deaths directly attributable to Saddam Hussein.

Quote:

Along with other human rights organizations, The Documental Centre for Human Rights in Iraq has compiled documentation on over 600,000 civilian executions in Iraq. Human Rights Watch reports that in one operation alone, the Anfal, Saddam killed 100,000 Kurdish Iraqis. Another 500,000 are estimated to have died in Saddam's needless war with Iran. Coldly taken as a daily average for the 24 years of Saddam's reign, these numbers give us a horrifying picture of between 70 and 125 civilian deaths per day for every one of Saddam's 8,000-odd days in power.
GBN: Iraq Watch

jpsartre12 · #58 (**permalink**) 04-30-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheStripey1

Now this is a different story and not at all connected with the 70 year old brothels that the GIs visited...

Here we can agree... the pedophiles that traffic in those locales should be prosecuted. No doubt about it. Incarcerated too... in their prisons...

But what if anything does this have to do with the american military?

Not a thing. This is an example of a bait and switch argument. When you lose one, change the subject.

Josepha · #59 (**permalink**) 04-30-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by jviehe

Everyone naturally assumes its about current US troops and that they are being forced to have sex.

ROFLMAO

The first was, admittedly intentional - the 2nd never occured to me!

Josepha · #60 (**permalink**) 04-30-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve

The important question is "What does it accomplish?"

Nothing.

Ergo, it's stupid to apologize.

Or, bring in someone who was forced to have sex with American GI's, and wait for an American GI who had sex with her to come and apologize...

Yeah - the knee jerk reaction of a pod person.

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