Date:
Tue, 02 May 2000 14:13:17 -0400
To: zyyong@visto.com
From: "matthew lewis"
<mal@bulldog.georgetown.edu> | Block
address
Subject:
[FFML] Re: [C&C][Fanfic][short][SM] Left
Unsaid
CC:
ffml@fanfic.com,brenda02@sprynet.com,songoku@crystaltokyo.com,
zyyong@visto.com
My comments##
Overall an interesting subject. However I think it
was too rushed and much too simplistic for such a
complex subject. I think it would benefit from a
re-write, expanding on the subject and showing the
emotions and thoughts in more detail. As it stands I
found Usagi's comments to be very chilling. If you
were
attempting to portray a dark future you succeeded.
A VERY touchy subject in Japan. Most ppl who survived
the era just
wanted
to forget abt it and go on with their lives.
##Actually most of the "People" never knew. And most
who did know didn't care. The Japanese culture is a
top > down society. Strict obedience to rules,
regulations, convention and your superior. Even today
Japanese authors who speak out about war-crimes are
not welcome. Sanctions range from personal
and professional ostracism to a bullet or a bomb.
Yup. I'm figuring Usagi's uncle was one of
the few who served
in
a support role, so he didn't participate in any of it,
and found
himself
sickened by it.
##This is possible. There _were_ people who objected
to the war. There were even people in the military and
government who objected.
However they were usually assassinated. And there was
no cultural basis for organized protest.
<SNIP>
"We deserved it," Usagi said with a catch in
her voice.
War is a senseless thing. No one deserved anything.
Especially those
that
suffered from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They were only
civilians. Not
the
military machine that committed the crimes.
##This is a rather bland and simplistic description.
It really doesn't convey the complex emotions that
would be involved.
There is no distinction between military and civilian
in modern warfare. The military can not function
without civilian support in terms of food, arms,
ammunition, etc. While there are certain
"conventions" in terms of assault on "non-military"
targets they are usually very short lived. As war
progresses the distinction between military and
civilian become less clear. War is a terrible thing.
However if you engage in battle your survival depends
on winning. There are no rules.
<SNIP>
Of course, no city deserves
an atomic bomb, no matter what the citizenry is doing,
but it was equally
obvious that the bombs had to be used on cities to
have the greatest
impact and to make sure the population knew about it.
## Dead is dead. It doesn't matter much if it's an
atomic bomb, an incendiary (many more people died
in firestorms from incendiary bombs than the atomic
bomb) a bullet or a bayonet. And the dead don't care
if it was enemy, "friendly fire", youma or senshi that
killed them.
(A point I'm trying to make in Sukeban Senshi, which
is why this story interested me.)
"Usagi!" Rei snapped, "No one-"
"Rei," Ami said, her voice quiet and toneless,
"before you
continue, remember that we're responsible for at
least one act of
genocide."
##??? The DK? Even if the DK were completely
eliminated
I'm not sure this can be blamed on the senshi. As I
recall the DK initiated the attack. The senshi's
assault on "D-point" was a counter strike. Assuming
that the DK was indeed destroyed that seemed to be a
direct result of the DK's _own_ power
used against the senshi. It's all a matter of POV.
>From the DK perspective this was a bad thing. OTOH,
from the POV of all the people being attacked by
youma, the death of the DK was probably a good thing.
There is an argument that the destruction of the small
pox virus is wrong in the same way that causing the
extinction of any species is wrong. Using that
rational, destroying the DK could be considered wrong.
However anyone who has suffered from or even seen a
case of small pox would rejoice in the elimination of
the disease. The DK is certainly no more
welcome by humans than a case of small pox.
"That's different."
"Is it?" Ami shot back. "What would you do if
you heard
youma were doing those things?" Ami nodded at Rei's
silence.
Usagi surprised them when she spoke.
##Again, I see this as POV. The Japanese (for the most
part) saw noting wrong in:
It is estimated there were as many
as 35 million Chinese killed or maimed during the War.
The Nanking Massacre: an estimated
300,000 Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed,
and 20,000 women were raped.
It is estimated that more than
200,000 Chinese were killed in germ warfare field
experiments.
There were about 200,000 comfort
women (including Chinese women) as sex slaves of
Japan's military occupation forces.
The Germans thought they were correct in disposing of
Jews, Gypsies, cripples and mental detectives.
Americans (and other Western societies) have disposed
of troublesome indigenous people through starvation,
disease and bullets.
The people doing the killing have _always_ thought
they were justified.
"I'd take Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru aside,
and tell them
that I was trusting them to make sure it stopped.
"When I become
queen," Rei had never heard Usagi refer to the future
like that,
never talk about the future they all knew would come.
"When I
become queen, we'll be strong enough to make sure
that nothing
like this ever happens. We'll be strong enough to
make sure
there's justice."
##The Romans used to have women raped by animals in
the
coliseum before killing them. Compassion and mercy
were seen as a weakness, suitable emotions only for
old women. They considered themselves a just and
honorable people.
The United States Supreme Court upheld the
legality of slavery on several occasions.
DRED SCOTT v. SANDFORD, 60 U.S. 393 (1856)
60 U.S. 393 (How.)
DRED SCOTT, PLAINTIFF IN ERROR, v. JOHN F. A.
SANDFORD.
December Term, 1856
This was considered just.
Justice for some is oppression for others.
IMO, considering Usaig's final words, this story
has the potential to be a very nice dark fic. It needs
a little polishing if you want to go that route.
If, OTOH, you are trying to portray Usagi in a more
positive light, then, IMO, the story needs more
extensive changes. As written is seems very rushed
and the characterizations are rather superficial.
Nothing that can't be fixed. In most cases it would be
a matter of changing sentence structure, wording and
pacing of events.
<SNIP>
At first, they might have been too young to think
about it, but by high school they have to think about
the morals and
implications of being magical girls and future
rulers. Also, if
Neo-queen
Serenity is to be able to act morally and justly, she
needs to have
total
power, so she isn't forced into doing some for
politics, and no
foreign
policy, for the same reason.
##Total power has _nothing_ to do with morality or
justice. There is no connection between power and
morality. The worlds greatest philosophers, moralists
and spiritualists have often had little
temporal power. In fact, temporal power is
antithetical to morality and justice.
So she'd have to controll all of known
space
and rule with absolute power. Only with Usagi would
that even have a
chance of working, but how did she come to consider
it?
##This is the weakest point of the story if you are
trying for a benevolent Usagi. Even if Usagi were
perfectly moral and just there is no guarantee that
her
successors would also be moral and just. (Look at
how easily "Small Lady" was corrupted to become
"Black Lady". Extrapolating, imagine this same thing
if she were All-Powerful. Further, concentrating all
power into a single individual seems to guarantee a
static, corrupt society. If you are trying to
foreshadow a dark bleak hopeless future it's an
almost perfect story.
<SNIP>
Well, I don't know if Crystal Tokyo is
supposed to be a
utopia, or
is Usagi will wield total power, but the point was
rather to ensure
justice, one needs to control everything. I won't say
total power is
an
evil, because it is how one uses power that is moral
or not. I could
easily see a Crystal Tokyo where the citizens are less
hostile to their
government than ours are now, even if it was an
absolute monarchy.
##I'm afraid that I'd have to see some historical
precedent to support this conclusion. From my limited
research I'd have to say that the reality is exactly
opposite of your thesis. Justice and evil are very
subjective terms.
However, the good of society should always be placed
above the
individual.
An old Confucian (or say generally Asian) ethic.
##This ignores the fact that society is _made_ of
individuals.
<SNIP>
I think this has the potential to be a good dark fic.
Just needs a little polishing. Dialogue is very rushed
and much too simplistic. If you are trying to portray
Usagi as a benevolent ruler it need much more work.
A few citations on war crimes that may be helpful.
The Nanjing Massacre : A Japanese
Journalist Confronts Japan's
National Shame (Studies of the
Pacific Basin Institute)
by Katsuichi Honda, Frank Gribney
(Editor), Karen Sandness (Translator), Frank B.
Gibney
The Nanjing Massacre in History
and Historiography; Joshua A.
Fogel(Editor), Charles S. Maier
Hidden Horrors : Japanese War
Crimes in World War II (Transitions--Asia
and Asian America); Yuki Tanaka,
et al
Lest We Forget : Nanjing
Massacre, 1937; Xu Zhigeng
Permitted and Prohibited Desires
: Mothers, Comics, and Censorship in
Japan; Anne Allison
The Comfort Women : Japan's Brutal
Regime of Enforced Prostitution in the Second World
War; George L. Hicks
The Good Man of Nanking : The
Diaries of John Rabe; John Rabe, et al
Factories of Death : Japanese
Biological Warfare 1932-45 and the
American Cover-Up
by Sheldon H. Harris
Unit 731 Testimony; Hal Gold
Japan's Secret War : Japan's Race
Against Time to Build Its
Own Atomic Bomb
By Robert K. Wilcox
Prisoners of the Japanese : Pows of
World War II in the
Pacific
By Gavan Daws
The Rape of Nanking : An Undeniable
History in Photographs
By James Yin, Shi Young, Ron
Dorfman (Editor)
War Crimes & Brutality:
http://www.hamiltonbook.com/subject2/wcb.html
Transcript of Radio Interview on Japanese war crimes
(also
highlights allied war crimes and war crimes in
general):
http://www.abc.net.au/ra/elp/indpac/ip677.htm
Japan's War Crimes Page:
http://www.ccnet.com/~suntzu75/jpwcrmz.htm
=====
"When I get a little money, I buy books;
And, if any is left, I buy food and clothes."-Erasmus
"A man is a small thing, and the night is large
and full of wonders." -Lord Dunsany
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