Series: The Responsibility of the People, Part 8: A Request to the American People

 

When a country goes to war, I’d like to consider the question, “Do the people bear any responsibility?” in the context of Japan and the United States.

I have a request for the American people.

And, I will outline some points of caution for the American people.

 

 

 

A Plea to the American People

 

As far as I can see, the world is plunging into a crisis.

And far from stopping this, the Trump administration is actually exacerbating it.

In recent years, Putin’s war in Ukraine, the AI revolution, global warming, and the U.S.-China conflict have all been accelerating.

Under Trump’s leadership over the past year and a half, the situation has only worsened.

It is clear that Trump lacks both the will and the ability to steer the world and the United States in a positive direction.

The biggest problem is his authoritarian tendencies; given his willingness to lie and commit wrongdoing, there is a high probability he will join forces with dictators in other countries.

As long as the Trump administration remains in power, the world will only get worse.

 

I sincerely hope that sensible American citizens will help the Democratic Party gain a significant number of seats in these midterm elections.

I hope this will lead to Trump’s impeachment, with the support of sensible Republican moderates.

If this does not happen, Trump’s dictatorship will be cemented, and peace and democracy will vanish from the world.

If that happens, the United States may leave a stain on world history.

 

Since entering World War II, the United States has saved the world and worked tirelessly for Japan’s recovery.

The United States has achieved remarkable progress, and the American Dream has been the object of our admiration.

But things have changed now.

 

 

 

Points to Keep in Mind

 

The current political situation in the United States is clearly abnormal.

This is because the problems that have been eroding the country for half a century have been left unaddressed.

While the causes are intricately intertwined, in a nutshell, it can be described as “the rise and fall brought about by arrogance.”

The division within American society has reached a critical stage.

This is partly due to the unaddressed income disparity, but it is also the result of people being manipulated into discriminating against and hating one another.

Over the past two years, I have traveled through eight states across the United States—north, south, east, and west—spending more than a month on each trip.

The towns and people were peaceful, and I witnessed countless instances of kindness, even toward the homeless.

To me, it seemed as though a segment of the American public was being incited, driven into a state of hysteria, and exploited for political gain.

 

 

And precisely because this division is so severe, until a few months ago, I predicted that the United States would never recover.

Incidentally, Emmanuel Todd believes that a U.S. recovery is impossible.

However, starting around mid-September, my despair began to give way to hope.

But even if independent voters swing toward the anti-Trump camp this time, we can’t expect much of a drop in support for the Republican Party and Trump supporters, so at best, we might only see a flip of the Senate and House of Representatives.

 

 

If that happens, it seems the next set of challenges will be waiting after the midterm elections.

For the United States to bounce back, mere partial improvements to its political, social, and economic systems will not suffice.

Fundamental reform—a break from neoliberalism (a shift away from money-driven politics, excessive emphasis on finance, and regressive taxation, and a return to public protection and regulation of labor rights, welfare, and other areas)—is necessary.

Implementing this will require a long and arduous congressional battle with the Republican Party, and it may take 10 to 20 years before tangible results become apparent.

Given that it took the same amount of time for economic inequality to worsen, this may be to be expected.

Will the American people understand this and be able to endure it?

After all, for half a century, they have been led to believe that neoliberalism is the right path.

 

I sincerely hope that the American people will be able to bounce back.

 

 

 

 

There’s one more issue.

 

It concerns the MAGA movement and the evangelicals.

To put it bluntly, good-natured and deeply devout people have, over the course of half a century, created a massive wave of change.

Unfortunately, the direction of that movement ran counter to the scientific age.

Despite sharing the same origins as Europeans, white Christians in the United States have lagged behind Europe in terms of secularization.

Contrary to their intentions, this has brought immense benefits to the wealthy (those with vested interests) and to Jews (who support Israel).

While there were likely various reasons for this delayed secularization, looking solely at the outcome, it appears that kind-hearted, innocent people are being manipulated and exploited.

 

This is an extremely alarming situation, and it must never be dismissed as merely a religious issue.

Something similar to the witch hunts of medieval Europe occurred in the United States after World War II.

Even after the fervor of the “Red Scare” subsided, that hostility toward the “devil” drove the nation toward the Vietnam War.

After all, both Japan and Germany were once swept up in the fervor of fascism, engulfing their entire populations and propelling them toward catastrophe.

 

I cannot think of a way to channel the convictions and passion held by the MAGA movement and evangelicals in a positive direction.

However, maintaining a sense of crisis regarding these issues is essential for improving society.

 

I have written some harsh words to the American people, but Japan, too, has made mistakes in the past.

I wrote this partly as an act of reflection on those mistakes.

Please do your best.

 

 

--Table of Contents---

 

Part 1: Who Is to Blame for the Deterioration?       Japanese and English

Part 2: The Path Chosen by the Imperial Army           Japanese only

Part 3: People Fascinated by Dictatorship               Japanese only

Part 4: What Is the Military Spirit of the Imperial Army?   Japanese only

Part 5: Looking Back on Japan’s Wars                  Japanese only

Part 6: Military Build-up and the Enemy                Japanese only

Part 7: Confronting War                             Japanese only

Part 8: A Request to the American People           Japanese and English

 

 

This concludes this series.

Thank you for reading.

 

 

Series: The Responsibility of the People, Part 1: Who Is to Blame for the Deterioration?

 When a country goes to war, I’d like to consider the question, “Do the people bear any responsibility?” in the context of Japan and the United States.

What Is the Responsibility of the People?

Observing the current situation in the United States, I’ve come to keenly feel the weight of “the people’s responsibility.”

If Trump were to complete his rise to dictatorship and plunge not only the United States but the entire world into a dire situation, whose responsibility would that be?

Trump’s current path is still incomplete, but if left unchecked, he will undoubtedly become a dictator.

While it is certainly true that the responsibility lies with those who propelled him to power, I believe that “the people who elected him also bear some responsibility.”

 

Why is that?

If Trump’s war eventually escalates into a large-scale conflict, causing massive damage and casualties both at home and abroad, who will bear the responsibility?

The United States has waged numerous wars since World War II, and the likelihood of it launching an even larger and more reckless war increases with the rise of a dictator.

If we liken Trump to a demagogue or a con artist, one might think that the American people who were deceived are merely victims and bear no responsibility.

Even in this case, however, the American people would likely bear “responsibility for causing harm to others through negligence.”

While those who voted for Trump should bear the greater share of responsibility, those who allowed this to happen also bear some degree of responsibility.

 

A Delicate Issue

Were the German people, who brought the Nazis and Hitler to power, or the Japanese people, who started the Sino-Japanese War, to blame?

Germany at the time was a democratic nation, and although the Nazis were elected, the establishment of a dictatorship would have been impossible without Hitler’s conspiracy (the Reichstag fire and the exclusion of the Communist Party through the declaration of a state of emergency).

At the very least, it seems that the approximately 30 percent of the population who voted for the Nazis at the time were at fault.

 

At the time the Manchurian Incident began, Japan’s Diet was run by the two major political parties elected through the ballot box.

However, politics was dominated by the military, which sought war, and the will of the people was not reflected in the political process.

It was extremely difficult for the people to rein in the military’s reckless actions (Public Order Maintenance Act, National General Mobilization Act).

Given this, it may be unreasonable to hold the people of that time responsible for any negligence.

 

Nevertheless, subsequently, the people of both nations harbored expectations for and even became enthusiastic about foreign invasions.

 

What about the United States today?

As life has become increasingly difficult for Americans, they were told, “I’ll easily get rid of the people who are making things worse,” and entrusted the solution to that demagogue (Trump).

What made this possible was the long-standing concealment of the truth—including “post-truth” narratives and “alternative facts”—by the entrenched interests.

The true causes of this deterioration lie in half a century of political practices, as I explained in Chapter 4 of the series “An Imminent and Severe Crisis.”

Over the past decade or so, online incitement and fake news have entered the picture.

To make matters worse, religious beliefs have been exploited, leading about one-quarter of Americans to stubbornly believe the agitators.

Even so, nearly half of the population is aware of the agitators’ lies and the danger they pose.

 

Looking at this situation, it seems that about half of the public—including religious people—bears some responsibility for being deceived and incited, but questions remain.

 

Are people who were deceived, incited, and led to make the wrong choice really to blame?

Aren’t they in the same boat as those who were deceived by con artists?

If we’re going to say that, then the German people who were swayed by Hitler’s demagoguery and voted for the Nazis are no different from the Japanese people who, under censorship, were unable to resist military dictatorship.

 

So what about the responsibility of those who tolerate dictatorship in exchange for the realization of religious beliefs—such as “a ban on abortion, opposition to same-sex marriage, and attacks on Palestine linked to the resurrection of Jesus”?

These people praise the authoritarian methods that made such beliefs a reality, yet they do not understand the true horror of dictatorship.

Ahead of the Fuehrer election, Hitler also secured the support of the German Center Party (a Catholic-affiliated party) by promising to protect the Church in exchange for their votes.

Shouldn’t politicians who exploit religious organizations for political gain in this manner be the ones held accountable?

 

When a country heads in the wrong direction, its citizens—though their individual power may be limited—are constantly faced with important choices.

Let’s take a closer look at this issue.

 

 

---Table of Contents---

 

Part 1: Who Is to Blame for the Deterioration?       Japanese and English

Part 2: The Path Chosen by the Imperial Army           Japanese only

Part 3: People Fascinated by Dictatorship               Japanese only

Part 4: What Is the Military Spirit of the Imperial Army?   Japanese only

Part 5: Looking Back on Japan’s Wars                  Japanese only

Part 6: Military Build-up and the Enemy                Japanese only

Part 7: Confronting War                             Japanese only

Part 8: A Request to the American People           Japanese and English

 

 

To be continued in the next episode.

 

 

連載 国民の責任 ８； 米国民へのお願い

  

国が戦争を始めた時、「国民に責任があるのか」、日本と米国について考えます。

 

今回は、米国について考えます。

 

既に連載「迫る多難な危機」の第4章で米国の混乱した状況を説明しました。

ここでは、米国民へのお願いと注意点を述べます。

 

米国民へのお願い

 

私が見る限り、世界は危機的な状況に突入している。

そして、これを止めるどころか増幅させているのがトランプ政権です。

ここ数年、プーチンのウクライナ戦争、AI革命、地球温暖化、米中対立等が加速している。

ここ１年半のトランプの采配で事態は悪化を深めているだけです。

トランプには、世界と米国を良い方向に導く意思と能力が無いのは明らかです。

一番の問題は、彼の独裁志向であり、虚言と悪事を厭わないことから見て、他国の独裁者と手を握る可能性が高い。

トランプ政権が倒れない限り、世界はより悪化する。

 

是非とも、良識ある米国民は、この中間選挙において圧倒的な勢いで民主党の議席を増やして欲しい。

これにより良識ある共和党穏健派の力を借りてトランプを弾劾して欲しい。

これが叶わなければ、トランプの独裁が完成し、世界から平和や民主主義は消えるだろう。

こうなれば米国は世界史に汚点を残すことになるかもしれない。

 

かつて米国は大戦への参戦以降、世界を救い、日本の再生にも尽力してくれた。

米国は素晴らしい発展を遂げ、アメリカンドリームは私たちの憧れの的でした。

しかし、今は変わってしまった。

 

 

注意していただきたいこと

 

米国の政治現状は、明らかに異常です。

これは半世紀の間、蝕まれて来たのを放置したからです。

この原因は複雑に絡まっているが、一言でいうと「驕りによる栄枯盛衰」でしょう。

米国社会の分断は致命的なまでに進んでいる。

これは放置された所得格差もあるが、差別と憎しみ合うように仕向けられた結果です。

ここ２年の間、私は米国の東西南北８州を１ヵ月以上かけて旅行して来ました。

町や人々は穏やかで、ホームレスにさえも親切な場面を幾度も見てきました。

私には、一部の米国民が煽られ、ヒステリックになり、政治利用されているように見えました。

 

そして、この分断は深刻なだけに、私は数か月前まで、米国が立ち直る事はないだろうと予測していた。

ちなみにエマニュエル・トッドは米国の再起は不可能と見ている。

しかし、９月中旬ぐらいから私の絶望は期待に変わり始めました。

だが今回、無党派層が反トランプに傾いても、共和党・トランプ支持層の支持率低下はあまり期待出来ないから、よくて上院下院の逆転止まりかもしれない。

 

そうなると中間選挙後に、次の苦難が待ち受けているように思う。

米国が再起するには、政治・社会・経済システムの一部改良ぐらいでは済まない。

根本的な改革―新自由主義からの脱却（金権政治・金融偏重・逆累進課税からの転換、労働権・福祉等公共の保護と規制の復活）が必要です。

これを実施するには、共和党との長く苦しい議会闘争が必要になり、目に見える成果の出現は１０～２０年後になるかもしれない。

経済格差が酷くなるのに、同じ年月を必要としたのですから、当然かもしれませんが。

米国民が、これを理解し耐えれるでしょうか？

なぜなら半世紀もの間、新自由主義が正しいと信じ込まされてきたのですから。

 

どうか、米国民に立ち直って欲しいと心から願います。

 

今一つ問題がある

 

それはMAGA派、福音派の問題です。

極論すれば、気の良い人々と信仰心の篤い人々が、半世紀をかけて大きなうねりを生んだ。

残念なことに、その方向は科学的な時代に逆行するものだった。

米国のクリスチャン白人層は、ヨーロッパと同じ出自であるにも関わらず、ヨーロッパに比べ世俗化が遅れている。

これは、彼らの想いと異なり、富裕層（既得権益層）とユダヤ人（イスラエル支援）に極上の恩恵をもたらした。

世俗化が遅れた経緯には、様々な理由があったでしょうが、結果だけを見れば、気の良い純粋な人々が煽られ利用されているとしか見えない。

 

これは非常に憂慮すべき状態であり、けして宗教だけの問題に済ませてはいけない。

中世ヨーロッパの魔女狩りと同様なことが大戦後に米国で起きました。

それは「赤狩り」の興奮が覚めても、その悪魔への敵意はベトナム戦争へに向かわせた。

かつて日本もドイツも、ファシズムの熱に浮かされ、すべての国民が飲み込まれ、破局まで突き進んだのですから。

 

私には、このMAGA派と福音派が持つ信念や熱量を、良い方向に向ける方法が思いつかない。

しかし、これらに対して危機意識を持つことは、社会をよくするために必要な事です。

 

米国民へ、厳しい事を書きましたが、かって日本も過ちを犯しました。

それへの反省の意味も込めて書きました。

どうか頑張ってください。

 

 

 

--目次---

 

１話；悪化の責任は誰に

２話；皇軍が選んだ道

３話；独裁に魅了された人々

４話；皇軍の軍人魂とは

５話；日本の戦争を振り返る

６話；軍備と敵について

７話；戦争に向き合う

８話；米国民へのお願い

 

 

これで、この連載を終えます。

お読み頂きありがとうございました。