X-Message-Number: 16919 Date: Sat, 07 Jul 2001 22:19:08 -0700 From: Mike Perry <> Subject: Japanese relocation and our future Several of us have posted on the subject of the relocation and/or internment of ethnic Japanese in the U.S. and Canada in WWII. Here on Cryonet we are sensitized to the problem of off-topic postings and the subject in question doesn't involve cryonics. We justified our attention to it on grounds of our consideration of the whole immortalist perspective, which requires us to ask how people of the future might think of us, which leads to considering the track record of the human race in the century just past. (That's how it started, wasn't it?) As for the action itself, there seems to be general agreement that it was not good, but disagreement as to whether it was still reasonable in view of what was *thought* to be necessary at the time. I for one have leaned toward the view that it was entirely unreasonable even by the standards of the time. To pass judgment on an issue like this, on the other hand, is not easy unless you have a lot of knowledge of the subject (if then). My knowledge comes mainly from a study I did in the 1960s as part of some classroom work, and also some contact in Hawaii with relatives of some of the detainees. More study is needed to be definitive, perhaps a great deal more. Possibly none of us has the time to conduct the necessary research, in view of priorities (I don't for one) but something can be learned by a web search. When I looked I found an interesting commentary by Bill Hopwood, USN-retired, who says, "We agree that it was a sad chapter in our history and the US Government atoned for their actions by various legislation passed by the US Congress in 1948, 1952 and in 1988." His further comments will be found at http://www.pnorthwestbooks.com/docs/jai_summary.html. Hopwood in some measure defends the action, if uncomfortably, and notes that it involved relocation of some and (additionally) internment of others--the two terms are not synonymous. It also included ethnic Germans and Italians, though not as many. As for the Japanese, in some cases there were people actively demonstrating support for Emperor Hirohito, who were put into special camps. Many of the detainees too (not necessarily demonstrators) were Japanese nationals, not Japanese-Americans, thus classified as "enemy aliens." In all it's a complex issue. (And I haven't addressed the Canadian situation here, something I know little about.) It's one of those things that can be argued about endlessly, and probably will be. But to me the parallel case of Hawaii, where there was no comparable relocation though a larger proportion of Japanese, requires an explanation I haven't seen, if we are to accept the California policy as an entirely reasonable one in view of circumstances. Overall I still think the Californians overreacted, and there was what amounted to unconscionable mistreatment of innocent civilians. I won't deny there is another side to this too, however. War is not pretty. And the allies at least did better with their detainees than their opponents did with theirs, often far better. In the future I hope, like the rest of us, that wars and other barbarities will become unthinkable and no longer happen. But I think this will require, not merely technological advances but remaking ourselves. We must become more than human to eliminate the vices humans are prone to. We must develop into truly superior beings and cannot remain at the level of Homo sapiens which is, after all, one more of nature's many gimmicks for perpetuating genes. We can do it, I am convinced, without sacrificing our identity as individuals. The species thus will die while we ourselves live on and go to better things, like a child passing to an enlightened adulthood and beyond. This I realize is a controversial viewpoint not shared by all--but I don't see another way out. On the other hand it's possible to be hopeful and eager about the coming transition to more-than-human, and I for one am very optimistic. Mike Perry Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=16919