Sorting Through Shinzo Abe's Dog Whistles

August 15, 2015 is the 70 year anniversary of the end of World War II. With it, a fresh round of tension builds in East Asia over Japan's recognition of its past. Every year around this time, the Japanese Prime Minister would issue a statement, China and Korea would react in anger, each side would engage in a war of words, only to repeat the next year. This tends to bewilder the observers outside of East Asia. To the people who only occasionally pay attention to East Asia, Japan's annual statements sure look like an apology, and Korea/China appear petty for questioning the sincerity of the apologies.

This outlook comes partially from the fact that the occasional observer lacks the historical context of the rhetoric being used in the apology. As George Orwell eloquently noted, it is common in politics to use coded language to disguise the true meaning of a statement that is deeply offensive. In the U.S., these code words are known as "dog whistle"--ordinary people cannot hear them, but those who are familiar with the context react to those words.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
(source)
Shinzo Abe, Japan's right-wing prime minister, is a master of dog whistles. His statement yesterday, commemorating the 70 year anniversary of the end of World War II, was rife with coded language. For those who are not familiar with those codes, TK will reproduce the entire statement below, and point out exactly where the dog whistles are.

Before we jump in, it would be helpful to know how the Japanese right wing, including Prime Minister Abe, recalls the history of Japan in the first half of 20th century. Below is the summarized version:
In the late 19th century, Western nations began the trend of imperialism, in which they invaded and subjugated the rest of the world based on the idea of white race's superiority. To defend itself against these forces, Japan modernized quickly and formed the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere, made up of neighboring Asian nations in the spirit of racial solidarity. Other empires attempt to suppress the rise of the Japanese empire by choking Japan off of the vital natural resources that it required. Japan tried to break the deadlock by attacking Pearl Harbor, which led to World War II. In the end, Japan was defeated.
Note how in this alternative telling of history, Japan is not the aggressor but a victim. Japan did not colonize its neighbors and murdered their resisting people; it organized them into a larger unit to fight against the onslaught of Europeans and Americans. World War II did not begin with Imperial Japan's cowardly attack on Pearl Harbor, but with other empires trying to put down the ascendant Japan. Japan did nothing wrong, other than to lose the war.

This vile revisionist history is what the Japanese right wing, including Shinzo Abe, firmly believes in. And the view of history is obviously displayed in Abe's statement yesterday, if one only knew where to look.

Full analysis of Shinzo Abe's statement,after the jump.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.




Shinzo Abe's full statement, which is available here, is reproduced in full below. Important passages are highlighted in blue, followed by TK's discussion in bold.

Statement by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
Friday, August 14, 2015

On the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, we must calmly reflect upon the road to war, the path we have taken since it ended, and the era of the 20th century. We must learn from the lessons of history the wisdom for our future.

More than one hundred years ago, vast colonies possessed mainly by the Western powers stretched out across the world. With their overwhelming supremacy in technology, waves of colonial rule surged toward Asia in the 19th century. There is no doubt that the resultant sense of crisis drove Japan forward to achieve modernization. Japan built a constitutional government earlier than any other nation in Asia. The country preserved its independence throughout. The Japan-Russia War gave encouragement to many people under colonial rule from Asia to Africa.

[TK:  Here we have our first dog whistle, the Russo-Japanese War. The Japanese right wing considers the Russo-Japanese War, which occurred in 1905, as the decisive moment at which Japan repelled the Western powers (i.e. Russia) colonizing Asia. This conveniently excuses Japan from the fact that it was engaged in its own colonization of Korea, which became Japan's protectorate in 1905. Instead, Japan's victory supposedly "gave encouragement" to Asians and Africans.]

After World War I, which embroiled the world, the movement for self-determination gained momentum and put brakes on colonization that had been underway. It was a horrible war that claimed as many as ten million lives. With a strong desire for peace stirred in them, people founded the League of Nations and brought forth the General Treaty for Renunciation of War. There emerged in the international community a new tide of outlawing war itself.

[TK:  World War I ended in 1918. Note that Abe's overview of history skips from 1905 to 1918--during which Japan colonized Korea completely. Japan made Korea its protectorate in 1905, and fully annexed Korea in 1910. In the process, Japan killed tens of thousands of Koreans who resisted the colonization. Whatever "brakes" on colonization that appeared after WWI did not apply to Japan.]

At the beginning, Japan, too, kept steps with other nations. However, with the Great Depression setting in and the Western countries launching economic blocs by involving colonial economies, Japan's economy suffered a major blow. In such circumstances, Japan's sense of isolation deepened and it attempted to overcome its diplomatic and economic deadlock through the use of force. Its domestic political system could not serve as a brake to stop such attempts. In this way, Japan lost sight of the overall trends in the world.

[TK:  Here is the clearest statement of how Abe and Japan's right wing sees the development of World War II. Western colonial powers backed Imperial Japan into a corner, which forced Japan's hand toward fighting a war.]

With the Manchurian Incident, followed by the withdrawal from the League of Nations, Japan gradually transformed itself into a challenger to the new international order that the international community sought to establish after tremendous sacrifices. Japan took the wrong course and advanced along the road to war.

And, seventy years ago, Japan was defeated.

[TK:  This is the maximum apologia that the Japanese right wing government is willing to concede. That is: Japan was not wrong to invade Korea and China, but it was wrong to war against the Western powers in World War II. Of course, the rank-and-file Japanese right often reject even this much.]

On the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, I bow my head deeply before the souls of all those who perished both at home and abroad. I express my feelings of profound grief and my eternal, sincere condolences.

More than three million of our compatriots lost their lives during the war: on the battlefields worrying about the future of their homeland and wishing for the happiness of their families; in remote foreign countries after the war, in extreme cold or heat, suffering from starvation and disease. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the air raids on Tokyo and other cities, and the ground battles in Okinawa, among others, took a heavy toll among ordinary citizens without mercy.

[TK:  At this point of the speech, Abe finishes recounting the history (as he sees it) and moves toward an apology. Notice how the apologia begins with the Japanese casualty. The favorite move by the Japanese right is to emphasize, first and foremost, how Japan suffered in World War II--the war of their own making. In this context, Hiroshima and Nagasaki are their favorite talking points. Although the atomic bombings may come with some level of legitimate grievances, the reference to Okinawa is completely ridiculous since it was the Japanese military that used the Okinawan civilians as conscripted soldiers and human shields.]

Also in countries that fought against Japan, countless lives were lost among young people with promising futures. In China, Southeast Asia, the Pacific islands and elsewhere that became the battlefields, numerous innocent citizens suffered and fell victim to battles as well as hardships such as severe deprivation of food. We must never forget that there were women behind the battlefields whose honour and dignity were severely injured.

[TK:  That line is in reference to Comfort Women, i.e. Imperial Japan's use of rape camps staffed with conscripted women, most of whom were Koreans and Chinese. There is no discussion about who these women were, how their "honor and dignity" were injured, and who caused those injuries--just the vague idea that a lot of people (including the Japanese! Don't forget!) suffered.]

Upon the innocent people did our country inflict immeasurable damage and suffering. History is harsh. What is done cannot be undone. Each and every one of them had his or her life, dream, and beloved family. When I squarely contemplate this obvious fact, even now, I find myself speechless and my heart is rent with the utmost grief.

The peace we enjoy today exists only upon such precious sacrifices. And therein lies the origin of postwar Japan.

We must never again repeat the devastation of war.

Incident, aggression, war -- we shall never again resort to any form of the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes. We shall abandon colonial rule forever and respect the right of self-determination of all peoples throughout the world.

[TK:  The highlighted portion is the only reference to Japan's colonization, instead of its war path. This is in line with Japan's right wing beliefs: at most, Japan was wrong to go to war, but not wrong to colonize. In addition, the highlighted sentence is a non sequitur because Abe steadfastly refused to talk about Japan's colonization of Korea so far in this statement. Japan is pledging to abandon colonial rule, but never said it colonized anyone.]

With deep repentance for the war, Japan made that pledge. Upon it, we have created a free and democratic country, abided by the rule of law, and consistently upheld that pledge never to wage a war again. While taking silent pride in the path we have walked as a peace-loving nation for as long as seventy years, we remain determined never to deviate from this steadfast course.

Japan has repeatedly expressed the feelings of deep remorse and heartfelt apology for its actions during the war. In order to manifest such feelings through concrete actions, we have engraved in our hearts the histories of suffering of the people in Asia as our neighbours: those in Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines, and Taiwan, the Republic of Korea and China, among others; and we have consistently devoted ourselves to the peace and prosperity of the region since the end of the war.

Such position articulated by the previous cabinets will remain unshakable into the future.

[TK:  Notice Abe only notes that Japan previously apologized; nowhere in the statement does he add his apology. "We apologized before" is the maximum that Japan's right wing is willing to say. This paragraph is also the first and only place in the statement that refers to Korea by name, although Korea arguably suffered the most under Japan's colonization.]

However, no matter what kind of efforts we may make, the sorrows of those who lost their family members and the painful memories of those who underwent immense sufferings by the destruction of war will never be healed.

Thus, we must take to heart the following.

The fact that more than six million Japanese repatriates managed to come home safely after the war from various parts of the Asia-Pacific and became the driving force behind Japan’s postwar reconstruction; the fact that nearly three thousand Japanese children left behind in China were able to grow up there and set foot on the soil of their homeland again; and the fact that former POWs of the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia and other nations have visited Japan for many years to continue praying for the souls of the war dead on both sides.

How much emotional struggle must have existed and what great efforts must have been necessary for the Chinese people who underwent all the sufferings of the war and for the former POWs who experienced unbearable sufferings caused by the Japanese military in order for them to be so tolerant nevertheless?

That is what we must turn our thoughts to reflect upon.

Thanks to such manifestation of tolerance, Japan was able to return to the international community in the postwar era. Taking this opportunity of the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, Japan would like to express its heartfelt gratitude to all the nations and all the people who made every effort for reconciliation.

[TK:  Following up "We apologized before" with "Look at all these countries that forgave us already." It is also notable that millions of Japanese colonizers were allowed to leave Korea safely at the end of World War II, but Abe cannot be bothered to mention it. This is leading to the coup d'grace of this statement.]

In Japan, the postwar generations now exceed eighty per cent of its population. We must not let our children, grandchildren, and even further generations to come, who have nothing to do with that war, be predestined to apologize. Still, even so, we Japanese, across generations, must squarely face the history of the past. We have the responsibility to inherit the past, in all humbleness, and pass it on to the future.

[TK:  This is the heart of the statement--that Japan apologized enough. It is quickly followed up with the necessity to "squarely face the history of the past." But of course, the "history" is the one that Abe already outlined in the beginning of the speech, in which Japan was liberating its neighbors to fight the Western powers, and began World War II only after being backed into a corner.]

Our parents’ and grandparents’ generations were able to survive in a devastated land in sheer poverty after the war. The future they brought about is the one our current generation inherited and the one we will hand down to the next generation. Together with the tireless efforts of our predecessors, this has only been possible through the goodwill and assistance extended to us that transcended hatred by a truly large number of countries, such as the United States, Australia, and European nations, which Japan had fiercely fought against as enemies.

[TK:  Just in case you forgot, Shinzo Abe wants you to know that the Japanese really suffered from World War II. There would be no further reference to those who suffered at the hands of the Japanese.]

We must pass this down from generation to generation into the future. We have the great responsibility to take the lessons of history deeply into our hearts, to carve out a better future, and to make all possible efforts for the peace and prosperity of Asia and the world.

We will engrave in our hearts the past, when Japan attempted to break its deadlock with force. Upon this reflection, Japan will continue to firmly uphold the principle that any disputes must be settled peacefully and diplomatically based on the respect for the rule of law and not through the use of force, and to reach out to other countries in the world to do the same. As the only country to have ever suffered the devastation of atomic bombings during war, Japan will fulfil its responsibility in the international community, aiming at the non-proliferation and ultimate abolition of nuclear weapons.

[TK:  One more dog whistle to emphasize that, at most, Japan was wrong to war, not to colonize. And another attempt at atomic guilt.]

We will engrave in our hearts the past, when the dignity and honour of many women were severely injured during wars in the 20th century. Upon this reflection, Japan wishes to be a country always at the side of such women’s injured hearts. Japan will lead the world in making the 21st century an era in which women’s human rights are not infringed upon.

[TK:  Abe's second reference at Comfort Women is positively offensive. It wasn't the Imperial Japanese army that injured women; it was the "wars in the 20th century."]

We will engrave in our hearts the past, when forming economic blocs made the seeds of conflict thrive. Upon this reflection, Japan will continue to develop a free, fair and open international economic system that will not be influenced by the arbitrary intentions of any nation. We will strengthen assistance for developing countries, and lead the world toward further prosperity. Prosperity is the very foundation for peace. Japan will make even greater efforts to fight against poverty, which also serves as a hotbed of violence, and to provide opportunities for medical services, education, and self-reliance to all the people in the world.

We will engrave in our hearts the past, when Japan ended up becoming a challenger to the international order. Upon this reflection, Japan will firmly uphold basic values such as freedom, democracy, and human rights as unyielding values and, by working hand in hand with countries that share such values, hoist the flag of “Proactive Contribution to Peace,” and contribute to the peace and prosperity of the world more than ever before.

Heading toward the 80th, the 90th and the centennial anniversary of the end of the war, we are determined to create such a Japan together with the Japanese people.

August 14, 2015
Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan

*                            *                             *

To the uninitiated, Abe's statement reads like an apology; to the people of Japan, China and Korea, the familiar dog whistles are everywhere in Shinzo Abe's statement. It reads quite clearly: that Japan's brutal colonization was an act of self-defense; the Western powers forced Japan's hand into going to war, and; Japan is sorry for going to war, but hey, war is a terrible thing generally for everyone involved, and by the way, the Japanese suffered more than everyone.

If that has not been a clear enough indication of Shinzo Abe's intention, perhaps this will help: shortly after his speech, Abe sent a ritual gift to the Yasukuni Shrine, which enshrines Japan's World War II war criminals.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

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