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Viewer comments >
This sounds like an important programme for two reasons - one is to remember and thank those who did so much to defeat the terror of 60 years ago - one shudders to think of a world in which the Axis Powers had prevailed (or if the Nazis had broken the nuclear code before we did).
This will be the last big anniversary for most of those involved and represents a major opportunity to pay tribute and, hopefully, to learn from them.
This brings me to the second point and the question your announcement raises.
When we discuss "history" in Asia, it revolves almost exclusively around what the Japanese did 60 years ago, forgetting about the remarkable transformation undertaken by Japan.
We took a group of young Japanese and Chinese scholars to the Pearl Harbor Memorial. The Japanese felt terrible about what their grandfathers did but do not feel personally "connected" to the event.
The Chinese could not understand how we could "forgive and forget" so easily. We all have a lot to learn.
Ralph Cossa, President of the Pacific Forum CSIS - Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Honolulu
First I would like to say that the producer's effort to ask youngsters' views was a good effort.
However, maybe an additional question would be good - "What would they sacrifice today in order to maintain the peace that we are enjoying now" eg 5Cs,comfort, etc.
My generation or the friends that I mostly hang out with did not have to suffer much. We are the privileged, or so to speak. Whatever stories we
hear from our grandparents remain just that, stories. We did not have to experience that pain and suffering so we will never know. We can only
cherish what we have now and appreciate the sacrifices that they made for us.
Given that, I believe that each generation had their own battles to fight - it's just a question of whether they were worth the while to fight
them.
Perhaps one of the good things that came out of the NKF (charity) shows is that it shed light on people who were fighting to live on, given the adversity they had to put up with.
That to me is the champion of the human spirit, to move on and put down the historical baggage despite having made the personal sacrifices, both for those who went through the war and those who had to make personal sacrifices.
Valerie Quek Li Wen
I'm glad I watched the second episode tonight. It was far more engaging and thought-provoking than the first. Mr. Katsumata was an excellent choice for the panel to balance the views of the war veterans.
He raised many salient points, not all I agree with but nonetheless interesting. I very much enjoyed the mini-debate between him and the articulate Mr Comber on Japan's attitudes pertaining to the war.
The youth question was also touched upon quite nicely - not provoking enough (where are the all the students who so passionately reject war today based on the lessons of history?) but that may just be me not recognising the constraints media here faces.
Anyhow, kudos to your team for a very interesting second episode!
Audrey V
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