From the article of 'Petrel'
No.591 / July 28, 1996
Please
send us your opinion and the impression about this article without reservation.
"Compensation allowance" is given to "Sexual comfort of going to the front woman"
The sexual comfort of going to the front woman problem is a problem of raising of the nation
It is meaningless to demand "Apology" of Japanese government
The provision of "Compensation allowance" for the woman in Asia where "Sexual comfort woman" of a Japanese old army was made to be done will start from next month. "Asian peaceful, national conference for the woman" provides it for them and the amount of money is uniform 2,000,000 yen. It is said that the government will donate 700,000,000 yen as a medical treatment and welfare support excluding this. In addition, it is a masterpiece because it says that Prime Minister Hashimoto's "Letter of the apology" will pound to these gold. Let's think about this problem.
The government also pays 700,000,000 yen.
The reason why the government does not pay and a private volunteer group became gSubject" is that the government persists in the standpoint gCompensation has been settled between governments". It is the "Interpretation" that the government is unrelated to the problem because the problem of "Sexual comfort woman" has already been basically solved as the part in "Compensation".
However, because the government's not doing anything receives repulsion from Asian nations and the appearance as the nation is also bad, the government concocts a private group and decided to be put out the capital in excuse that it is applied to the support of the medical treatment etc.. The way is a makeshift way suitable for a bourgeois government.
On the other hand, citizens' ideologists and liberal public opinions insist as follows. The problem of gSexual comfort woman" is besides general compensation. A Japanese nation officially did not admit and does not admit the fact of sexual comfort woman's existence now, moreover, does not apologize formally. The government's admitting the facts and apologizing neatly is prior settlement. That is, they say that it is not amend allowances from the private organization but governments should apologize and make amends on that, it did not make amends actually if it was not amends money which the nation paid.
This insistence is repulsion to the government that concocte a private organization and request "Solution" by which it sticks to only the public position, appearance, and form. However, the saying is unsubstantial and does not consent the worker at all.
The Asahi News paper is emphasized in the editorial July 21 as follows.
"The fact that the army affected directly indirectly is recognized by the investigation of the government. Admitting the responsibility as the country and making amends to victims by the national expenditure are direction of an original solution."
And, having decided the government to pay the funds of 700,000,000 yen to the medical treatment and welfare talks to The Asahi News paper about the crumble of the standpoint "The individual does not make amends and amends have been solved by the country by the amends between nations" Therefore, that newspaper is said, "the government should declare compensation to the victim and it be declared in and out that the government has and accomplishes the responsibility".
Certainly, it is contradicted to say, gDo not make amends about the individual by the country" etc. expending the funds of 700,000,000 yen in fact. In case of this, the citizens' ideologists indict the nation and does not lack the pursued excuse.
Liberal covered with contradiction
What Liberal public opinion says is only contradiction.
In what meaning is this on the whole said though it is said, "The country is responsible"? Everyone knows that a present nation is neither a nation which fights until 1945 nor a nation of the tenno system fascism and the militarism as for the imperialism war.
For instance, can the worker class or the worker nation owe "Responsibility" to the brutality of the fascism nation? The worker nation will never owe "Responsibility" of the brutality of the fascism nation. The reason is for the worker nation to overthrow the fascism nation and to approve as the denial. The necessary one is not a moralistic problem "Responsibility" at all and is overthrow the fascism nation and the nation of a bourgeois militarism and exterminate fascism power and bourgeois power thoroughly and permanently.
Then, how do they if having appeared in place of the fascism nation is not worker's nation but a democracy nation? Only in this case, there is a room that the liberal appears. Because they can demand to comport this democracy nation with "Morally" and can put pressure to compensate for the brutality of a past fascism nation. In this case, the liberal is admitting the heir (that is, near relatives with whom blood is connected.) to the fascism nation this democracy nation and the heir without not asking and nor talking. Otherwise, the reason for it is that there are any grounds by which amends are demanded validity for the brutality of the fascism nation, for a present democracy nation either.
The worker opposes the opinion that present "Democracy" nation and the nation of the militarism until 1945 are another essentially one. And, the worker emphasize that a present rule class owes "Responsibility" to the brutality of the imperialism person before, because they begin to walk again on the same road.
However, does the way of fight against bourgeois rule class and present nation preach and urge reforming to behave the nation morally and to repent the past? It is quite nonsense to set up the problem in such winds. Because the bourgeois is bourgeois, their "reflecting" on the its own and class natures does not decide.
And, If a present nation is not the same as a past crime nation, why should a present democracy nation "compensate" for the crime of the tenno system nation, should it compensate?
Because it is a government in the country named same Japan, is that responsible? However, if the political and class characters of the nation change, it is a different nation. The militarism persons should "compensate" for the crime which the nation of the militarism committed with the nation of the militarism and was the nation of the militarism denied and do it say that the nation of another character should "assume the responsibility" based on what grounds?
Does liberal say that a present Japanese nation should compensate for the crime of a Japanese nation before, because the liberal is a national ideologist, too. How belief of the gap for each "Nation" it is! How exaggerated "fetischismus" it is! Exactly, liberal's reactionary essence is exposed.
We insist that there is not an effect either on the crime of the tenno system fascism nation, the militarism nation with the worker class.
If a present nation is a nation that fought as for the imperialism war before, a nation of monopolistic capital too, we agree completely with it. However, the nation that did the imperialism brutality before is not quit the same in it either. A constant distinction exists there, too.
Generalize it if you say "Damage".
If they demand "Compensation" of the brutality of the imperialism nation before of a present democracy nation, which range is the limit? If they say to compensate for "Damage", it is necessary to submit such demands all of people -- a worker people who are not only the foreigner people but also domestic -- who receive "Damage" in the war, not to hold only for "Sexual comfort woman". Otherwise, beginning and end cannot be consistent with the liberal. Any reason to gain discrimination here does not exist. However, it has never been heard that the liberal instituted the problem like this generally.
For instance, What "Amends" they are about to demand and gain for many worker activity persons who were able to be suppressed by the militarism nation, thrown at the prison, tortured, and killed? Liberals even do not think about such problems. If they demand gCompensation" to imperialism person's brutality of "Sexual comfort woman", for consistenting to do logically, they should similarly demand "Formal" apology of a lot of activity persons who were confined in prison and received big "Damage" with imperialism fighting of the nation and has enormous amount of "Amends" paid. Is it that what essential difference is between worker activity person and "Sexual comfort woman"?
A liberal and a radical ideologist -- they completely fall to "Citizens ideologists" now. -- Hardly has the concern in the brutality of the monopolistic capital in consciousness with imperialism for the worker activity person who is fighting people and fought now though they throw the tear with a hot sympathy for Sexual comfort woman. Can you say it is, that "Amends" is necessary for the worker activity person why? Does intentional existence they become not necessary amends but the reasons? Does a victim who is no conscious be necessary gAmends" and why shoot and get people who fought against this brutality left in consciousness? The liberal has the obligation answered this question. (Well, people who fought in consciousness have the demand about "Amends" etc. Because, the reason for they is to have aimed at the overthrow of the nation of the nation of this crime imperialism and the monopolistic capital before amends were demanded or it was necessary to aim. )
The liberal fusses over that it is a human rights violation, and woman's "honor and dignity" were damaged of the problem of "Sexual comfort woman" too. However, they are actually disgracing even "Sexual comfort woman". Because, they do not recommend that she fights to overthrow a bourgeois nation against the crime and the brutality -- of the past and present --, and to opposite, they recommend that she depends on the nation that violated the brutality her (they judge so) and demands amends. In short, because they compel her to be in the standpoint of "Victim", Existence passively and abjectly, Slave of system indefinitely. It is necessary that the liberal do so. Because, the false and the surface in liberal's standpoint is exposed at once if she awakes to a revolutionary standpoint.
If it is not amends of the nation, the liberal preaches to refuse to sexual comfort woman pompously. They say whether there is an essential difference while something amends of the private organization and amends of the nation. However, it is the one that is turning over this amends of the private organization in fact by the nation back and is similar one. Why is the liberal inconsiderate in that it is cheating only the lip service and it is open false even if a variety of "Formal" apology by this bourgeois nation is done? Or, is you to be believed in the apology only for the lip service of the nation? It is you who are quite auspicious.
Your vociferation vocal "Apologize! Apologize!" might be proof of your powerlessness and it be the confession. Making crime and imperialism and the class nation to apologize are not necessary.
Do not demand the apology only for the lip service etc. of the nation.
First, it is necessary to overthrow this nation in immediate and the revolution and demand of setting up the standpoint of "Humanism" is nonsense in this nation, if a present nation is the same nation as a brutal imperialism nation before.
They make that a present nation is a democracy the difference from the nation of the militarism before and the bourgeois nation to assumption, and further, they make a fuss "Make amends", "Take the responsibility", "Apologize" about "Sexual comfort woman". In case of that, Their being doing actually follows and colludes to this nation, not to exposure of this nation. That is, this exposes liberal's reactionary nature.
"However essentiality is a clear history of military invasion of Japan in root of problem recognition and a declaration of determination because of no repetition of such unhappiness" (The Asahi News paper)
How deceptive this might be! It says that the root of problem is a problem of mere "recognition" or "determination". This is a backup of the standpoint of the government, too. Because, the government also shows splendid "recognition" and "determination" in way of Hashimoto's "letter". A liberal public opinion that criticizes the government does not stand too much in a different standpoint with the government pompously either.
It is said, the recognition of the fact that there was "Military invasion of Japan" in the basis of the problem of sexual comfort woman" is important. However, does not the problem start because this "fact recognition" ends? It is a problem whether to draw out any practicing conclusion from this fact recognition. Should I demand moralistic reflection only on the lip service? (The monkey can do only if reflecting!) Or, is it necessary with its fight to the last minute consistently opposing the government of monopolistic capital that began to walk again on the road of the imperialism development?
It is not a consistent and class aspects but liberal sentimentalism becomes popular and thrive in the problem of "Sexual comfort woman". The consciousness worker should counterattack decisively to such tendencies.
(Hiroyoshi Hayashi)