Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Vertebrain Infiltrates the Pages of National Geographic: A Nation Mourns
While perusing the April 2004 National Geographic issue, I ran across this retarded letter, dealing with a previous issue's article on the samurai:

"The rising popularity of samurai culture in modern Japan makes me uneasy. American prisoners of war feared the samurai sword during WWII- a time when the samurai warrior code pervaded the Japanese military-because decapitation by sword was a common punishment. Many civilians, mostly Chinese and Koreans, were also beheaded or bayoneted by the Japanese under the twin banners of the warrior code and obedience to the emperor. This is why MacArthur confiscated 5 million swords after the war. To me, the samurai warrior is in many ways similar to the Nazis, and shouting seig heil and goose-stepping are frowned upon practices today. The samurai warrior code deserves to be treated the same way."

This man obviously has no idea what he's talking about. There is NO similarity between Nazism and the Bushido code, at all. Nazism is a racist belief, one that also has no meaning behind it other than pure, unadulterated bigotry and hatred. The Bushido code, on the other hand, is a code of honor, stressing high moral values both in and out of battle. I fail to see the similarity.

The Nazis went around declaring themselves the "master race", slaughtering millions of innocent people out of nothing more than hatred, along with a lifetime regiment of brain-washing. Yes, the Japanese did kill people during World War II. But then again, so did the United States, France, Britain, and Russia. The Bushido code was (and is) a code of standards designed as a guideline for not only battle situations, as per the time of the samurai (and is applicable even in modern times), but also for day-to-day life.

Saying that the Bushido code should be looked upon the same way as Nazism is moronic, factually unsound, and downright insulting to the Japanese people (along with everyone else gifted with a sac of protein housed in their craniums). Bushido was/is to the Japanese what Chivalry was/is to the Europeans. The two codes are, in fact, so similar one could theorize they are indeed the very same. (Not that they are, they're just very, VERY similar) Nazism, on the other hand, had no code of honor within it; unless you consider mindless slaughtering of innocent men, women, and children "honorable".

And thus, I have discovered yet another moron hiding in the midst of the marginally sane.

In closing, I hope more people join my debate forums, and that those same people (if able) vote for John Kerry. Because, in case you haven't noticed... I. DON'T. LIKE. GEORGE W BUSH. :D
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