Japanese and European far-right gather in Tokyo

[pampango]

Source: France24

European right-wing parties met in Tokyo Thursday at the invitation of a group that denies Japan's World War II atrocities, ahead of the anniversary of the country's surrender. At the invitation of Japan's Issui-kai movement, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the leader of France's National Front, and Adam Walker, the British National Party's number two, convened to discuss the future of nationalist groups.

Representatives from Austria, Portugal, Spain, Hungary, Romania and Belgium also took part in the two-day congress which was held at an upscale hotel on the former estate of Meiji-era (1868-1912) statesman Prince Aritomo Yamagata.

The delegates will visit the controversial Yasukuni war shrine on Saturday, one day ahead of the 65th anniversary of Japan's WWII surrender on August 15.
The shrine, which honours 2.5 million Japanese war dead, including 14 top war criminals from World War II, has often been a flashpoint in Japan's relations with China and South Korea.

"If we talk about war criminals, aren't those who bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki also war criminals," he asked, referring to the United States which dropped atomic bombs on the two cities on August 6 and 9, hastening Japan's surrender. "The war criminal does not belong exclusively to the defeated. They are also among the victors."

Issui-kai, or the "Wednesday Society," was formed in the 1970s by fans of novelist Yukio Mishima, who committed suicide after failing to inspire Japan's Self-Defence Forces to a coup d'etat that would restore the powers of the emperor.

The movement's head, Mitsuhiro Kimura, doubts the Japanese army's killing of Chinese civilians in the 1937 Nanking Massacre ran into hundreds of thousands, and denies the sexual slavery of "comfort women" for Japanese soldiers. He seeks to strengthen links with international right-wing groups to counter what he describes as the threat of a low birthrate in advanced nations, which raises the necessity for large-scale immigration.

Read more: http://www.france24.com/en/20100813-japan-europe-far-right-gathering-tokyo-yasukuni-shrine-le-pen-ww2

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Bet the repubs and teabaggers are bummed they didn't get invited.

[DavidDvorkin]

1. Why, it's like the 1930s all over again.

[txlibdem]

9. Do over

It's like the 1930s all over again. The no-regulation crowd got into power, regulation of businesses and banks were ended or ignored, and then the economy collapsed. Then the right wing immediately started spewing the lie that gov't spending must be cut. Here we are again.

In the 1930s, however, there was a powerful and widespread Socialist movement in America. This is the main reason the Democrats fought to end corporate abuses, expand labor unions, enact legislation and regulations that would end the banks irresponsible behavior.

So the solution is clear: We need a large and active Socialist movement here in America.

[DavidDvorkin]

10. The American right has been so successful at tainting the word Socialist

that it might be necessary to come up with a synonym.

[txlibdem]

11. Synonym contest

Sounds like it needs its own thread but I'll give it a shot.

How about: The Take Our Country Back From the Rich Bastards Party

[DavidDvorkin]

12. I like that!

[txlibdem]

13. Any suggestions?

:-)

[mike r]

2. Ah, the good old days...

[Overseas]

3. K&R! //nt

[elehhhhna]

4. those fuckers are trouble...and not one muslim in the bunch!

[davidinalameda]

7. maybe they can go to Iran for the next Holocaust deniers' meeeting

[formercia]

8. They need a Grand Mufti for that

all part of the Potentate to be formed by OBL.

http://www.shalomjerusalem.com/mohammedism/mohammedism21.html

[formercia]

5. same schtick

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_of_Honor_of_the_German_Mother



The Cross of Honor of the German Mother' (German: Ehrenkreuz der deutschen Mutter'), but often referred to simply as the Mothers Cross (Mutterkreuz), was an award of the Nazi regime.

This award was instituted on 16 December 1938 as part of Hitler's initiative to encourage Aryan population growth. Only women of German origin qualified for such awards, though women from absorbed Germanic countries and areas (such as Austria, the Sudetenland and Danzig) were also eligible. A mother could be awarded a bronze, silver, or gold cross depending on the number of children she had borne. Eight or more would entitle the woman to a gold cross, six to seven for silver, and four to five for bronze.<1>

The medal was not a permanent award, as mothers stood to be stripped of the Mother's Cross if they proved themselves unworthy through neglect of their children, marital infidelity, or any other social offense.<2>

The crosses were awarded annually on the second Sunday in May (Mothering Sunday or Mother's Day), so despite its institution in 1938, the first awards were rendered in May 1939. The last awards were presented in 1944.<3>

The first woman to receive the Cross of Honor of the German Mother was Magda Goebbels, the wife of Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels.<4> The couple had six children, and Madga was awarded the Silver Medal.

--snip--

[davidinalameda]

6. Tokyo Gay Pride is this weekend

hope nothing happens

[psychopomp]

14. Lest we forget

Right-wing revisionists are supported by apologists in academia here in Japan but there is no doubt that atrocities were committed on a large scale in Nanjing. If you have the stomach for it there is a documentary that hits the proper tone for discussing this issue:
http://documentaryheaven.com/the-rape-of-nanking-%E2%80%93-nanjing-massacre/