#84: For Non-Divisive Diversity (PART 6)

By Joe Kim

​【National Interest】
In many ways, when it comes to wars/conflicts, nationality and its borders are exploited to the ugliest extreme of divisiveness fueled by inborn privilege.
 
In fact, wars/conflicts are most often waged at the national level. It’s because the existing military system around the world is designed on a single-nation basis, with each country in control of its own armed forces.
 
This system allows nations to deploy their troops under the banner of "protecting our own citizens." Humanity continues to repeat the senseless history of war for thousands of years because this system is prone to exploitation--to selfishly advance national interests at the expense of others.
 
To sustain this system, governments fan the flames of patriotism.  And when push comes to shove, killing fellow humans becomes an honorable deed, while refusing to kill becomes a criminal act. Under a blind pledge of allegiance to the flag, the military won’t hesitate to take away the freedom, livelihood, dignity, happiness, and life of not only its enemies but also its own citizens.
 
In this way, our sense of patriotism is often abused and the emotion of fear amplified to force us to kill and praise killers. It’s a classic example of a nation’s propaganda to ensure that we glorify war, making it easier for governments to wage it whenever they choose . Regrettably, we witness this pattern in many countries across the globe.
 
Naturally, love for one’s homeland is admirable, but it’s important to keep it within reason--away from violence and hatred. For instance, it’s fine to cheer for our home team in soccer, but don’t let it run out of whack by inciting violence or hateful words.
 
Likewise, it’s fine to rave about American hamburgers are “the best in the world!” But when we begin to shout “America-First,” people in other countries are encouraged to respond with similar nationalist sentiments. This cycle deepens division  rather than unity around the globe. If everyone embraces the idea of "As long as my country benefits, it doesn't matter if others suffer," then the world will be mired in cruelty and hatred.
 
Even so, "My-Country-First" policies tend to gain populist traction because the existing global system of nationality grants voting rights only to a country's own citizens. When only the beneficiaries of those policies are allowed to vote, the election results won’t budge a bit no matter how hard the non-citizens who stand to lose from those same policies oppose them.
 
It’s a classic example of inborn privilege and division. Politicians who selfishly advance national interests are convenient tools for those who choose to ride the wave of privilege and division.
 
The consequences of this mindset can be devastating, as demonstrated by the ongoing Russian military’s abhorrent invasion of Ukraine. The Putin administration’s gruesome mass murder is the result of years of support from corrupt oligarchs and many Russian citizens who, knowingly or not, choose to ride the wave of privilege and division.
 
In March, Russia enacted a law making it a criminal offense to describe its military actions in Ukraine as a "war" or an "invasion." "Journalists who call it as such will be jailed up to 15 years.” Lies and threats have now become the law of the land in Russia.
 
That same month, after being detained for 8 hours at a police station in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, a Russian woman named Vera Kotova became one of the first people convicted under a new law prohibiting the "discrediting" of the Russian military. Her crime: writing "No to war" with a heart mark in the snow.
 
What’s more, since the invasion began, sexual violence of Ukrainian women by Russian soldiers have become disturbingly widespread. Outside Kyiv, a woman was raped repeatedly by a Russian soldier after her husband was killed. In the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, a mother of four was gang raped by Russian soldiers.
 
These atrocities evoke memories of Japanese military’s invasions of many Asian nations including China and Korea in the first half of the 20th century. It reminds us of the Japanese military abusing its own citizens who opposed the gruesome war, calling them traitors, ripping their families apart, jailing, and torturing.
 
It reminds us of Japanese soldiers raping women in the Asian villages, laughing and killing their families, and then burning their homes to destroy evidence. Nor should we forget the estimated 50 thousand to 200 thousand women from at least 11 countries who were coerced into sexual slavery by Militarist Japan. [See #22]
 
The historical evidence surrounding these crimes is extensive. These heinous crimes cannot be reasonably denied as troves of factual evidence have been unearthed from the public documents made available by the governments including Japan, US, Netherlands, Australia; as well as decades of scholarly research carried out around the world; and testimonies, memoirs,  wartime diaries, and accounts from Japanese veterans, military physicians who were stationed at war zones, and politicians.
 
Despite this body of evidence, the vast majority of the central figures of ruling Liberal Democratic Party--including former-Prime Ministers Shinzo Abe, Taro Aso, Yoshihide Suga, and the current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida--are members of Nippon Kaigi (Japan Conference) who insists that “Japan’s wars weren’t invasions.”
 
Nippon Kaigi bends the facts by promoting lies such as “there were no sex slaves” or “Nanjing Massacre never happened.” To make things worse, Japan Innovation Party (Nippon Ishin), now the third-largest party in the National Diet after gaining populist votes in recent elections, promotes similar lies.
 
These actions and words remind us of Putin administration. And like many Russian citizens, many Japanese citizens, knowingly or not, are also choosing to ride the wave of privilege and division by supporting these political parties.
 
Truth be told, when it comes to wars/conflicts, nationality and its borders are exploited as divisive tools pitting nations against nations, citizens against citizens.

Read Next: For Non-Divisive Diversity (7)【Hypocrisy】
Read Previous: For Non-Divisive Diversity (5)【Citizenship】
 
Complete Series: For Non-Divisive Diversity (1)～(7)
[1]   [2]   [3]   [4]   [5]   [6]   [7]   
​
Read Theme: Inclusive Diversity