"By the standards of modern civilization, Germany is a 20-year-old adult and Japan is a 12-year-old boy. Therefore, Germany and Japan should not be treated the same." This is an actual quote from MacArthur. His logic was that since Germany is a mature, civilized nation, it must take responsibility for its actions, but since Japan is an immature, 'uncivilized' country, the policy should focus on the US 'educating' them properly rather than just holding them accountable. Simply put, it's like the argument that 'pre-modern wars of conquest without the concept of human rights shouldn't be viewed the same as imperialism after the declaration of human rights'—essentially saying 'you can't treat the atrocities of a civilized nation and an uncivilized nation the same.' If you look closely, there's a subtle disparagement of Asian civilization here. If even Japan, the most modernized country in Asia, was compared to a 12-year-old boy, how do you think he viewed other Asian nations?
"Users react to MacArthur's '12-year-old boy' analogy for Imperial Japan, mocking the blatant 'White Man's Burden' arrogance of the era. Some make dark jokes about the atomic bombs' names, while others point out that Western indifference stems from not being the primary victims of Japan's atrocities."
#MixedContinue Browsing
