Canadian PoW unimpressed by Japanese apology

[james]

Japan apologized Thursday for the harsh mistreatment of Canadian prisoners of war after the disastrous Battle of Hong Kong in the Second World War.

For one Canadian who was imprisoned in Japan during the war, however, the belated apology isn't worth much.

"Apologies don't mean a thing. There's no money in apologies and you can't eat 'em," said John Ford, now a resident of St. John's, who spent 3 1/2 years in a Japanese PoW camp in Nagasaki as a forced labourer. "At my stage in the game, there's not a thing they can do for me.

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[Jack]

Typical Canadian pauper. Money, money, money.

Don't wish me Merry Christmas, just give me money.
Don't have a company party, just give me the money.
Don't pat me on the back for a job well done, just give me money.

[BigInJapan]

Japan apologized Thursday for the harsh mistreatment of Canadian prisoners of war after the disastrous Battle of Hong Kong in the Second World War.

Interesting article.
That link is for a squished mobile browser, the regular computer browser version is here.

[Netherlander]

Typical Canadian pauper. Money, money, money.

Don't wish me Merry Christmas, just give me money.
Don't have a company party, just give me the money.
Don't pat me on the back for a job well done, just give me money.

What ever maybe your opinion about his comments, this man spent 3 and a half years in a POW camp. I don't care which side you were on, nobody who experienced that should have to be insulted in the manner you did. Keep it to yourself man! He at least deserves to vent.

[Coligny]

Can't we just give a bit of a break to Jack... sometimes ?

[james]

Typical Canadian pauper. Money, money, money.

i'm not sure any amount of financial compensation can right what happened and what he should have received.

that said, the guy experienced and bore witness to some absoltuely horrific atrocities at the hands of the japanese imperial army and had to wait through seventy years of denial and stonewalling for any acknowledgement that the event even occurred and atonement for his (and others') brutal treatment. were i in his position, i'm not sure i'd be able to see it as much more than a slap in the face at this point.

[Greji]

Typical Canadian pauper. Money, money, money.

Don't wish me Merry Christmas, just give me money.
Don't have a company party, just give me the money.
Don't pat me on the back for a job well done, just give me money.

Way to stick up for the vets Jack. BTW which war did you serve in?

[Russell]

Way to stick up for the vets Jack. BTW which war did you serve in?

In a tomato war.

[Coligny]

Lebpillowfight !!!

[Russell]

Lebpillowfight !!!

I just knew you would find a better war than mine.

But, where is Jack?!?
[SIZE="1"][color="Silver"](Don't tell me he is in the freezer at the center right)[/color][/SIZE]

[Greji]

I just knew you would find a better war than mine.

But, where is Jack?!?

Nah, he went screaming at the door when the broads banished the pillows in his direction.....

[Jack]

Way to stick up for the vets Jack. BTW which war did you serve in?

An official appology should have been enough but no, this guy says he wants money. And I think that's sinking to new lows. If my Prime Minister wants to wage war on some country that doesn't threaten our sovereignty (i.e. in Iraq), he should feel free to go to the front himself.

[james]

Way to stick up for the vets Jack. BTW which war did you serve in?

hey, go easy on him, i believe he had several tastebuds amputated after serving two gruelling back-to-back tours of duty in the cola wars.

[Greji]

An official appology should have been enough but no, this guy says he wants money. And I think that's sinking to new lows.

I didn't read that as he was asking for money, he just used that in general analogy to say that an apology had no substance and you can't spend, or eat an apology. Do you have another cite for that money request reference? However, that being said, I could see him rightfully seeking help for his medical problems, unless your wonderful government health system is fully covering his cancer treatments.

If my Prime Minister wants to wage war on some country that doesn't threaten our sovereignty (i.e. in Iraq), he should feel free to go to the front himself.

Are you saying that after the killing, capture and execution of Canadian forces in the field and the subsequent invasion of the Aleutians, there was no thread to sovereignty and that Canada should not have been involved in the war against Japan?

[Netherlander]

[matsuki]

An official appology should have been enough but no, this guy says he wants money. And I think that's sinking to new lows.

Greji's right, he never asked for money and said there is not much they can do for him at his age and condition anyway. He was indeed commenting on the much delayed apology and that it was worthless gesture to him and his peers so late and without a tangible factor. As to sinking to new lows, I'd argue the opposite...

"But the real good news about this is that this apology may signal that the Japanese people are finally going to admit, instead of denying, their behaviour in Southeast Asia during World War Two.

"I don't think any culture can ever be healthy if it denies whole, major parts of its existence."

I don't watch much J-TV but was there even any coverage of this?