Evangelical intellectuals and gk chesterson

[GKC]

Admittedly off topic but by the way, I enjoyed “Retribution” by Max Hastings. Learned a lot about the war in the Pacific. Thanks for recommending it.

You are very welcome. I think Hastings has the general, though not necessarily the most correct attitude, on the point I never post on.

GKC

 

[tomarin]

You are very welcome. I think Hastings has the general, though not necessarily the most correct attitude, on the point I never post on.

GKC

So you agree with him 80%?

I came away with a very troubling perception of the Japanese in wartime, especially since my wife and in-laws are Japanese. Before reading the book I knew there were wartime atrocities committed by the Japanese, but I didn’t realize how widespread they were, how sadistic they were, and how they must reflect some pathology in the Japanese psyche (that’s a silly phrase but you know what I mean) about the in-group/out-group dichotomy.

 

[GKC]

So you agree with him 80%?

I came away with a very troubling perception of the Japanese in wartime, especially since my wife and in-laws are Japanese. Before reading the book I knew there were wartime atrocities committed by the Japanese, but I didn’t realize how widespread they were, how sadistic they were, and how they must reflect some pathology in the Japanese psyche (that’s a silly phrase but you know what I mean) about the in-group/out-group dichotomy.

I;d say Hasting is 95+ % spot on, but who’s counting.

To pursue that further, if you have the stomach for it:

Daws/PRISONERS OF THE JAPANESE

Barenblatt/A PLAGUE UPON HUMANITY

Holes/UNJUST ENRICHMENT

MacArthur/SURVIVING THE SWORD

Lord Russell of Liverpool/THE KNIGHTS OF BUSHIDO

Bumgardner/PARADE OF THE DEAD

Edwards/BLOOD AND BUSHIDO

Landas/THE FALLEN

There are more, but that’s about all on the shelf 5 feet away.

Take Daws, if you are pacing yourself.

GKC

 

[tomarin]

I;d say Hasting is 95+ % spot on, but who’s counting.

To pursue that further, if you have the stomach for it:

I’m not sure I do have the stomach for it. I like reading about WWII in the Pacific theater and I like military history in general but I don’t need to be haunted by any more anecdotes about Japanese war crimes, things that make the ‘comfort women’ business seem as harmless as a children’s puppet show. To quote an Australian prisoner quoted in Max Hastings book, “I saw a lot of people die, but I never saw them die by a bullet.” In other words, people were tortured to death by ingenious and sadistic and varied means.

Interesting looking list, though.

 

[GKC]

I’m not sure I do have the stomach for it. I like reading about WWII in the Pacific theater and I like military history in general but I don’t need to be haunted by any more anecdotes about Japanese war crimes, things that make the ‘comfort women’ business seem as harmless as a children’s puppet show. To quote an Australian prisoner quoted in Max Hastings book, “I saw a lot of people die, but I never saw them die by a bullet.” In other words, people were tortured to death by ingenious and sadistic and varied means.

Interesting looking list, though.

It is an interesting subject. In one sense of the word.

THE FALLEN is a limited case, very late in the war, focused on a captured B-29 crew, on Kyushu.

Not good.

GKC

 

[Peter_J]

OK. I’ll bite: How did my post “beg for” his childish, rude response?

I’ll (somewhat reluctantly) chime in here as well: I honestly don’t know why GKC said what he did (and I’m not very deeply involved in this thread, much less this forum overall) but I would suggest trying to interpret it in the most charitable way you can. (Note I’m not suggesting that I myself am perfect in that regard, when I myself feel attacked, but only that we should all try.)

 

[GKC]

I’ll (somewhat reluctantly) chime in here as well: I honestly don’t know why GKC said what he did (and I’m not very deeply involved in this thread, much less this forum overall) but I would suggest trying to interpret it in the most charitable way you can. (Note I’m not suggesting that I myself am perfect in that regard, when I myself feel attacked, but only that should all try.)

Not to know that Chesterton’s work is seeped in religion, suggests a paucity of experience with the subject. As to conjecture that he might possibly be an ectomorphic midget would suggest a similar lack of knowledge of the man, physically.

GKC