> I ask my fellow Americans in near disbelief: have you become so desensitized that this news does not move you?
I learned it the hard way that politics is getting to be a taboo topic slowly. (And criticizing politicians too). Why engage in sharing something which leads to heartburn? Discussing here is venting. It doesn't change anyone's viewpoint really.
Some may argue that "in the spirit" of HN's scope of curiosity & knowledge sharing, this is OT - but at the same time there are political issues being posted everyday. Its a hit or miss that the post/comment gets downvoted or flagged. I would generally want to post objectively without using any personal opinions.
As a Japanese resident, its a dark day for all of us. As someone aware of Abe's gray side, I am very opposed to several of his political positions - but assassination doesn't improve anything. Its a despicable violent act. Plus, it suddenly brings the whole question of security angle in Japanese society. Guns are rare & violent crimes more so. Things evolve very quickly as kneejerk reaction in Japan. In US people are more sensitized to shootings - but several countries don't experience it, and do not know how to react to it. That's Japan's dilemma in the coming days. I expect lot of insensible security measures slowly getting in place because of this event.
Japanese are risk-aware, gentle people today. The shock is palpable everywhere. Condolences are due where they should be. So yeah, its a dark day in general for the country & thank you for empathizing with them who feel the loss.
I understand the impulse to mourn victims of any senseless crime, but a war crime denier is not someone I personally believe we should spare any tears for. Certainly advocate for society to move past assassinations, but there are lots of deaths more deserving of your mourning.
I think this misses the point. The assassination was an assault on Japanese democracy and could have destabilizing and unpredictable consequences. Terrible day.
Abe is the most important Japanese politician (or maybe the only important Japanese politician) in the last 10 years, so you don't need to describe him by one thing you read on Wikipedia.
Though I think Taiwan would like him as he's one of the best in the area at resisting China's invasion threats.
I’ve kept up with him for years. His importance is irrelevant. Does this mean we now write only good things of Putin or Xi just because they’re important? Context still matters.
The Taiwanese, like most of Asia, are also not fond of Japanese war criminals or their supporters.
Btw I don’t appreciate personal insults, especially when you pair them with weak arguments.
How do you figure? I and most of Asia (except China and the Koreas) don't think much of old, dead, buried Japanese war criminals. Sure, they came to our country and massacred our people - but they only did it for 4 years and left. The western Colonial regimes lasted for centuries.
And Abe was very supportive of Asian alliances and economic partnerships, unlike many other LDP politicians.
Which genocides has Abe done? He was a nationalist PM once and then a (relatively) liberal PM a second much longer time. It's very silly to compare modern Japan to a dictatorship.
Taiwan is not "like the rest of Asia"; it's only China and Korea that are mad about Japan. And in his second premiership Abe stopped Yasukuni Shrine visits, apologized to Korea, started a fund for descendants of comfort women and quietly suppressed anti-Korean hate groups at home.
This is a list of things other people did. (what's his grandfather got to do with it?) Everything I mentioned happened after 2014.
However, he didn't do enough for median incomes (for a rich country the people are all generally kind of poor) or for women, who are more employed now but still underemployed and don't have nearly enough access to childcare.
No, because that is one of his legacies and my response answers your question. He’s the equivalent of a German politician who condones and worships Nazi war criminals.
> I'm frankly shocked looking at the top level comments I've read so far.
> I ask my fellow Americans in near disbelief: have you become so desensitized that this news does not move you?
Not desensitized, but infantilised beyond belief, including here on HN.
The encouragement to run away, and shelter from "scary world" and outrage produced people who cannot hold a serious adult conversation about war, death, and personal duty for longer than a few minutes.
You either get completely emotionally deaf types like the top poster, or, on the opposite, types who outright descend into hysteria.
> People read HN comments looking for information and intelligent perspectives, not to engage in group-pantomime. We all know that sad things are sad.
No matter what your viewpoint on Abe, that comes off a bit insensitive considering he was just assassinated. Unless he was a terrorist, you could perhaps empathize with the loss of a human life under violent act.
Unless he was a terrorist, you could perhaps empathize with the loss of a human life under violent act.
I do. I can still understand why people are up-voting every other type of comment because expressions of grief are the least unique/useful/informative type of comment on a tragedy.
We're talking about a long-time head of state whose entire chest cavity was blown to pieces. Eviscerated.
By an assassin, no less, and with a homemade shotgun in one of the worlds strictest countries w.r.t. to guns.
Is this not worth mourning?
I ask my fellow Americans in near disbelief: have you become so desensitized that this news does not move you?
RIP Shinzo Abe