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Hold Comfort
"Comfort Women" Seek Their Own Comfort
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Hooplehead
05/13/09

In reply to Hold Comfort
I read about the Gabriela network in my History of SE Asia class. These ladies are badass.

I can't even talk about the concept of "comfort women" without getting stabby. What was done to those women in the name of our military is sickening.
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LaMorena
05/13/09

@Hooplehead: That term makes my head explode.

Fucking "comfort," eh? Did you feel comforted while you forced yourself on them? Because I'll bet it was PRETTY FUCKING UNCOMFORTABLE for them.

*steam from ears*
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Hooplehead
05/13/09

@LaMorena: I cannot imagine ever needing sex badly enough to supporting sexual slavery to get it. Does not compute how people can babble on about "oooh, Bangkok is so WILD" and not appreciate that those are extremely impoverished *human beings* they're paying to have sex with them or stand on a stage doing sex shows for their fucking amusement. It's a bit less of a turn on when you think of it in those terms.
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Benevolent_Dictatrix (patently absurd)
05/13/09

In reply to Hold Comfort
What a beautiful photograph. I like how it says so much without even including a face.
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rd2uk
05/13/09

In reply to Hold Comfort
this makes me so sad. particularly because its still happening NOW. its happening in iraq and afghanistant (and im sure other places) and WE'RE (our military personnel) the ones doing it.

i by no means mean to implicate the entire military. they do some amazing things (my older brother included). but i find it hard to stomach the fact that even ONE american soldier would be out there raping little girls in this day and age.
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Fridge Hussy : Is finally heading back to uni!
05/13/09

In reply to Hold Comfort
It breaks my heart that there are victims of Foreign Military Rape in so many countries (including here in Australia) who are yet to receive the proper recognition and compensation.
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morninggloria
05/13/09

In reply to Hold Comfort
Unfortunately, I can't feel sorry for these ladies, as their rapes were inevitable side effects of living The Jezebel Lifestyle.* Sorry, old ladies. Maybe you shouldn't have been so drunk during the war.

(copyright 2009, Linda Hirschman)
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token_illiterate_commenter
05/13/09

@morninggloria: You are fucking brilliant. I bow before your commenting majesty.
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Megan
05/13/09

@token_y_chromosome: I just snarfed coffee at that, too. Brava!
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hortense
05/13/09

@morninggloria: I was going to comment on this picture, but I'm wearing a skirt today, so I'm not allowed to have an opinion on military rapes. Shoulda worn some pants! Damn this glamorous brand of feminism!
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bluebears
05/13/09

@morninggloria: look at that nailpolish! asking for it...
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ArtfulSlinger
05/13/09

@morninggloria: Obviously this is the only thing worthy of the comment of the day.
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girl.of.your.dreams
04/30/09

In reply to "Comfort Women" Seek Their Own Comfort
A friend of mine made a film about these specific women: [thehouseofsharing.com]

They are a fascinating, brave group of women.
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hello.kitty
04/30/09

@girl.of.your.dreams: Kudos to your friend.
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maneki neko
04/30/09

In reply to "Comfort Women" Seek Their Own Comfort
I'm writing a research paper on this very subject right now, and it's so incredibly difficult to wrap my mind around.

On the one hand, I can understand that the Japanese people today wouldn't want to be blamed for atrocities like what was done to these women, or the Nanjing massacre, or any of the other horrible crimes, any more than I would want to be blamed for the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as an American. But at the same time, these atrocities didn't just happen, someone did them. The USA takes responsibility for the atom bombs, although I have my doubts about the common sentiment that they were necessary to prevent a land invasion.

In order for these women to get the justice they deserve, shouldn't somebody take responsibility for it, acknowledging that their suffering occurred and it was wrong? But whose responsibility is it? I'm guessing the Japanese would argue that those who are responsible are long dead...
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topsy
04/30/09

@maneki neko: That's what pisses me off the most. All the Japanese have to say is 'Hiroshima' and that's the end of the discussion. Hiroshima was an atrocity but as you mentioned, the US has taken responsibility for it (the more I've studied the Japanese involvement in WWII the more credence I give to the land invasion argument). Germany has taken responsibility for the Holocaust. Yet the Japanese refuse to own up to its many, many war crimes. Maybe it's because most of the victims weren't white. The UK has never hesitated to discuss what the Japanese did to white members of the Commonwealth (A Town Called Alice anyone) but ignores anything else. These women will die and never, ever, get the justice and the apology they deserve. Shame on Japan and shame on us for letting Japan get away with it.
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hello.kitty
04/30/09

In reply to "Comfort Women" Seek Their Own Comfort
The government--and other responsible parties--will not apologize for this atrocity. Not during these women's life times.

They won't apologize because they feel their actions were justified. Did plantation owners who abused their female slaves apologize?

As roodles already posted: "I'm pretty sure the Japanese government is just waiting until these women die."

But h*lla yes for those women who continue to protest outside the embassy. Keep making noise, show the world you cannot be silenced.
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gobblegirl
04/30/09

In reply to "Comfort Women" Seek Their Own Comfort
This is really neat, and heartwarming in an odd way. I learned about the comfort women in high school, and it's such a sad story. I'm glad these women have some comfort of their own now, no pun intended.
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gobblegirl
04/30/09

@gobblegirl: Material comfort at least.
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mayfly
04/30/09

In reply to "Comfort Women" Seek Their Own Comfort
What the fuck, Japanese government? How hard it it to apologize for something so completely heinous? Are you too busy playing RapePlay to even address this?
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gobblegirl
04/30/09

@mayfly: Anything to do with the Japanese actions in WWII is extremely politically contentious in Japan, for obvious reasons. The government has been criticized for decades on their behaviour after the American occupation, because in many ways the official line has been to move on and forget about it. School textbooks print lies and deliberate omissions, and as a society their ties to recent history are fuzzy and complex, I think.

It's really interesting from a history/political science point of view to compare the post-war attitude toward "war guilt" in Japan and Germany, as it's been very different in both countries.

Anyway, I think to compare an incredibly complex cultural identity issue (and I'm not saying they shouldn't apologize, because they should) with the fact that Japan happens to export a lot of weird and scary porn is way missing the point.
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maneki neko
04/30/09

@gobblegirl: Very well said. There are dozens upon dozens of books that have been written about Japanese War guilt. It's an extremely contentious issue, and the answer to the question "Why don't they apologize?" is going to be a hard one to answer. (I'm actually doing research on this right now, so I'm pretty interested by this post.)

Part of it has to do with the fact that the Japanese government now doesn't see themselves of a continuation of the wartime government, based on the presence of the anti-war Article 9 in their constitution, and the general tendency of the culture to separate itself or blame everything on the military. But it's a hell of a lot more complicated than that...
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Sputnik_Sweetheart
04/30/09

In reply to "Comfort Women" Seek Their Own Comfort
I saw a group of former comfort women protesting in front of the Japanese embassy in South Korea. It makes me so sad that the Japanese government refuses to give theses women any closure or dignity. All that many of them want is just an apology. I saw signs taped up in Seoul that said "As long as Japan exists, there will never be peace." There is so much anger still, I wish Japan would try to make some amends.
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samethingwedoeverynightpinky
04/30/09

In reply to "Comfort Women" Seek Their Own Comfort
These women are amazing.
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cupscake
04/30/09

In reply to "Comfort Women" Seek Their Own Comfort
they would also need to appologize to the Filipina Comfort Women too!
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hello.kitty
04/30/09

@cupscake: Yes indeed!
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roodles
04/30/09

In reply to "Comfort Women" Seek Their Own Comfort
I'm pretty sure the Japanese government is just waiting until these women die b/c they will never apologize for it. I think this was the first year that the president didn't visit Yasukuni to basically pay homage to dead Japanese war criminals that did horrible things in Korea and Manchuria so regret and restitution are not at the forefront of the Japanese government's collective mind.
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happysquid
04/30/09

In reply to "Comfort Women" Seek Their Own Comfort
I was reading about this in the newspaper this morning, along with some incredibly depressing story about this heinous rapist that targeted senior citizens in the 1970s and 80s who only recently got caught. Eugh. World fail.
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