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To: Albert V who wrote (6041)	1/16/1998 1:43:00 AM
From: Richnorth	Respond to of 116791

I wish you had mentioned that the rice story was taken from a newspaper. All I was actually trying to say was that just as we have negative things to say about them, they too have negative things to say about us! And quite justifiably so, at times, for both sides! I think the main problem is, for most people, perception is synonymous with reality or the truth. When I was teaching abroad, for a few years at a time, here and there, in Asia, I came across some very nice people whose friendship I still cherish. I also came across some unfriendly and despicable people who gave me a hard time. Unlike tourists whose contact with people and places are necessarily short, I was with those folks for at least a couple of years, at a time. Somehow I got the impression that we are disliked for what is perceived as our superior airs, cockiness or our general contempt of them. Of course, it's all perception. But, as I said, perception for most people is the same as reality. And so they sometimes tend to be rather hostile. I also got the impression that many of them are jealous and envy us for our material wealth and good and comfy-comfy life. However, I was able to disabuse them of their negative perceptions and convince them I could be just like one of them. A good number of them, especially the elderly ones and including some of the educated people, are still seething and spiteful for having been under the colonial yoke. Some Japanese folks told me that Uncle Sam should not have dropped those Atom Bombs because he knew that the Japanese forces were on the verge of defeat. They opined that Uncle Sam dropped those weapons of mass destruction because he wanted to demonstrate to the Soviets that he has the Doomsday weapon. Well, we know the rest is history. I am sure many Japanese have not forgotten....................... You told me that during WW2, some Japanese soldiers set up a p.o.w camp near their ammo-dump which was subsequently bombed....... Well, my dear friend, war brings out the worst and the best (heroism) in people. What you mentioned is but one example of the worst. War is an unusual situation where logic often goes askew, and people often think that foul is fair and fair is foul. So it is quite futile or irrelevant to cite a war incident as indicative of the cruelty of a people. The history of colonialism is replete with well-documented incidents of man's inhumanity to humanity in the Americas and in Asia. And over time, the once mighty conquerors have fallen. Some folks in Asia say it is due to their Karma. I do not wish to continue this discussion on SI. However, I will be glad to do so via email. Regards, Richnorth