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To: John Farson; mathluv
Have you ever taken a history class beyond high school?
Before WWII, Japan was probably the most thoroughly totalitarian state in the world. All dissent was effectively suppressed by 1890 with the promulgation of the Meiji constitution. Ienaga Saburo has written of the Meiji Restoration (1868): “A small elite seized power, crushed the nascent popular reformists and created an absolute state around an emperor system.”

There were very few people in Japan alive during WWII who remembered life before the Meiji constitution. The roots go back all the way to 1868 with the overthrow of the last Shogunate. Between 1868 and 1890, the country was run by, what we would describe as martial law, where even assembling for non-political purposes would subject you to death. Only to the West were there reports of how ‘free’ Japan was during this time.. The fact is that the ‘freedom’ came from a politburo type of program started by Nagazane, who issued a ‘vote’ to one person per town, who happened to be installed by Nagazane, or one of the other insiders who later created the Meiji constitution.

Japan never knew freedom of any sort until after WWII.

1,965 posted on 09/05/2007 9:19:13 PM PDT by mnehring (Ron Paul is a FRAUD- No ifs, ands, or buts about it)
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To: billbears

Ping previous post as it seems you think the Meiji constitution was some sort of freedom..


1,967 posted on 09/05/2007 9:20:23 PM PDT by mnehring (Ron Paul is a FRAUD- No ifs, ands, or buts about it)
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To: mnehrling
Japan never knew freedom of any sort until after WWII.

*******************

You are absolutely right.

1,969 posted on 09/05/2007 9:22:22 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: mnehrling

The emperor was literally considered a GOD.

Very representative


1,970 posted on 09/05/2007 9:22:35 PM PDT by mylife (The Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts)
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To: mnehrling; John Farson
Japan never knew freedom of any sort until after WWII.

I see. I understand now. Because it wasn't our form of 'freedom', it wasn't really freedom. Never mind the entire historical world recognizes this form of government because it wasn't handed to them by the good ol' U.S. of A. through Wilsonian policy, it wasn't good enough.

Damn John, all that larning I done took, I could have just watched Faux News for all the historical answers I'd ever need....I pheel sTuPid....

1,971 posted on 09/05/2007 9:23:18 PM PDT by billbears (Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. --Santayana)
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To: mnehrling

I was beginning to wonder if what I remembered about Japan had any basis in fact. Thanks!


1,972 posted on 09/05/2007 9:23:33 PM PDT by mathluv
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