Eshin Direct

Some nations just don’t play well together. Especially in the field of football. England never really played well with anyone. There were the French who could probably give the Brits a run for their money in footballing heritage. And just in case the Germans forget, Brits love to remind them of two escapades around Europe and 1966 seems to be etched in their minds like a broken record. Another nationalistic rallying point is the England and Argentina games too. Perhaps less intense than the England vs. Germany matches, probably because England so happily humiliated the Argentines during the Falklands War. The projection of national identity in international football is nothing new; but it doesn’t make it right.

The scheduled showdown between Japan and China in Beijing promises to be a grudge match worth watching. However, it would seem that the Chinese still seem to bear a grudge against the Japanese that goes beyond football. You really can’t blame them though for feeling hostility and resentment. One of Japan’s worst atrocities was in Nanking where over 370,000 men, women and children were killed, many after being tortured or raped. The furore over mass orgies held in China by Japanese business men last year is still a fresh reminder of the hostility. Even starlet Vicki Zhou Wei suffered the wrath of her countrymen after she wore a dress that depicted the Japanese wartime flag.

The situation is further perpetuated by Japan’s unapologetic attitude in the eyes of many in Asia. The persistent visits to Japanese war shrines to perpetrators of war crimes is distressing to the survivors of the Japanese occupation of much of Asia. Of course, for many it’s a matter of simply never having apologised. We, in the West, tend to let off Germany more easily because they sort of apologised and their people have spent two generations apologising for being German. I bear no ill will to the German people today but ask me whether I forgive their actions in WW2, I would probably say I can’t. Six million lives lost in a vain attempt to create the perfect society and the fact that certain German companies are only existence today because of that human cost help to remind me not to forgive or forget.

While it would be nice for Japan to apologise for their crimes or provide justice for victims of their war machine, one has to remember that two indiscrimintate atomic bombs contributed significantly to balancing the books.

As I said, expression of national identity through sport is nothing new and with some serious grievances backing you up, it can almost be forgiven. Crossing it over into violence is always unacceptable. If you want to be violently patriotic or nationalistic, go join the army or something. The types of behaviour demonstrated against the Japanese team should not be tolerated, especially if you are the host nation.

In this, I think the emerging Chinese nation still has something to learn about winning things like entry into the WTO, the right to host the Asia Cup and, more importantly, the right to host the Olympics. As a host nation and people, you have to be gracious. If you want to leave your manners at home, then don’t offer to host a sporting event that celebrates international sportsmanship like the Asia cup or the Olympics. Whether they should be allowed to host the Olympics at all should depend strongly on their behaviour during this international tournament. Doesn’t happen that way but it should.

Tags: Political Thoughts