PanOrient News | Oliver Stone Urges Japan to Distance Itself from the U.S., Apologize to China

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Oliver Stone Urges Japan to Distance Itself from the U.S., Apologize to China

Thursday, August 15, 2013

By Angela Kubo

Tokyo- (PanOrient News) American Director Oliver Stone called on Japan to disassociate itself from the United States’ Status of Forces’ Agreement, and to move away from the United States’ nuclear umbrella.

Referring to the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of the WW2, Stone said at a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan on Monday, “We find everything that’s wrong with the United States today.”

“The predominant myth was that the United States had to drop those bombs to win WWII. The Japanese would have resisted to the very end. They were fanatics and the bomb saved, according to various estimates, hundreds of thousands of American lives. Now this is all lies,” he said.

Peter Kuznick, a history professor at American University who has been working closely with Oliver Stone on a 10-part documentary series reiterated Stone’s argument at the same press conference. He described the U.S.-Japan relationship as “problematic”, and said, “the Americans have treated Japan largely as our errand boys ever since, as our junior partners in spreading the empire.”

“Japan cowers like a scared child under America’s nuclear umbrella. The Japanese should be standing up for independence, for truth, and for resolving these conflicts in a peaceful way, rather than wait for America’s nuclear arms to back you up,” Kuznick said.

Both Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick indicated that they would like to see Japan play a more “peaceful” role in the region. Their advice to Japan was to repair its diplomatic ties with China.

“We’d like to see Japan reaching out more to China in a positive way, dealing with the horrible things that the Japanese did to the Chinese in a way that will start to build some trust and get past the crazy nationalism that we see in both countries,” Kuznick said.

However, he expressed concern over the way China’s government policies have caused tension and a military buildup throughout the region.

“We see Chinese policy as critical partly because it’s not solving things as peacefully as it should, and because it’s giving provocation to the right-wing leaders in Japan and elsewhere which is scaring countries in the region into supporting an American global hegemonic vision in Asia,” Kuznick said.

“Don’t look at China as your enemy. Start seeing it differently. Start by apologizing. Start by apologizing to China for what you did in China, and all the people you’ve killed there. Start by apologizing for that, and that would go a long way,” said Stone.

Oliver Stone, who is known for directing movies which focus on controversial political and cultural issues, was critical of U.S. President, Barack Obama, and called him a “snake” for allowing the National Security Agency’s controversial surveillance program to continue. He argued that Obama, “who promised us transparency and government respect for civil liberties, has violated the 4th and 5th Amendments.”

Kuznick also criticized Barack Obama, for continuing the policies that former president, George W. Bush, started.
“This is the fourth term of the Bush administration,” Kuznick said, quoting former press secretary under George W. Bush, Ari Fleischer.

Stone also praised former American National Security Agency operative Edward Snowden, who leaked details of the U.S.’s surveillance program to the press, and also praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for granting him asylum.

“Snowden is a hero to me. Edward Snowden is a hero, because he did this not for profit, not to give secrets away that could hurt our country’s survival. I haven’t seen one piece of evidence of that. He’s doing it out of conscience. The higher law of his conscience,” he said.

Oliver Stone is in Japan to promote “The Untold History of the United States,” a 10-part documentary series which provides an alternative view to mainstream history. The documentary covers the United States’ decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan. Stone also visited the atomic bomb sites, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, earlier to attend memorial services.

Angela Kubo is a reporter for PanOrient News