Powerful George Takei Thread: So fight with me. Stand up. Vote.

[redgreenandblue]

34. I hear WWII was a pretty shitty situation all around.

It is easy today to condemn some of the decisions that were made at the time. Much harder to sit back and think about what the correct and ethical way of dealing with the situation would have been.

Consider this:

1. Your country is currently in a "total war" state with another country, where the targeted destruction of the civilian population of that country is considered an act of legitimate warfare.

2. This war is fully justified, as the other country is clearly the aggressor.

3. You are drafting young men by the thousands and sending them to die or be maimed.

4. You have a sizable population of first-generation immigrants from that very country at home.

You can argue about the exact way it was done, but it seems that separating this group from the remainder of the country is a necessary thing to do under this conditions. Not only is it very likely that they will subject to attacks at some point, it is also not unlikely that at least some of them will not be all too pleased about hearing, say, about the dropping of two thermonuclear devices on places in which they might have relatives.

Furthermore, given that many people were drafted into this war against their will, George Takei can consider himself privileged in one respect: At least he got to grow up with two parents who were alive. Many others at the time were not so lucky.

That said, paying a compensation to those who were detained also seems to be a very reasonable thing.

Flame away.