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> McArthur is revered as a god, over there While he's undeniably a famous historical figure in Japan, my impression is that the majority of Japanese people don

> McArthur is revered as a god, over there While he's undeniably a famous historical figure in Japan, my impression is that the majority of Japanese people don't have any strong opinions about him. After all, how many people actually care so much about historical figures when they're busy watching cat videos on YouTube? But for the people who do have some interest, I assume many have mixed feelings on the matter, which is natural for citizens of a former military dictatorship turned democracy only because they lost the world war. The rest are far-right people who, as you can imagine, hate him with a passion, though I do hope they're only a minority of Japanese people whose voices are amplified by Twitter echo chambers.

soperj 6y ago
>though I do hope they're only a minority of Japanese people whose voices are amplified by Twitter echo chambers. Why? There's a reason Dugout Doug was fired during the Korean War. Guy was a menace.
- soraminazuki 6y ago
  Because the kinds of people who likes to pile on McArthur are mostly far-right people who are trying to discredit the positive things he did, especially his team's work on drafting the current Japanese constitution which established a democratic system with strong safeguards for human rights. It's not McArthur's own character that I'm taking issues with.
  - Tiltowait-- 6y ago
    And his Puritanism. Don't forget Dugout Doug's fright at the idea that people might enjoy sex. Japanese porn is pixelated to this day because of him. MacArthur was an entirely overrated historical figure who had retired before WWII even broke out. His troops didn't like him, he was just really good at snowing the people above him. He had a minor version of Steve Jobs' reality distortion field.
ChrisMarshallNY 6y ago
I'll have to hunt down the article that talks about it, but McArthur was actually "Emperor of Japan" for a few years, in everything but title. I had several people point out his office on the top floor of a building facing the Emperor's Palace (some of the priciest real estate on Earth), in hushed, reverential tones.
- soraminazuki 6y ago
  Yes, he did have a strong political influence during US occupation, and yes, there may be people who worship him, but I can guarantee that it's not the norm. I'm actually fluent enough in Japanese to know this.
  - ChrisMarshallNY 6y ago
    Cool. I am not a native (I only visited), so I will modify my view point, based upon your feedback. I know that means I should leave the Internet, but I am right, usually because I am wrong, and learn differently. None of us is “born right,” despite some people’s posturing. Thanks for that.

soperj 6y ago

>though I do hope they're only a minority of Japanese people whose voices are amplified by Twitter echo chambers. Why? There's a reason Dugout Doug was fired during the Korean War. Guy was a menace.

soraminazuki 6y ago
Because the kinds of people who likes to pile on McArthur are mostly far-right people who are trying to discredit the positive things he did, especially his team's work on drafting the current Japanese constitution which established a democratic system with strong safeguards for human rights. It's not McArthur's own character that I'm taking issues with.
- Tiltowait-- 6y ago
  And his Puritanism. Don't forget Dugout Doug's fright at the idea that people might enjoy sex. Japanese porn is pixelated to this day because of him. MacArthur was an entirely overrated historical figure who had retired before WWII even broke out. His troops didn't like him, he was just really good at snowing the people above him. He had a minor version of Steve Jobs' reality distortion field.

ChrisMarshallNY 6y ago

I'll have to hunt down the article that talks about it, but McArthur was actually "Emperor of Japan" for a few years, in everything but title. I had several people point out his office on the top floor of a building facing the Emperor's Palace (some of the priciest real estate on Earth), in hushed, reverential tones.

soraminazuki 6y ago
Yes, he did have a strong political influence during US occupation, and yes, there may be people who worship him, but I can guarantee that it's not the norm. I'm actually fluent enough in Japanese to know this.
- ChrisMarshallNY 6y ago
  Cool. I am not a native (I only visited), so I will modify my view point, based upon your feedback. I know that means I should leave the Internet, but I am right, usually because I am wrong, and learn differently. None of us is “born right,” despite some people’s posturing. Thanks for that.