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Seems quite straightforward to me. China wasn't involved in the larger global conflict, so to them, WW2 was just defending against an attempted conquest by Japa
by LLWM 12y ago
Seems quite straightforward to me. China wasn't involved in the larger global conflict, so to them, WW2 was just defending against an attempted conquest by Japan. I don't see aggression as an insult or a comment on the inherent nature of the Japanese, it's just a descriptor of how the war came to be. Much like the US declaring independence.
What would you consider a more neutral name?
- jallmann 12y agoConsider the goals of a propaganda machine with respect to naming a holiday. If you wanted to evoke national pride and unity, "Victory Day of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance" describes it perfectly well, and properly taught historical context will fill in the rest. By adding "Against Japanese Aggression", you're dividing attention away from your people and putting focus on the adversary -- a very strong rhetorical device. There is no reason to diminish the initial nationalistic message of the holiday, unless you also want the adversary at the forefront of everybody's thoughts -- an us-versus-them scenario. When people think of Independence Day in the US, we don't immediately think of the British, but rather of our collective accomplishments as Americans in declaring and building our country. Anyway, I had no idea if this style of naming or speech was common in China, which is why I asked -- other responses have addressed the question.
- LLWM 12y agoAbout as accurately as you yourself have.