As I write this, it’s only a matter of time before things start blowing up in Iraq. I believe it was Colin Powell who has stated that a post-Saddam Iraq would be governed by an interim occupational government.
From the limited amount of history I’ve studied, the most memorable example of this type of arrangement, is the occupational government of Japan run by Douglas MacArthur after WWII. From the perspective of half a continent away and half a century later that seems to have been a fairly successful operation, as Japan has prospered since.
I wonder how the Japanese people view this idea. Do they view MacArthur as the rebuilder of their nation? Do they see him as a tyrant they are pleased to no longer be under the thumb of? Or, is the truth somewhere in between?
My wishful thinking makes me wonder if Japan could be cited as an example where this kind of thing was a success. It would be nice to believe that a free Iraq under US military control (where the Iraqi people would, presumably, enjoy the freedom to continue worshiping Allah) could exist as proof that we have no interest in wiping out Islam.
I know this question, as worded, has a high potential for creating a non-GQ discussion. So, can we only discuss how the Japanese example might relate to the general idea of an occupational government?
The only thing I can tell you is that my Mother in Law and my Wife’s Grandmother (both of whom are native Japanese living in Akita) keep pictures of MacArthur on the wall and my Wife has mentioned on several occasions that they respect him deeply.
The only people who I can recall ever having mentioned him were older. I’ve run accross younger people (especially students) who don’t know anything at all (even when older Japanese are discussing him).
:::wanders away to ask some random Japanese:::
The waitresses and customers I just asked here at the internet cafe where I log on confirm that people over 50 generally have great respect for him, but younger generations don’t really have any opinion on him at all.
Japanese friends have also told me that older Japanese attitude to the atomic bombing of their cities is one of “Thank you for stopping us.”, I think it’s fair to say that the Japanese have a fairly unusual mindset in many things. God knows myself and my Japanese friends wonder if we even come from the same planet, such completely different ways of looking at things we have.
The Japanese were accustomed to viewing their emperor as being literally a god until a short time after World War 11, when he renounced his claim to divinity. IIRC, some biographers of MacArthur asserted that many Japanese were so conditioned to this worshipful mindeset that they relexively bestowed at least some of that kind of loyalty and awe to MacArthur.
Perhaps some older Japanese Dopers (there’s likely some out there) can confirm or deny this.
In any case, the psychological orientation of the Japanese people after World War II was so distinctive that it may not be useful to expect analogous behavior to occur in another nation in another time.
I have lived in Japan many years and my wife is Japanese. The opinion I generally gather is:
Those who “still” believe that the Emperor of Japan is a living god, generally may say they don’ t care for Mac Arthur, as the famous photo of MacAurthur standing next to the Showa (Hitohito) Emperor showed Hirohito as a normal man. ( a very weak and small man next to burly MacAurthur)
However, most Japanese do not see the Emperor as a god anymore. However many many people still adore the royal family and Emperor, and truly respect them as the symbol of Japan. This does not mean that they wish they were part of the old militaristic Japanese emprire, in fact most Japanese believe that Japan is much better off for losing the war.
The younger generation in particular do not have many feeling about MacAurthur. He is seen as a historical figure that was simply in charge of the task of governing Japan post WWII. And he had sunglasses and a big pipe. They do not see him as an evil devil American Eagle dictating governor, nor do they see him as a Super American capable of rebuilding Japan in a single bound.
They may ask you, "What do you think of Zachary Taylor, the 12th President of the United States? "
…Er…Um…" I dunnno, he had sideburns or somethinng??"