[Marxism] Re: East Timor replies/ World War II

[Tom O'Lincoln <suarsos@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

David writes: "Clearly the masses of the world sided with the Allies
against the Axis powers since most people viewed the allies as 'the
lessor evil' (albeit not initially)."

I don't think this is so clear in the Pacific War. It's true that by the
end of the war, nationalist movements were lining up with the Allies,
but in  many cases (eg Burma) that was opportunist -- they lined up with
whoever was winning and tried to use this as leverage for independence.
In Indonesia the main nationalist leaders continued to collaborate with
Japan until very late.

It's also true that towards the end of the war, most ordinary people
hated the Japanese occupiers due to their ruthless methods of governing,
but we have to remember this behaviour reflected Japan's desperate
position - they were very overstretched. To get a more balanced view,
consider how some islanders in mandated territories experienced the
Japanese rule before Pearl Harbor:

"In the Japanese territories of Micronesia, the need for fighters and
skilled labour elevated the role of Islanders in the Empire ? Already in
1937 Islanders from Rota, Saipan and Pohnpei had petitioned to be
allowed to participate as Japanese in the war with China. In World War
II, when Palauan recruits were organised into a military unit, a member
of the corps composed a patriotic song with the verse, 'On our shoulders
rests the name of Palau; the opportunity for us to devote ourselves to
the Emperor's country, Japan, has come.'  " (White, Geoffrey and Lamont
Lindstrom The Pacific Theatre: Island Representations of World War II,
Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, p.21)

Compare this with Papua where, contrary to mythology, most local people
saw the Allied war effort as a disaster.  Australians are always told
about the "Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels", Papuan carriers who supported Allied
troops. But in the late 1960s, a group of these carriers told PNG
University researcher Ulli Beier that about two-thirds of them had tried
to escape. Reasons for wanting to escape included bad food, sore
shoulders from carrying, beatings, cold, and bombs. But whenever some
did escape, the Australians conscripted their sons, so that fathers were
forced back to face ghastly penalties. 'The most terrifying punishments
were the so-called drum beatings in Kerema ? A fire was lit in a
44-gallon drum and when it was hot the unlucky carriers were put cross
the drum and beaten.' A song still current among villagers in the 1970s
ended:

"The white man has brought his war to be fought on this land
His King and Queen have said so
We are forced against our wishes to help him." (Humphrey McQueen, Japan
to the Rescue, p. 176)

***
David continues: "Few on the left (and I can't actually think of any)
took the view that the war was 'wrong' or that the US should withdraw.
And this includes the SWP."

That didn't  sound right to me. so I had a little look around and
quickly found a passage in the SWP journal "Fourth International"
(editorial, May 1940), which says  Roosevelt is speeding up the "war
machine" bring "closer the day when American workers will be sent
overseas to die for Wall Street's profits." It then refers to "war's
most indomitable opponents, the Trotskyists."



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