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Comment by xexers | Hacker News Reader

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We detached this subthread from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17864539 and marked it off-topic.

Here is a prominent Japanese American, George Takei, who was interned in the 40s, drawing from his experience to complain about contemporary US policy on behalf of other groups.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/06/19/at-least-during-the-int...

So maybe the lesson to be learned is not the one you think?

They have complained and have even asked for reparations.

They have also been granted reparations of about $160 million.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Liberties_Act_of_1988

The surviving Japanese Americans actually received reparations for the internment.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Liberties_Act_of_1988

Do you realize what you're saying here? "We abused that guy for years and he never complained or demanded better. Why can't we all be more like that?"

I didn't read the comment that way. I read it as life sucks for a lot of people at times. Some dwell on it and never get past it. Others find a way to move forward, to make their own lives better instead of demanding that someone else do it.

That may be a good prescription for dealing with tragedies personally, but if everyone did that then those doing the abusing would never suffer any consequences, and society would never change.

This is the whole mindset of people who want to maintain the status quo. "Just keep your mouth shut" is a mantra that only helps to maintain the oppression system.

Is the oppression system the bit that keeps the lights on? The alternative tends to be the system where everyone starves.

You seriously think those are the only two options?

Lesson: cease interning people and they won’t complain about being interned?

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