Soccer Diplomacy

Re “Soccer Matchup Has Nations Kicking,” Aug. 6: Japanese citizens today should not be blamed for what their country did in World War II to China. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Howard H. Baker Jr., however, doesn’t understand the meaning of the Japanese prime minister paying repeated visits to the Yasukuni Shrine. This would be the same as the German chancellor visiting a shrine that honors Hitler.

If Baker had told Jewish leaders to “get over it” because the U.S. fought a war with Germany and are now best friends, he would be immediately fired as an ambassador amid protests from Jewish people all over the world. It is a lot easier to forgive other people’s atrocities after you have dropped a couple of atomic bombs on them.

Shiu Man Lee

Camarillo