picture. The acts of depravity committed by soldiers during war do not give a complete understanding of the origins of any war. The Rape of Nanking is a picture of one aspect of the Japanese occupation of Northern China which depicts the horrors of war. Iris Chang is not

trying to give a complete account of the war. Chang is arguing that it is inconsistent to demand reparations for atrocities committed by the Germans and not to demand the same from the Japanese. She is confronting the world with the fact that it is ignoring the suffering of people by not demanding justice for the brutality of war at our own peril. If we do not punish those that commit acts of terror in war then they will occur again. We do ignore these acts and they do

occur again and again. Chang's focus on the occupation of Nanking may not give a complete account of the war but it does help one understand the method of war employed by the Japanese

in World War Two. By recounting the horrible acts and showing th

pictures like those in Chang's work. Television and the Internet do seem to make it more difficult for those who would use war to arbitrate their national interest. South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation efforts seem a ray of hope. The actions of NATO, although not legal in any way, (but were is the place for law in a lawless world?) seem to show some progress towards an ideal (NATO at least feels the need to couch it's actions as stopping such atrocities). The Monglos in the 1100's were proud of their actions. In today's world the perpetrators of such atrocities do feel forced to hide their actions. "If it is the duty to make real the state of public law, and if it is a well grounded hope that this can actually be done, then perpetual peace. . .is not an empty idea. As times require for equal steps of progress become shorter and shorter, perpetual peace is a problem which. . .steadily approaches its goal" (Kant, 53). Perhaps the U. N. and war crimes tribunals are the seeds of some establishment of a rational international legal system dreamed into existence by Kant and pushed forward by Chang's work.

and international war crime tribunals does reflect some progress. But unless militarily powerful nations submit to the rule of international laws such institutions are only window dressing. War

If one accepts a progressive view of history then one sees that progress in demands for reparations of atrocities like Chang's. The establishment of institutions like the United Nations

is their only way of bringing suit" (Kant, 18). Chang's work alerts us to the cost of living in a lawless world.

Americans or the citizens of the South. How far back do we go in search of justice? Will we demand that the Israelites return Jericho? That the Allies demanded justice from the Germans

Chang Iris The Rape of Nanking: Basic Books, New York, 1997

Some common words found in the essay are:
World War, Truth Reconciliation, China Demanding, Iris Chang, Rape Nanking, Clausewitz102 Clausewitz, United Nations, Yugoslavia Rwanda, Von Clausewitz, Genghis Kahn, rape nanking, atrocities committed, perpetual peace, world war, view history progress, history progress, view history, account war, lawless world, war chang, complete account war, complete account,
Approximate Word count = 1686
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)