The morality of the Japanese Unit 731

[morda8]

I recently read about japans unit 731 which was set up in 1937 and disassembled in 1945

Its main purpose was to develop biological weapons, this unit conducted tests on humans here is some stuff i read on wiki:


"The test subjects were selected to give a wide cross section of the population and included common criminals, captured bandits and anti-Japanese partisans, political prisoners, and also people rounded up by the secret police for alleged "suspicious activities". They included infants, the elderly, and pregnant women."

• Human targets were used to test grenades positioned at various distances and in different positions.[11]
• Flame throwers were tested on humans.[11]
• Humans were tied to stakes and used as targets to test germ-releasing bombs, chemical weapons, and explosive bombs.[11]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731

Theres also a film documantry about this called "the philosophy of the knife"

What do you guys think about this whole notion of conducting tests on humans

[roy34543]

Its like the nazis experiments, except with more people contributing more horrible ideas you could say.
What is there to debate here? If there were more japaneese on this forum maybe.. But there isnt going to be much deviation on this issue.

[morda8]

Its like the nazis experiments, except with more people contributing more horrible ideas you could say.
What is there to debate here? If there were more japaneese on this forum maybe.. But there isnt going to be much deviation on this issue.

I guess your right but it might educate a few people

[Sir Winston Churchill]

Testing weapons on criminals: Ok.

On innocent children and women: No.

[DisgruntledGoat]

Testing weapons on criminals: Ok.

O_o

Didn't realize it was acceptable to be cruel and inhuman to people so long as they are criminals.

[Kizzang]

philosophy of the knife is not much of a documentary. Just a 4 hour long horror/gore movie with footage of the actual unit 731 experiments mixed in with recreations. They are going to use it on humans.. What is a test. Test, finished product. Same result. Injury, pain, torture, and death.

[Poach]

I don't think Unit 731 considered morality. The Japanese mentality in those days was one of "anything is permissable if it serves the Empire", which included things like Unit 731, working POWs to death to build railways and brutally subjugating local populations.

I have no problem conducting tests on serious criminals (murderers, rapists) etc or willing subjects, but doing the kind of thing Unit 731 did to the kind of people they did it to isn't even remotely justifiable. Every single one of them should have been skinned alive as a suitably painful end.

[Sir Winston Churchill]

Every single one of them should have been skinned alive as a suitably painful end.

I don't agree with this statement. Speaking of Japanese mentality of the times it was supposed to be considered a great honor to serve the Emperor, in any way. Rejection of such an honor was considered an extreme insult. The end product being instead of doing the tests, they were the test subjects.

I don't think they had much of a choice. So having them all skinned alive is a bit extreme.

O_o

Didn't realize it was acceptable to be cruel and inhuman to people so long as they are criminals.

I wasn't aware rapists and serial murderers, etc. etc., were any more human than excrement.

[Pious Agnost]

There really is nothing to discuss here, every last one of them should've been tried and duly executed. WIth MacArthur removed from his position for granting them immunity...

I wasn't aware rapists and serial murderers, etc. etc., were any more human than excrement.

How do you make this judgement? They look pretty damn human to me.

[Sir Winston Churchill]

How do you make this judgement? They look pretty damn human to me.

Hey, if they're going to be sentenced to death anyway, might as well make it useful somehow. The added pain and suffering can be considered payback for what he/she imposed on others.

So maybe you should say serial murderers and rapists instead of criminals. Or were you also not aware these things are not the same?

But murderers and rapists are criminals.

[Pious Agnost]

Hey, if they're going to be sentenced to death anyway, might as well make it useful somehow. The added pain and suffering can be considered payback for what he/she imposed on others.

Do you think putting them in a microwave constitutes a 'cruel and unusual punishment'?

[Kizzang]

Hey, if they're going to be sentenced to death anyway, might as well make it useful somehow. The added pain and suffering can be considered payback for what he/she imposed on others.

But murderers and rapists are criminals.

So all criminals are murderers and rapists? Well I have learned something today. It is wrong. But I learned it nonetheless. Thank you sir.

[DisgruntledGoat]

I wasn't aware rapists and serial murderers, etc. etc., were any more human than excrement.

"Be careful when you fight the monsters, lest you become one..."

[Sir Winston Churchill]

Do you think putting them in a microwave constitutes a 'cruel and unusual punishment'?

Everyone has their own definition of cruel, so no. Unusual? That just means it's not used often. As for should it be used often? To the right people, yes, yes it should.

So all criminals are murderers and rapists? Well I have learned something today. It is wrong. But I learned it nonetheless. Thank you sir.

No, I'm saying that murderers and rapists are criminals by definition, so when I said criminals are ok, I meant by criminals of their type. Sorry for the confusion, but the way you put it "are not the same", I thought you were trying to tell me murderers and rapists are they're own brand or something. You are welcome regardless.

[Pious Agnost]

Everyone has their own definition of cruel, so no. Unusual? That just means it's not used often. As for should it be used often? To the right people, yes, yes it should.

We might as well not bother if you're not going to admit that putting someone in a microwave is not cruel.

[gambit]

Pointless thread, what do you expect someone to say?

"I think they had good intentions when they tortured and experimented on innocent people, in their quest to find more ways to kill people"?

[saxdude]

There's not much to defend here, nothing at all really...

[Squiggle]

Disgusting.

[Kizzang]

So maybe you should say serial murderers and rapists instead of criminals. Or were you also not aware these things are not the same?

[Chukada1]

Considering the lawlessness and warlordism of China in the 1930's, I would think not even criminals are acceptable test subjects.