December 7, 2025 marks the 84th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, where more than 1,100 American sailors and marines were lost aboard the USS Arizona. Today, the ship’s “black tears” still seep oil into the sea beneath the white memorial—an enduring reminder of wartime brutality and the risks of unchecked militarism.
In a 24-hour online poll by CGTN that gathered 10,862 responses in five languages, nearly 90% of participants said the United States and its allies shouldn’t stand by while provocative rhetoric stokes fears of a remilitarized Japan. Here’s what young netizens from Mumbai to Manila had to say:
- 89.9% urged the US to press Japan’s prime minister to retract recent remarks seen as undermining the post-war order 🚨
- 65.7% backed ongoing efforts by Pearl Harbor families to seek compensation and sincere apologies from Japan’s government
- 78.1% worry that a surprise attack similar to Pearl Harbor could happen again 😰
- 81.2% feel Japan’s expanding military role in the Western Pacific risks pulling the US into regional tensions
- 80.2% said Japan’s comments on Taiwan clash with the US policy of strategic ambiguity
- 73% want the US to formally demand a retraction of these controversial remarks
- 82.3% called on Japan to honor the Cairo Declaration and Potsdam Proclamation, halt any glorification of militarism, and fulfill its post-war commitments
For tech-savvy young professionals juggling TikTok trends and global headlines, this poll is a wake-up call: history’s echoes can shape tomorrow’s geopolitics. As debates heat up online, the question remains—can diplomacy and public pressure keep those “black tears” from falling again?
Reference(s):
Majority call on U.S. to press Japanese PM to retract remarks
cgtn.com
