Back in the day, my parents and my in-laws saved newspapers that they recognized as having future historical significance — leaving behind an extensive collection for us to enjoy. Hats off to my wife’s parents in particular for preserving the Chicago Tribune dated January 1, 1946, with its front-page headline: “I’M NOT DIVINE: HIROHITO.”

Japan may have surrendered in August 1945, but General MacArthur and the Allied occupation authorities recognized that if Japan was going to rebuild itself into a proper nation — one that respected the sovereignty of other nations and the rights of its own citizenry — there was something monumental that still needed to be addressed. Japan’s Emperor mystique had to go.

So on January 1, 1946, at the behest of the occupation forces (to help pave the way for a new constitution), Emperor Hirohito addressed his countrymen by radio. In that address, the Emperor acknowledged that he was not divine, that the Japanese people were not superior to other races, and that they were not destined to rule the world.

We don’t know when the present war with Iran will end, nor do we know who the country’s next leader will be. But in my opinion, we would prefer a more rational someone who is pro-West, pro-American, pro-human rights, who will not build nuclear weapons or ballistic missiles, and who is not an Islamic radical. Following a page from the MacArthur playbook, that person should also make clear to the world that he is not infallible or divine. Ayatollahs need not apply.jap

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)