“Farewell, Emperor”
You think you’re an anarchist? In 1907, this guy nailed a manifesto to the door of the Japanese consulate in San Francisco addressed to the emperor and signed “from the Anarchist-Terrorists of Japan.” It began, “We demand the implementation of the principle of assassination.” The emperor, Kotoku wrote, was not divine, but merely a human ape like all others, who “relished in every kind of crime and corruption.” This letter concluded, “miserable Mutsuhito. Bombs are all around you, waiting to explode. Farewell to you.” You probably know he did not succeed in assassinating the emperor, and if he had then all manner of crimes against humanity might not have happened in ensuing decades…but it was a courageous endeavor all the same.
Recent Comments