April 30 and May 1st, 2025

Michael Moore, an Oscar winning filmmaker, said this on Facebook.

Fifty years ago today, on April 30, 1975, Vietnam defeated the United States of America.

It’s called “The Vietnam War” — but the Vietnamese call it, more accurately, “The American War.” Because it was the Americans who invaded Vietnam eleven years earlier to kill and dominate its people.

From a perspective that is characteristic of Michael Moore, this sentence reminds us of history that we must not forget. If we criticize Russia for invading Ukraine now, we must also criticize the United States, which they have fought countless wars. Russia is the world's most hated country, so it is easy to criticize it. It is strange that the United States has never tarnished its image as a "free country" despite having fought so many wars.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AQG8jrzcb/

Well, May 1st is May Day. As I write this, it was yesterday's event.

May Day is an international commemorative day for workers' rights. Its origins date back to the movement to shorten working hours (8-hour workday) that took place on May 1st, 1886, mainly in Chicago, USA. The Haymarket incident (a clash between police and workers) that occurred during this movement led the Second International (International Labor Congress) to designate May 1st as "Workers' Day" in 1889, and demonstrations and rallies began to be held all over the world.

In Japan, the first official May Day was held in Ueno Park, Tokyo in 1920.

In short, May Day is "the day when workers stood up to demand humane working conditions."

As far as I can see on Facebook, there seem to have been demonstrations and rallies in Japan, where I live, as well as in the United States, Germany, Cuba, and many other countries. Even the Munch Museum has celebrated May Day by uploading an image of faces of workers from Munch’s paintings, prints and drawings.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16DxHuDoiN/

I think that this is an increasingly valuable event amid the unrest in the world situation. I hope it continues.

Workers of the world, unite.