Out of curiosity--Mr. Hitchens (or anybody else), have you ever observed this gift for reconciliation in another country? If so, where and what was it like? If not, do you believe there is something unique about the United States? We are not the world's only secular multiethnic democracy, but of course there are things unique about our culture (not to mention offenses requiring reconciliation unique in our history), so I am curious about this.

keb:

Out of curiosity--Mr. Hitchens (or anybody else), have you ever observed this gift for reconciliation in another country? If so, where and what was it like? If not, do you believe there is something unique about the United States? We are not the world's only secular multiethnic democracy, but of course there are things unique about our culture (not to mention offenses requiring reconciliation unique in our history), so I am curious about this.

The Canadian government also apologized for the internment of Canadians of Japanese ancestry. Reparations were paid as well.

I also want to point out in light of what Hitchens writes about Earl Warren and the American Communist Party that J. Edgar Hoover was opposed to the internment of all Japanese-American citizens as unnecessary because the most likely spies would have already been arrested by the FBI.

Perhaps it's slightly beyond the bounds set by your question keb, but the reconciliation undertaken in Europe after WW II was remarkable, and is ongoing.

"If not, do you believe there is something unique about the United States? We are not the world's only secular multiethnic democracy, but of course there are things unique about our culture (not to mention offenses requiring reconciliation unique in our history), so I am curious about this."

The US is unique in that no other nation in modern history has seen so many people immigrate to it in so short a time from so many other nations.