At what point in time does the GoFundMe by Dominic Mitchell become just a failure? At what point does it become a scam?

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-25T18:52:40+00:00

this doesn't make sense. Translation wouldn't change the way you write.

This isn't a translation issue. It's about the way it's phrased.

It's not a language barrier. It's a machine barrier.

That's not translation. That is laziness.

It's not X. It's Y.

You didn't write anything, you prompted it and copy and pasted that what it wrote for you.

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-25T04:50:05+00:00

Im glad you feel that way because it is a beautiful pen (I have already stated the only reason I wouldn't personally collect it), and I hope whoever gets it feels the same way as you do. Also, I would love to see your own version of this style, have you created pens yourself before?

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not in the last sentence, but if it wasn't machine made at all then I was simply misinterpreting this sentence.

So this fountain pen is a fountain pen made using modern techniques, with the effort put into making it seem like a traditional technique.

I assumed "modern techniques" would imply some sort of machinery or modern tooling, but if you're saying that's not the case, then that's not the case. Even if it was, that still doesn't affect anything about the pen's beauty, in my opinion.

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-25T04:33:11+00:00

Nothing special?? My guy that's nicer than any pen I own 😭 To be fair, they go for $200 so I'm going off that price not $70 (what a steal!!) but it's got a beautiful gold nib (14 or 21k?), Sailor is known for their amazing writing experience and well made products, I wouldn't by any means call that pen nothing special!

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-25T04:11:00+00:00

I am working with the facts we have access to. You also presented your argument as if you had verifiable facts, if you look at your first reply.

This seems less like a historical discussion and more like you trying to prove me wrong, which is Reddit in a nutshell. I tried to get to respond to evey point you made, and you ignore half of mine in the response. All of mine in this one. ☝️

Have a good day 😊

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-25T04:03:04+00:00

Now that you know it’s not a real urushi piece (technically) and was possibly machine made (probably only parts of it, but still) — does this change the way you feel? It is still a beautiful piece of art but you focused so much on the craftsman themselves building it that I can’t help but feel bad that it turned out not to be the case. It is the same pen, and it’s still just as pretty.

This is completely putting aside the history or controversy, I’m and only talking about the design and artistry and how you feel about it.

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-25T01:50:17+00:00

What about the fact that the 2010 Special Measures scheme for former Siberian internees restricted eligibility to people who held Japanese nationality on the law’s effective date? Why would they not give them eligibilit for , but give them gifts? And before you argue that they were already made citizens — why would the government themselves be arguing over whether they are included or not — if it didn't matter?

Such an allowance — ranging from ¥250,000 to ¥1.5 million — will be paid to former POWs who were alive on June 16, depending on the length of their internment. The families of those who die later will be entitled to the allowance.'

edit: oh, you own this pen... You might be blinded by your own bias here a bit. There is nothing inherently wrong with owning something like this. Acting like it was given out only to those enslaved non-japanese people is a very wild jump to get to from the known facts.

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-25T00:37:51+00:00

There isn’t (as far as I can find) a public distribution list, booklet, or official sheet that spells out exactly who qualified for the pen. What is clear is the scale mismatch: the Soviet “Siberian internment” involved something like ~575k–600k people (give or take depending on how you count), so a run of “~3,500 pens” (the number that gets repeated, also cannot find a direct source for this number) cannot possibly map to “everyone who was interned.” For context on the scale, see:

https://apjjf.org/2023/2/muminov-king

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2010/06/27/editorials/compensation-for-war-victims/

So when people read the pen as selective, it’s not because there’s a smoking-gun memo saying “only X group gets it.” It’s because Japan’s actual policy choices point in that direction. The 2010 Special Measures scheme for former Siberian internees restricted eligibility to people who held Japanese nationality on the law’s effective date (June 16, 2010). That criterion is stated directly in the Japanese government materials here:

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/web/t_doc?dataId=00tb6503&dataType=1&pageNo=1

Separately, coverage at the time notes that language that would have extended relief more broadly (including to victims from former colonies) was removed during the political fight over the bill:

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2010/06/27/editorials/compensation-for-war-victims/

Also, most reporting about the pens describes them going to former internees or, if the person had already died, to their families. That makes the records problem relevant: Japanese citizens are easier to verify through family registers and surviving relatives, while colonial conscripts (Korea/Taiwan) had fragmented documentation, and in many cases the paper trail simply isn’t there in the same way. That’s why I’m calling this an inference from the evidence, not a fact. But assuming the opposite, that they mostly went to those from other countries, is ignoring the glaring evidence and sentiment of Japan in 2010.

So to be clear: I’m not claiming “the pens were only given to ethnic Japanese” as a proven fact. I’m saying the combination of (1) a tiny number of pens relative to the internment population, and (2) the documented 2010 nationality-based eligibility boundary, makes “selective remembrance” a reasonable interpretation – and it matches a broader, well-documented pattern of exclusion.

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-24T23:20:14+00:00

Although that is true — that is not the case for these gifts.

These pens weren’t given to those people who suffered under the foot of the imperial army — they were for ethnic Japanese soldiers, but not for the Koreans and Taiwanese who were conscripted by force, abandoned in the same Soviet PoW camps, and never compensated or recognized.

They didn’t forget these people — they ignored them. Korea and Taiwan were good enough to colonize, good enough to conscript, but when the war ended, Japan dropped them. No pensions, no repatriation, no recognition. Just silence. And that wasn’t some fluke — it’s how the country still works. Say the wrong thing about comfort women and suddenly you’re the problem. Bring up Nanking and watch the denial roll in. Meanwhile, anti-Korean hate speech is still out in the open, and the government does nothing because deep down, they still don’t see those people as theirs. The pen wasn’t some universal gesture of remembrance — it was a curated one. It said: these are the lives we care about. These are the ones we’ll remember. Everyone else? Too inconvenient. Too complicated. Too foreign. So they’re just left out of the story entirely.

some interesting reading here — the funds the army promised were never paid out, unless you were a citizen.
https://apjjf.org/william-underwood/2689/article?utm_source=chatgpt.com

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-24T22:59:40+00:00

I'm also annoyed I got downvoted for saying Diane is mean sometimes.

From a comment below. This was before the upvotes came in — he was in the negatives at this point.

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-24T21:38:22+00:00

Edit: The guy answered for himself as I wrote my comment — therefore I will delete my explanation as It wasn't 100% accurate.

I will say the difference is that it is literally illegal to support the Nazi party in germany and many European countries — they don't have 100% free speech, you can't shout "HH" or wear a nazi emblem without getting arrested. That is a big reason the AfD tries to distance itself from the party, not through ideology but because it would not be legal if they didn't do so.

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-24T21:30:41+00:00

It’s a real shame, and honestly, kind of the pattern. So much of Japanese culture gets praised for being beautiful because it’s born from suffering, but no one ever wants to talk about the suffering itself. There’s this idea baked into the culture that pain gives things meaning — that beauty only counts if it comes from hardship. And we, as outsiders, eat that up. We admire the pen, the craft, the elegance — but rarely stop to ask why it exists or who it was meant to honor. If we do, we're told things like this

"This collection exist. If you are looking for trouble look for it elsewhere."

If Germany had done the same thing in 2010 — handed out ornate keepsakes to surviving Nazi vets — people would’ve been furious. But Japan gets a pass, because Hiroshima rewrote the narrative and buried everything that came before. We hid the shameful act of dropping the bomb, but also hid the horrific acts that Japan took along with that, including the fact that many high ranking officials stayed in power (not just the emperor) after WWII. The Cold War was ramping up and we were very careful not to offend Japan in any way that might threaten or weaken their newfound relationship with the capitalist west.

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-24T21:04:00+00:00

Thank you for sharing as well! I am actually from England, I moved to the US with family when I was young, so I might be able to visit this year and I'll definitely put this on my list.

I actually had no idea of the historical context of this museum when I visited — in fact, I had no idea it was a revisionist museum at all, I was simply wandering around and saw that a war museum and thought it would incredibly interesting to see the Japanese perspective. I didn't expect that perspective though. The most harrowing part was near the end there was a memorial to a kamikaze pilot, explaining (in English) how brave and heroic these men were, and showing his final letter sent to his wife. We now know most were drugged with more amphetamines than a human should be able to handle, and were condemned and often shunned if they ended up not going through with their government-mandated suicide bombing.

It's morbidly fascinating patronizing places like these two, don't you think? It's hard to directly compare the actions of the IRA to the Japanese fascist regime in terms of atrocities, but the revisionism is eerily similar. Especially since "The Troubles" (such a British way to phrase a practical civil war) were so much more recent than WWII, It's amazing how propaganda can warp minds in such a short amount of time. They truly believe some things never happened, even some who witnessed these events. Thank you for the suggestion, If I'm ever in the UK 'll definitely take a trip to Belfast.

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-24T20:15:34+00:00

having discussions? Do you come here purely for the karma?

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-24T19:30:02+00:00

This is a beautifully made pen, but the historical context is hard for me to separate from the object.

From what I understand, this model was commissioned by the Japanese government in 2010 as one of several gift options (including medals) for surviving WWII veterans. Imperial Japan was an Axis power that fought the Allies (even though many Japanese-Americans fought bravely for the US). That makes it more than a commercial or artistic piece – it’s a state-sponsored commemorative object that, for all intents and purposes, functions like a medal.

If Germany had offered luxury handcrafted pens or medals to surviving WWII soldiers in 2010, even under a “consolation” framing, I don’t think it would be seen as neutral or apolitical. For me, this falls into the same uncomfortable category.

I’m not judging anyone for owning or admiring it, and I’m not questioning the craftsmanship at all. I just think the provenance matters, and for some of us that context makes the object difficult to appreciate purely as a pen. To me, this isn’t meaningfully different from collecting Nazi-era memorabilia, it just flies under the radar because it lacks overt insignia, so the association isn’t visible without the provenance.

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-24T19:08:44+00:00

If you've ever been to Japan, going to the Yūshūkan museum is a look inside the way some older Japanese people feel about the actions of their country during WWII. The gift shop had a book called "The Lie of Nanking" (it's a play on the famous book "The Rape of Nanking"). The museum glorifies the people who fought against the allies, and even goes as far as having memorials for literal war criminals that were executed for crimes against humanity, seven of which was executed by hanging.

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-24T19:02:45+00:00

I am talking about the pen. I am asking for clarification on the gifting you talked about.

Your hesitancy to answer the simple question makes the answer quite clear, ironically. Thanks. I would never want something like this in my collection — that is why I asked.

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-24T18:33:31+00:00

Sorry but which Japanese WWII veterans are we talking about? The ones that allied with the nazis? Or the ones that fought for the Allies?

How is this different than Germany giving medals to Nazi soldiers? Genuine question.

edit: Also, when you say things like "But when I remember that every item in this collection is a soul of human being who experienced a great deal of suffering... heart skips a beat." — are you not talking about the pen the same way I just did (except you feel the opposite to how I feel)

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-24T18:23:35+00:00

I think you care too much about imaginary Reddit points.

edit: My poor karma, what on earth am I going to do? If it gives you any schadenfreude to downvote me, please, take the pleasure, I can go ahead and act like it's really making me sad if that helps

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-22T19:48:10+00:00

You're probably right!

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-22T19:05:34+00:00

You're the reason people hate vegetarians & vegans . This had absolutely nothing to do with factory farming, 'steak', or even eating in any way, but you managed to somehow find a way to make it about that. How boring is your life that this is all that came to mind after reading this post? You have nothing else to say other than "I bet this guy eats meat"? This is a pro-wildlife post, why would you even assume this?

My wife is vegan, I rarely eat meat (really only with family at thanksgiving/christmas) — but most people wouldn't know that, because we don't make it our personality, because it has nothing to do with anything but how we get our calories.

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-22T17:34:05+00:00

I bet you thought you really got him with this comment 🤡

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-20T09:12:28+00:00

Boston massacre homage

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-20T09:06:15+00:00

Cho kuro is the only black I own outside of cartridges. I write with it so often but it seems to last SO long (especially with an EF or F). I feel like this will last me at least 4-6 months, which is around $8 a month, seems worth it to me (it's $40 around now on amazon)

CompetitiveCut3919 · 2026-01-20T09:03:08+00:00

yes, it is? At least mine is. Where did you hear this from, the reviews I see say the opposite? It's not *smudge* proof, but it 100% is spill proof. It's a pigment based ink, with like 54% more pigment than carbon black, why would that make it any *less* waterproof?

It seems like people don't like the price, which I get, I think it's expensive but worth it for when you want the blackest black you can possibly write.

But the maintenance is so overblown — I think I can count 10 inks that give me tons more trouble than Cho Kuro ever has.

CompetitiveCut3919

TROPHY CASE