japan

[pjohns]

Japan's constitution--written by the US, following WWII--forbids the country from acquiring military weapons, beyond those needed for pure self-defense.

In the mid-1940s, this probably made good sense.

Now...well, much less so, I think.

Japan could act as a serious counterbalance to an increasingly aggressive (and expansionist) China--if only it were allowed to do so.

Remember: We fought against Germany and Italy in WWII also; but we do not wish to constrain them in this manner.

Thoughts?

[countryboy]

Japan's constitution--written by the US, following WWII--forbids the country from acquiring military weapons, beyond those needed for pure self-defense.

In the mid-1940s, this probably made good sense.

Now...well, much less so, I think.

Japan could act as a serious counterbalance to an increasingly aggressive (and expansionist) China--if only it were allowed to do so.

Remember: We fought against Germany and Italy in WWII also; but we do not wish to constrain them in this manner.

Thoughts?

I would imagine that constitution has some sort of amendment process. They need to get busy.

[MisterVeritis]

Japan's constitution--written by the US, following WWII--forbids the country from acquiring military weapons, beyond those needed for pure self-defense.

In the mid-1940s, this probably made good sense.

Now...well, much less so, I think.

Japan could act as a serious counterbalance to an increasingly aggressive (and expansionist) China--if only it were allowed to do so.

Remember: We fought against Germany and Italy in WWII also; but we do not wish to constrain them in this manner.

Thoughts?

In my opinion, Abe's work to change the Constitution is why he was murdered. He was an obstacle on China's road to war.

[RMNIXON]

The Japanese were horribly cruel to the pre-Communist Chinese and no doubt some will not forget. Taiwan the obvious target of the moment but it won't end well for the Pacific region IMHO!

[OLD GUY IN FLORIDA]

When I lived in Jacksonville Fl I frequented a sushi restaurant that was actually owned by a Chinese couple. My favorite "wait person" was actually Japanese. When I said something about the owners once she quickly told me that she was not fond of them at all and was very nasty in her response. When I asked her why she simply said, well look at it, they are Chinese. She was well treated by them and was promoted to restaurant manager and was apparently well paid, but the fact they were Chinese was enough for her to totally dislike them.

When I was stationed in Japan while in the Navy I discovered the Japanese people had a very strong sense of racial superiority. While, as an American, I was never made to feel discrimination except for a couple of occasions. One night a bunch of us from the ship tried to go to a Japanese nightclub and we were politely told the club was only for Japanese citizens. I also noticed they treated the Koreans living in Japan much like we did African Americans 100 years ago.

Still, I found the Japanese people to be exceptional polite considering that it had been just over 20 years that we were killing each other in the South Pacific. Furthermore, they were very industrious. I think they considered General Douglas McArthur to be their savior from the culture of serfdom that existed prior to the war.

[Chuck]

When I lived in Jacksonville Fl I frequented a sushi restaurant that was actually owned by a Chinese couple. My favorite "wait person" was actually Japanese. When I said something about the owners once she quickly told me that she was not fond of them at all and was very nasty in her response. When I asked her why she simply said, well look at it, they are Chinese. She was well treated by them and was promoted to restaurant manager and was apparently well paid, but the fact they were Chinese was enough for her to totally dislike them.

When I was stationed in Japan while in the Navy I discovered the Japanese people had a very strong sense of racial superiority. While, as an American, I was never made to feel discrimination except for a couple of occasions. One night a bunch of us from the ship tried to go to a Japanese nightclub and we were politely told the club was only for Japanese citizens. I also noticed they treated the Koreans living in Japan much like we did African Americans 100 years ago.

Still, I found the Japanese people to be exceptional polite considering that it had been just over 20 years that we were killing each other in the South Pacific. Furthermore, they were very industrious. I think they considered General Douglas McArthur to be their savior from the culture of serfdom that existed prior to the war.

To hear all the sniveling and whining about Da Evulz Of Amurka you would think we're some dystopian hellhole for anybody but WASPS; the whiners have obviously never been outside the U.S. or even got to know people who aren't from here, or they would know the rest of the world is far more racist and nasty than even the average American skinhead. The Middle East, for example, has no racist problems re black Africans even after millennia of slave trafficking; that's because they killed them all and still do kill slaves when they're no longer useful.

If the U.S. was even half as 'racist n stuff' as portrayed by the left wing propaganda and 'Reparations' scam peddlers claim, there wouldn't be any 'minorities' around to be sniveling and having Big Dramas. We certainly don't see any of them running back to their home cultures even when they can easily afford to leave here on the next plane, nor would all those 'minorities' be filling up fake 'refugee camps' on our borders waiting to get the freebies at citizens' expense. Even then they move to France or some other Euro country than go back to the $#@!holes they got away from.

[donttread]

Japan's constitution--written by the US, following WWII--forbids the country from acquiring military weapons, beyond those needed for pure self-defense.

In the mid-1940s, this probably made good sense.

Now...well, much less so, I think.

Japan could act as a serious counterbalance to an increasingly aggressive (and expansionist) China--if only it were allowed to do so.

Remember: We fought against Germany and Italy in WWII also; but we do not wish to constrain them in this manner.

Thoughts?

Totally agree. But the American government, no government, lets go of control unless forced to. We still have bases in Germany don't forget. By these limits on Japan we incur some obligation to defend them which is an obligation we don't need.
You make an excellent point about the role Japan could play without limits imposed in a bygone era.