12/05/2015

Japan’s remilitarisation – A gamble the Americans going to regret

In its obsession to contain the rise of China as the next superpower in Asia, the Americans are pulling out all stops to block and contain China. It has reached a point that it has to use its last trump card, a militarized Japan. The memory of Pearl Harbour is forgotten or swept under the carpet. A militant Japan is a safer bet that a mammoth China that is bigger than the USA in many ways. Is this a sound premise?

Historically China has never been a threat to the Americans or Europe in any way. It was the Americans and the Europeans that invaded, ransacked and looted China to the point of turning China into a semi colony. And during the Second World War China was a closed ally of the American led allies fighting Japan. Since China’s recovery as a normal nation and pursuing economic growth, it has worked closely and interdependently with the Americans for mutual benefits. The Americans helped to train and educate hundreds of thousands of Chinese engineers and scholars that would think more like the Americans in many ways, and they have returned to rebuild a modern China. They could only have good feelings of America from the education and living in America. In many ways, China is turning into a mirror image of the USA.

What was the history of Japan with the USA? Japan was forced to open up by the Americans. They learnt fast. Industrialized, militarized and challenge the West for world domination. They dealt a devastating blow to the American naval power when they attacked Pearl Harbour. They fought the Americans viciously in for supremacy in the Pacific Oceans. The Japanese were only tamed by the two Atom Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And they were rightly bottled up not to make mischief again by the Americans in a Pacifist Constitution and with many military bases in Japan presumably to protect Japan against a China and Korea threat. The real intent, to control Japan and to prevent a repeat of history.

Now the Americans are releasing this monster from the bottle to be used against China. The Americans believed the Japanese are the tame tiger they could control and use as they pleased. The Japanese obliged, bowed and bowed, yes boss, we will do your bidding, we will fight China.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his right wing ministers are now in charge and playing up Japanese militarism and nationalism. Japan would be the same Japan before the defeat by the Americans in WW2. Japan would rearm and be as powerful and glorious as before. The Americans are very happy with Abe’s anti China policy and his gungho style, to take on China militarily and forcefully.

In this madness, the Americans are fully behind Abe to abolish the Pacifist Constitution so that Japan can engage in wars all over again.  What is the real intent and objective of Abe? According to Naoko Kumada, a research fellow with the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Abe’s real intent and ambition are reflected in his book, Towards A New Country. In the book Abe explained the meaning of ‘The use of the right to collective self defence’…ie  for Japan to ‘become an equal of the US, rather than a subordinate’. And in the case of the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, ‘there is no room for negotiation…only physical force is needed’. That is the real Abe, a strong believer of the use of military force.

The creeping changes to the pacifist Constitution and remilitarization of Japan is pushing Japan to a state it was before the Second World War. The role of the Emperor as the head of state has been resurrected, backed by the Army and with the Prime Minister as the Commander in chief. Japan is returning to its pre war stature and organization.

What would this hold for the Americans? Would the Japan of Abe return to his grandfather’s stance, to hold wild ambition to conquer the world, to turn against the Americans once again? Would there be a repeat of Pearl Harbour? Would the Americans be moved out of the military bases in Japan? With the rising tide of nationalism, the calling to rule the world, with the painful memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the bombing of Tokyo, would the Japanese forget and forgive the Americans for these attacks on Japan?


Would the Americans awoke one morning to see Japanese planes all over America just like in 1941?

6 comments:

  1. There is a dilemma of China in this aspect. A remilitarize Japan is also a Japan more move away from USA influence, exerting independence in policy making. In terms of Japan policy makers, there are 2 groups of thought. One is to move away from USA move closer to China, and the other is to remain as USA ally.

    Japan know the one who harm and help Japan most is USA.

    So what should China do? China must understand that the play out China threat by Japan rightist has an element to militarization, as well as moving out of USA. So long it do not go overboard, China should play the game along.

    But USA is also NOT stupid.

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  2. Agree, you have three intelligent countries trying to play one against the other. Ultimately national interests will decide what they would do. China would want an independent Japan and as long as Japan did not go crazy, Japan would be a good and lasting ally of China. When the two countries plus Korea are united as a single economic bloc, they would be a very formidable force. To China, the balance of power with Japan is no longer a threat. Japan would never be able to do the same damage to China anymore. If they are crazy enough, it would be the other way.

    Japan would want to be a normal country and be independent and not be a semi colony of the US. They need to build confidence in China and Korea that it would behave and no longer harbour wild ambitions. Japan would be history if Abe and his right wing politicians had their way unrestrained. It is best for Japan to return to normal and be a truly independent country. Unfortunately some Japanese still think they could rule the world. They must take lessons from the British and the Germans. For small countries to rule the world is no longer possible.

    Japan is definitely aware that the Americans are using them to take on China, like a chess piece. Japan also know that the Americans would want to control Japan for as long as the Americans are able to do so, to counter China and to keep Japan under a leash.

    The Americans are hoping to play China, Korea and Japan like in the Middle East, always biting at each other, in tension, better to be in a state of war. The Americans would then be able to manipulate and control the 3 countries. The Americans think the 3 countries did not know Americans' intent and strategic motive.

    How would this game be played out eventually is yet to be seen. If the leaders are rational, Japan, Korea and China would cooperate, work together and live in peace and prosperity. But you cannot rule out Abe as the next Hitler to want to gamble the future of Japan or to drag China and the US into a war to benefit Japan.

    All 3 countries are watching each other and making their moves very carefully. At the moment the one that is likely to overturn the cart is Abe. He is the most dangerous and the most ambitious.

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  3. @ topsy-turvy world, RB:

    >> Japan is returning to its pre war stature and organization. <<

    Best part is that amongst the cuntrees of Asia, especially East and South East Asia, China is more distrusted than Japan.

    Human beings in large groups (like nation-states) are hilarious. If you tried to apply "logic" to ANALyse the dynamics they get up to when interacting with each other as cultural or ethnic groups (expressed writ large in the geopolitics of nation states), your best logic would fail spectacularly.

    Kung Fu vs Karate, go for it you oriental niggers :-)

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  4. Japan threat do not even exist

    if China was given back their rightful claim territory in outer Manchuria and island Sakhalin ( had access to sea of japan)

    China presence on those island and outer Manchuria was more than enough to exert enough pressure on japan

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  5. "Would the Americans awoke one morning to see Japanese planes all over America just like in 1941?"
    RB

    That would be as likely as the Sinkies awoke one morning to see the Sinkie opposition won 93% seats and forming the govt without PAP.

    Likely or not, u say lah?

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  6. This is scary....... a cult just like any of those mega churches.

    http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/news/lateline/video/201512/LATs_NipponKaigi_0212_512k.mp4

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