Asean countries' perception of Japan are not the same as East Asian countries

 Though the experiences of East Asia and SE Asia during the Japanese Invasion were quite similar, there are in many ways quite different as well. All were invaded and almost colonised by the Imperial Japan, some longer, some semi colonised, with the exception of Thailand. Several of the countries had their people massacred by the Japanese with very few exceptions. The countries that suffered the most from Japanese atrocities and cruelties were China and Korea and to a certain extent Taiwan. China lost 35 million death, Korea and Taiwan were colonised completely and their people treated with disgust by the Japanese. The Taiwanese were treated slightly better after a couple of hundred thousand were massacred followed by a 'taming of the beast' or 'domestication of the Taiwanese' campaign by the Japanese.

The experiences of SE Asia were quite different in a way. They were all colonies of Western empires, and the Japanese were just another empire, another colonial master. The SE Asian countries had been subdued and were not independent nation states. politically still immature. Nationalism in SE Asia and nationalistic resistance were nascent. Changing of the national anthem, nationalities and raising a foreign flag did not really mean much to the colonised people. 

In contrast, the Chinese and Korean were ancient civilisations with distinct identities of nationhood, though not in the western sense. But they were clearly civilisations with their political systems, kingship etc. The pain felt by the East Asian states were therefore more severe, also contributed by the cruel and barbaric acts of the Japanese Imperial forces.

Without any strong identities, with their familiarity of being ruled by foreign forces, the brief Japanese rule, though harsh and cruel, was just a brief phase of their history and easily and conveniently forgotten. SE Asian countries also have a bizarre affection for their colonial masters, not withstanding the massacres and discriminating status as colonised people. Maybe they are suffering from the Stockholm Syndrome.

For the SE Asian states, with very shallow roots, like duckweeds, history and the past are not that meaningful to them. Many did not remember or did not want to remember what the Japanese did to their forefathers and non existent nation states. It is all like starting a new chapter in their national history. It is therefore quite easy for the SE Asian states to welcome and embrace Japan as a friend. And many are easily taken in by the bowing and smiling Japanese, thinking that the Japanese are very nice and polite people.

Some Asean states would readily welcome the Japanese as the new policemen of SE Asia, just like they welcome the Americans. Why not, these are powerful and rich countries that can provide economic help to grow their economies. Never mind about the past, the massacres and occupation. The Japanese also did not mind the American military presence and overlording them despite the two Atomic Bombs. If the Japanese can forgive the Americans, just follow the Japanese way and forgive the brutal invasion and colonisation during the Japanese Occupation. And if the Japanese are strong enough to reconquer SE Asia one more time, so be it. A devil we know is better than the devil we don't know. 

The Japanese are the most qualified to rule SE Asian countries. They had done that before, colonising all of them and ruling them for a few years before they were defeated. Another plus for Japan is that they did not massacre enough SE Asian natives, so they are still welcome by the natives that survived the massacres. Would Asean states be happy to be ruled again by the Japanese, the very nice and polite Japanese, unlike the brutal and barbaric Japanese of the past?

SE Asia needs a big power to be the policemen of the region. The Americans may not be here for long. Let the Japanese have some practice as the next policemen of the region, to bring peace and prosperity to the region. Oops, they had hands on experience in WW2, ruling over the region. The Japanese tried with their East Asia Co prosperity Sphere, to 'liberate' the SE Asian states from western colonialism. It would be better, and no bloodshed, if the SE Asian states were to invite the Japanese here to turn their East Asia Co prosperity Sphere into reality this time. And it should not be an issue to raise the Japanese flag and sing the Japanese anthem once again, a great dose of nostalgia. SE Asian states had great experiences in being ruled by colonial powers. They would get used to it very quickly. Some already planning to be the 52nd state of the USA. Never mind even have to learn to speak Japanese and change their names to Japanese names. Many SE Asians like to be Japanese, like everything Japanese, like some of the Taiwanese.

Banzai, Banzai!

Oops, oops, the above is just a satire of the possibility of the Japanese returning to rebuild their Japanese Empire in SE Asia peacefully after failing to do so in WW2. And this time it would be a happy ending with the SE Asian states welcoming them with open arms. Please Nihon san, no need to massacre anyone this time, be kinder, be civilised, no need to be cruel and brutal to the natives. Remember, the SE Asian natives love you, love to be ruled by the Great Imperial Japan and worship the Japanese God Emperor.

The East Asian states, except the Taiwanese, would never accept to be ruled by the Japanese, over their dead bodies. They have enough pride and dignity to live as free and independent nation states.

China must be careful of the bitch in heat

China has the industrial base to fall back on in any war. China also has the supply chains like rare earth magnets, titanium, copper and steel for making more weapons like drones and missiles that other countries are now short off.

Just like Russia churning out weapons that the Europeans could not match and thinking Russia is really falling short in that sector. So, who has the advantage in any war in the South China Sea is a no brainer. This is China's front yard, and which dog, male or female, wants to start a fight must be prepared to face the consequence.

Having said that, China needs to watch the Japanese using a female dog very carefully, as this was exactly the desperate situation that forced the Japs to launch its attack on China and other Asian countries in the past. A sneak attack is not beyond contemplation, just like Pearl Harbor. And just like Pearl Harbor, the Japanese will face total annihilation this time around.


Anonymous

Japan can send all its contaminated seafood to Taiwan

Japan is looking at another economic stimulation exercise. Stimulate what is the question when all the stimulation over the last three decades came to nothing. It will not work and is just making the Yen weaker and Japanese nationals getting poorer with a falling Yen. Even all the arrows fired by Shintaro Abe, the other samurai, using his Abenomics failed to strike the target. He was not the last samurai, it seems, as his protege is doing the same that he left off.

Japan's GDP had been stagnant or just drifting and even declining over the last decade, with India said to be overtaking it with its cow dung GDP added in. Japan was the second biggest global economy, peaking at US$6.3 trillion in 2012, now at fourth with just US$4.2 trillion or thereabouts today and in deep economic trouble, with huge debt to GDP ratio. Japan's industrial base had been decimated first by the South Koreans and now by the Chinese.

China is going for the underbelly of Japan by targeting its tourism and seafood industry for a start. Tourism is one area that affects many other sectors like hotels, food and beverage, shopping malls, entertainment outlets while seafood targets Japan's fisheries sector and also causing collateral damage to Japanese restaurants operating in China. But never mind, all the contaminated seafood can go to Taiwan, knowing that Japan is still releasing contaminated Fukushima waters into the ocean. The Chinese had better be safe than sorry.


Anonymous

Little China waiting to be attacked by Japan

BEIJING: China has taken its growing dispute with Japan to the United Nations, accusing Tokyo of threatening "an armed intervention" over Taiwan and vowing to defend itself in its strongest language yet in the two-week-old dispute....

"If Japan dares to attempt an armed intervention in the cross-Strait situation, it would be an act of aggression," Fu wrote, according to a statement from China's UN mission. "China will resolutely exercise its right of self-defence under the UN Charter and international law and firmly defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity." CNA

What is wrong with the above quote? The Japanese threatening an armed intervention is not aggressive enough? China is behaving like Venezuela, waiting to be attacked by America, in this case Japan. Yes, it is Japan threatening to attack China, not China threatening to attack Japan. And faced with such aggressive stance of Japan, China like Venezuela, can only wait to be attacked. Can anyone think that the scenario should be different, that a superpower, a nuclear power, be the one that is threatening to attack a smaller country? Why is a smaller country threatening a nuclear superpower like it is going to whack the hell out of China like in WW2? Why is China still acting like a third rate power, being threatened by little Japan and behaving like it is unable to hit back, at best just defending, to ward off the blows from Japan?

Venezuela has no choice, facing a much bigger and superior superpower like America. China is facing a midget Japan and can only cry out loud, that it would defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity but afraid to step out of the door. Did the Chinese ever think that they can whack the hell out of midget Japan and it is the Japanese that should be crying about defending themselves? No, the hyenas are threatening to eat the dragon and the dragon can only think of hiding inside the cave to be safe, hoping that the UN would tell the Japanese to stop attacking China.

This is just unbelieveable! And the western world is shouting, China is aggressive! Japan is so nice, so polite, so friendly, and Asean is inviting Japan to be the new sheriff of SE Asia, to protect Asean from aggressive China!

What do you think the Americans will do if Venezuela is to threaten to attack America?

Why midget Japanese, cocky and arrogant, want a war with nuclear China?

 When midget Japan was running wild all over China, treating the Chinese with contempt, killing and massacring them wantonly, China was at the peak of its decay. Qing Dynasty had collapsed. The new Republic was struggling to be accepted as the new govt. Many parts of China were ruled by warlords. China was a bunch of loose sands. The KMT, supposedly the most organised and best equipped military force, have many divisions of foot soldiers but at best have a few machine guns and mortars to play with. No tanks, no air force, no navy. The warlords were even worse. And there was no war industry to support any military campaign. All the weapons have to be bought or be donated by foreign powers.

Japan than was an industrial power competing with the European powers for world supremacy. They have fully equipped armies, air force and navy and a massive war industry. When the Japanese invaded China, it was like the Europeans with their modern weapons hunting down the natives with only bows and arrows. It was so easy for midget Japanese to round up the poorly equipped or unarmed civilians for shooting practices. It was a one sided butchering galore. The unarmed Chinese civilians were like subhumans for the slaughterhouse.

Today, China is no longer there to be bullied and butchered by the midget Japanese. China is a superpower, a nuclear power, possesses a military force that the Americans are unable to defeat. Why would midget Japan, outgunned and outnumbered in everything, still dare to treat China like a sick cat? Why would Japan be so confident and cocky to want to go to war with China when the Americans are having second thoughts?

Yes, Japan may have a few pieces of nuclear weapons. Japan can take out 10 or 20 Chinese cities, caveat, if they can get through the Chinese defences. China at the same time could wipe up all the Japanese cities in one go, none would be left standing. Maybe no Japanese would be left in Japan. China would still have hundreds and thousands of cities standing and hundreds of Chinese alive after the exchange.

Ah, the Japanese Trump Card. The Japanese can fully rely on the American Japan Treaty for the Americans to join the fight and wipe out China for Japan. The Japanese are confident that the piece of paper would commit the Americans to die fighting to save the Japanese.

20 or 30 years ago this could be true. The Americans would have no reservations to join the Japanese to fight China in an all out war. It would be like the Korean War, the Vietnam War when American military superiority would mean victory guaranteed. Though the results of these two wars did not go the way the Americans wanted, the Americans still could cut losses and retreated without much harm. The homeland was safe. Even up to 1996, the Americans were confident enough to send two aircraft carrier groups to the Taiwan Strait to threaten China.

The balance of power till 1996, even till now, are in favour of the Americans. And the Americans went all over the world to sign defence treaties to fight wars happily. They even unilaterally passed a law called the Taiwan Acts to commit America to the defence of Taiwan, without needing Taiwan to agree or consent. This was done at a time when no one can challenge American military supremacy. Arrogant terrorist America can attack any country it wants, any time it wants, especially the weaker and smaller countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Iran and now Venezuela.

But when a war is between the Americans and another superpower, the Americans would have to think very carefully. For instance the Ukraine War. The Americans started this war, underestimating the Russian military might and a war against a Russia supported by China and friends. The Americans have decided to back out of the Ukraine War, knowing very well that Russia can hit back and destroy America.

The Americans would now have to review all its military treaties that could push them to a war with China and Russia, even with Iran and North Korea. The American homeland is no longer safe in a war with Russia and China. How many Americans would have to be vaporised in a nuclear war? What is that important for America to want to risk national annihilation just to help to defend Japan when it has decided it is not worth it to sacrifice for Ukraine, same white men, blond hair and blue eyes? Why would the Americans be fixed by the sneaky Japanese to fight China or Russia?

Japan is confident to drag the Americans to die for them. They have been plotting for this eventuality for a long time. This is Japanese wishful thinking. Ask the Americans, would they die fighting for the Japanese? And there is Russia and also North Korea that would definitely join the fight. Would America fight or flight when the Japanese start a war, to drag them to fight China, Russia and North Korea? The American Japanese Treaty is just a piece of paper. When the threat is existential, when Americans could be safe without fighting, without being dragged into mutual assured destruction, the answer is obvious. Caveat, if the Chinese and Russians and the North Koreans tell the Americans that America is next. This is unlikely. China, Russia and North Korea have no reason to want to fight America, unable to fight America, unable to launch an invasion force across the Pacific Ocean. For China, Russia and North Korea to initiate a fight with America is inviting self destruction. They would not do that.

Americans do not have to die for the Japanese. Let the Japanese fight wars they created. The Americans are not fools and would not die in a war schemed by the Japanese. The cocky and sneaky midget Japanese are still having their wet dreams that the Americans would happily die for them in a war the Japanese started for the Americans and the Chinese to wipe each other out. This is what is going to happen in the current tension started by the Japanese, with the Japanese ensnaring the Americans into a trap.

Caveat, unless both the Americans and the Japanese have been conspiring to start this war and wanted this war.