I meant AFTER we kicked their ass. They weren’t a democracy until we installed one. We rebuilt their economy. They wanted to learn to make quality goods. They outdid us after awhile in many things. And still do in certain areas.
We haven’t kicked China’s ass yet. The other difference was that when we defeated Japan they weren’t a nuclear power. China is. Japan didn’t own a trillion of our debt. China does. Japan didn’t have a 200 million man army. China does.
There are many differences.
Jane’s Defence Weekly states China’s PLA stands at about 4 million. As one who has visited China, their militia is a joke.
In the Eighties, Japan actually did own a lot of US debt as well as US real estate including the iconic Rockefeller Center and Pebble Beach golf course.