Never underestimate a people that could build the Yamato
Posted on 02/26/2005 11:03:21 AM PST by quidnunc
The new U.S.-Japanese statement of “Common Strategic Goals” adopted on February 19 capped a decade of deepening security ties between the two countries. Indeed, the statement is intended to serve as a guideline for the comprehensive transformation of the alliance. While the upgrading of the alliance serves a number of Tokyo’s strategic purposes, there is no mistaking the fact that Japan has decided to join the United States in its grand strategy of checking China’s great-power ambitions. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Tokyo has taken advantage of the U.S.-led war on terrorism, Washington’s encouragement of Japanese efforts to bolster its defense capabilities, and the North Korean nuclear standoff to assert a defense posture commensurate to its stature in the international community.
While the Bush administration has worked to improve the tone of official U.S. relations with China, its real effort in relationship building has been focused on Japan. Washington has pressed Japan for closer bilateral consultation and coordination, defense-industrial cooperation, and the adjustment of prohibitions against the projection of military power. [1] Prime Minister Koizumi in turn has steadfastly supported the war on terrorism, including the dispatching of Japanese military forces to support operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, and decided to build a ballistic missile defense system that will necessitate greater U.S.-Japanese strategic and operational integration. While Washington’s attention has been primarily focused on the Middle East, Tokyo has worked to keep the United States in the “great game” for influence in Asia.
With the end of the Cold War, the U.S.-Japanese alliance lost its bearings. Protectionist sentiment in Washington was matched in Tokyo by nationalistic resentment of its sometimes overbearing alliance partner. Moreover, American urges to cash in on the post–Cold War “peace dividend” fed fears in Japan that the United States would end its security commitment to the Asia Pacific region and its alliance with Japan. The nadir of U.S.-Japanese relations was marked by Tokyo’s decision to refrain from providing anything but financial support for the 1991 Persian Gulf War and Japan’s denial of U.S. requests for intelligence and logistical support during the 1993–94 North Korean nuclear crisis.
Two incidents paved the way for the alliance’s recovery. First, Japanese concern over China’s military build-up intensified in March 1996 after China attempted to intimidate Taiwan by test-firing ballistic missiles off the Taiwanese coast, some of which landed within sixty kilometers of Yonaguni, Japan’s westernmost populated island. Japanese policymakers had to face the fact that China was serious about developing capabilities to fight a war with the United States over Taiwan. Japanese strategists had to begin planning for noncombatant evacuations—there are an estimated tens of thousands of Japanese living on Taiwan—and to protect Japanese sea lanes and sea access. Even more challenging, Japanese defense planners had to begin thinking about the role Japan would play should the United States ask Tokyo for assistance in a Taiwan conflict.
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Smart move on the part of both parties.
'swhat MacArthur had in mind in '45.
An Alliance that serves both.
Worth reflecting thought that after WWII Japan emerges as a strengthened ally of the U.S. on the world stage.
This alliance is going to re-write the conventional thoughts about China's success in becoming a rival world power.
US out of the UN, UN out of the US.
To check China's growing military prowess in their dealing with the EU for weapons.
Next thing Japan has to do is re-write or eliminate Article 9 from it's Constitution, that has been a real ball-n-chain on it's defense forces recently. Post WWII it was a good idea, but now it's out-dated, kinda like the UN, but not as bad.
Who, 60 years ago, would have ever thought this would come to pass?
A couple of more questions for readers:
Does Japan have nukes, but are keeping them hidden like Israel?
If they dont have nukes yet, how long do you think it would take them to develop them and make them operational?
From what I have read they don't have nukes, but could build some in the space of just a few months.
Tomorrow?
I kinda figured about 30 minutes ago.
....or the PlayStation 2. (laughing)
It was a joke, 76834.........okay, so I won't quit my day job.
I agree with you, and would be more than happy to see Japan take and be a strong player in the Asian scene.
I think you are correct, that's why I said 'tomorrow'.
While killing time was reading about the The Battle of Tsushima, Pearl Harbor and the loss of the Repulse and Prince of Wales.
http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/20thcentury/russojapanese/default.aspx
http://www.navweaps.com/index_inro/INRO_Repulse.htm
History tells us that the Japanese have a profound way of surprising everyone.
Totally GREAT to have them on our side this time.....
And their next designs were bigger, for a Super Yamato class with 20 inch guns. (And had started planning for a second even larger Super Yamato class.)
The Japanese, the Aussies, and the Poles. The best to have watching your back.
The Japanese, the Aussies, and the Poles. The best to have watching your back.
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