Japan split over revision to pacifist constitution

Associated Press ^ | May 3, 2014 10:25 PM EDT | Mari Yamaguchi

[Olog-hai]

Japan marked the 67^th anniversary of its postwar constitution Saturday with growing debate over whether to revise the war-renouncing charter in line with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s push for an expanded role for the military.

The ruling conservative party has long advocated revision but been unable to sway public opinion. Now Abe is proposing that the government reinterpret the constitution to give the military more prominence without having to win public approval for the revisions. …

[Mr Ramsbotham]

Given the penchant the U.S. has for dishonoring its commitments, I’d say a bit of rearmament by Japan is very much in order nowadays.

[roadcat]

What’s that saying, you snooze you lose? Japan of all nations should rearm, lest they get caught by attackers without the capability to fend off an attack and retaliate. They were lucky in previous encounters with China and the Mongols many centuries ago. Next time, they might not be so fortunate to be saved by divine winds (or a supposed alliance).

[kearnyirish2]

Japan should have re-armed when our government stopped referring to the communists as “Red China”. They should have had nuke capabilities when we switched our recognition of “China” from Taiwan to Red China.

[chajin]

To be fair, it is not their Constitution; rather, it is a constitution that was essentially imposed upon the Japanese by the Occupation forces. It was certainly a massive improvement over the militarist dictatorship that made a mockery of the concept of a republic. But the concept of an Imperial Japan ruling over Asia is an anomaly born in the mind of people like the Emperor Showa (Hirohito). Throughout practically all of Japanese history, all the Japanese have wanted is to learn all that they can from the outside world, and then to be left alone. If the Japanese re-arm, it will not be so they can again become the butchers of Nanking and Bataan and the attackers of Pearl Harbor. If anything, our own interests would be much better served by a re-armed Japan being a east Asian counterweight to the rising militarism of Islam in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Moreover, Shinzo Abe is something the world sees precious little of in contemporary leaders. He is a nationalist; he is not a globalist like Obama, nor a fascist like Putin. While I disagree with his shortsighted economic policies, there is no question that he is genuinely interested in Japan--not a fascist Japan as Showa was, not a globalist Japan, just Japan. If the Chinese could ever get over themselves, they could ally with Japan and produce a joint military power that the world has not seen since the post-WWII Anglo-American alliance. Thank God they don't, because that means Japan still finds us useful--and if they rearm and remain our ally, we will find them just as useful.

[BobL]

I agree with the others. You’ve got the US getting weaker by the day and China getting stronger by the day, chomping at the bit to ‘discuss’ a few things about how they were treated by Japan in the 20th century.

If I was Japan, I’d arm-up NOW, and I would jail the people in opposition, as likely foreign agents.

[Olog-hai]

And what will it result in? If we’re attacked, they won’t come rushing to our defense; they might even join in with the attack.

[BobL]

“And what will it result in? If we’re attacked, they won’t come rushing to our defense; they might even join in with the attack.”

I would hope not...but could you blame them. We tell them that they have to be DEFENSELESS against what will soon be the lone superpower in the world, China.