Clint Eastwood's Iwo Jima film resonates in Japan

"Japan recently made a push to acquire nuclear weapons to counter North Korea."

No they did not. They did say they would consider changing the Constitutional restrictions on their military, and that they would increase their ability to thwart agression from North Korea; and they also said they have no plans to develop a nuclear arsenal.

"Japanese are very outwardly polite but they are still a closed society and privately they still think of themselves as the master race."

Less than half right. The Japanese are polite and yes, compared to the US they are a homogeneous society; and to their credit in my view, unlike some suicidal Europeans, they would like to remain one - as do the Koreans, the Philippinos, the Thai, the Burmese, the Combodioans and many other Asians, and a few outside of Asia. People mistake the modern view of nationalism that is developing, in which homogeneous nations remain so and remain cooperative neighbors and trading partners without any need to go a-conquering vs the nationalism of old in which conquering others was not only commonplace, but considered a necessary aspect of "nationalism". Throughout Asia, with the exception of China (modern day Germany in my view) such aggressive nationalistic sentiments do not represent majorities.

The only racist information you have revealed is your racist view of the Japanese - who do not think of themselves as a "master race", while I cannot the same for some others in Asia today.

I think it is long overdue for Japan to assume a larger role in our collective security agreements in the East Asian region. Their foreign aid has been securing a lot of friendships, but they are not carrying the weight of their own economy in aiding the security structure that will defend those friendships, which are allies of ours as well.

The only Asian nation with which the US has any fatal security conflicts on the horizan is China, which will take us to war over Taiwan, once the American consumer has paid in enough dollars to make their military ready for it. It is not a matter of IF but WHEN.

they also said they have no plans to develop a nuclear arsenal.

And their recent R&D of scram-jets is just to deliver "organ donations" to hospitals world-wide within minutes. I'm not buying it.

You seem to have a personal interest in apologizing for the Japanese.

I have made no "apologies" for the Japanese. Unlike you, I recognize them as allies today, unlike the Communist Chinese, whom I am sure just love the diversion that your misguided concerns present to those willing to listen to them.

Is there a Chinese version of Pearl Harbor in history? The Chinese have not been fierce war makers like the Japanese. They are a threat mainly because of their size and now modern manufacturing capacity. If China were planning to take Taiwan by force the optimum time militarily has already passed: when we invaded Iraq. I agree that a confrontation with China over Taiwan is very possible. Taiwan is mostly Chinese and doesn't seem to have fight in them against China like we do. They would surrender and form a new orderly Chinese government before we could mobilize our troops.

Is there a Chinese version of Pearl Harbor in history?

Ever heard of the Korean War?

The Chinese warned us not to invade North Korea and MacArthur miscalculated their response. I don't see a Pearl Harbor. Korea was occupied by the Japanese from 1910 to 1945.

"Is there a Chinese version of Pearl Harbor in history?"

No. But even the Japanese military did not kill 20 to 30 million of their own people, AFTER THEY CAME TO POWER.

And as for "imperialism", China's has been "internal", through the constant cultural genocide in the heartland of central northeast Asia, of every "minority" that was not Han Chinese. Genetic studies show that most of the people in Laos, Vietnam and northern Thailand began as refugees from what is now southern China, over the centuries, as they fled other "Chinese" minorities who were fleeing the then current expansion of Han Chinese kingdoms and Empires. The Han continue the internal ethnic cleansing with Communist Party policies that move Han into Xinjiang and Tibet, making new "minorities" in lands where those "minorities" have been majorities for millenia. China's imperialism remained internal because it saw itself (1)superior to everyone else in the world and therefor (2)having no need for great intercourse with others. Mao realized (a)that the Han had exhausted that ability and (b)had become weak because of internal corruption, not because of its xenophobia (which he and his heirs have continued).

"If China were planning to take Taiwan by force the optimum time militarily has already passed: when we invaded Iraq."

Hogwash. China was well informed (by word and in their own observations of us) that during the invasion of Iraq the U.S. forces prepared to respond to a Chinese attack on Taiwan were at their highest state of vigilance concerning such a possibility. We did not diminish any of our assets respsonsible for east Asian security during the invasion of Iraq or since. China did not do anything then, becuase China was not ready, not because it lacked the will or the desire.

"Taiwan is mostly Chinese." No it is not. The majority of people on Taiwan today are Taiwanese, not Chinese. They can trace their families to "natives" who are a mixture of ancient immigrees from China and Asians common to the islands of the south China seas. While China long claimed the Island as part of China proper, it seldom produced affective administration of the island, viewing its people as inferior and its land as a political and cultural backwater. The Chinese emperors never developed the land. The Chinese claim to Taiwan is much the Spanish claim in North America - they drew maps with images of their flag planted on land they claimed. The largest Chinese population on Taiwan comes from the immigrants who fled their with Mao's opponents. The Taiwanese see them as interlopers and have finally been able to elect one of their own as President. Yes, in spite of all that, Chinese culture and a varient of its language are the dominant culture on Taiwan. But, that is no more definitive of a Chinese political claim than the Anglo-Saxon cultural domination in North America, which originates from Britain.

"Taiwan is mostly Chinese and doesn't seem to have fight in them against China like we do. They would surrender and form a new orderly Chinese government before we could mobilize our troops."

You know zip, zilch, nada about the state of, and the operational intentions and determination of the Taiwanese defense forces; much less about how prepared the Taiwanese are to mount those defenses. You also no nothing about our abilities, and the timeframes inherent in those abilities of our own forces in the region. But, go ahead and spin your fantasies about a people of whom you are ignorant. It won't change any thing.