It would have been so brilliant for Japan to position itself between the US and China defending the interest of the country first and foremost. But unfortunately intelligence is the one thing in short supply in Western countries (including Japan) these days.
Conversely, to go all the way to Washington to remind the US that Japan is a colony and will behave as such is utterly useless since everyone over there already knows that thanks to the 50,000 soldiers based in Japan (Mostly in Okinawa in fact.)
What exactly can Japan expect from such a move? The country has already shrunk from 16% of the world economy in 1990 (Over inflated thanks to the Yen) too less than 3% these days. Investing in weaponry to reflate the economy is a losing strategy since most of the advanced weapons will be made in the US.
Outsourcing most of it's production capacity to China over the last 30 years was not a smart move either. Reversing the flow to re-industrialize Japan could be a good idea if there still was the ability to do so. Some sectors are viable but others less so exemplified by the repeated failures of Japan to send rockets into space. It should also be noted that in the meantime Japan has lost its rich network of small manufacturing companies which were the pillar of its earlier industrial progress.
The rapid catching up of Japan is the 1960s and 1970s was nothing short of amazing. Then came the challenge of outsmarting the West and there unfortunately Japan stalled. The reasons are complex and intricate but mostly, the industrial base Japan built during the high growth period was the wrong solution for the following era in the 1990s and 2000s. A top down, rigid social structure was the right one to develop heavy industry but a complete failure to advance the software based flexible machines of the later generations, ending up producing what was later called "Galapagos" means isolated, systems that nobody would use.
With little industrial capacity left, no resources, a shrinking population of "grass eating" effete young people indebted to their eyeballs, Japan is now but a shadow of its former self. Still a little more productive than the Chamoros of Guam but from an American point of view, likewise just another unsinkable aircraft carrier to contain China in the Pacific. What a sad demise for a country which could have done so much more.
The only similar story which comes to mind is the pathetic demise of Argentina over the second half of the 20C from a contender to World domination in the 1920s to an also ran has-been country in the 1970s.
Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com,
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivered an address to Congress on Thursday and declared China the "greatest strategic challenge" facing the world.
"Close coordination between Japan and the US is required more than ever to ensure that deterrence that our alliance provides remains credible and resilient," Kishida said, according to The South China Morning Post.
“China’s current external stance and military actions present the unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge, not only to the peace and security of Japan, but to the peace and stability of the international community at large,” he added.
Kishida also praised the US for its role in leading the Western proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. “The Ukraine of today may be the East Asia of tomorrow,” he said. “The leadership of the United States is indispensable. Without US support, how long before the hopes of Ukraine would collapse under the onslaught from Moscow?”
A day earlier, President Biden hosted Kishida at the White House, and the two leaders announced new steps to bolster the US-Japan alliance, including an upgrade to military command and control structures to facilitate more military cooperation.
“We announce our intention to bilaterally upgrade our respective command and control frameworks to enable seamless integration of operations and capabilities and allow for greater interoperability and planning between US and Japanese forces in peacetime and during contingencies,” Biden and Kishida said in a joint statement.
They also announced plans to increase joint weapons production and the potential inclusion of Japan in the AUKUS military pact, which focuses on military technology sharing. “Recognizing Japan’s strengths and the close bilateral defense partnerships with the AUKUS countries, AUKUS partners – Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – are considering cooperation with Japan on AUKUS Pillar II advanced capability projects,” the statement said.
Japan is a key part of the US’s preparations for a future war with China since it hosts over 50,000 troops, the largest foreign US military presence. Besides bolstering its own military footprint in Japan, the US is also encouraging Tokyo to build up its military, which breaks from Japan’s post-World War II constitution that renounces war and says armed forces with war potential should never be maintained. Kishida has announced several steps to significantly strengthen Japan’s military, including raising the military budget by 56%.
No comments:
Post a Comment