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© KYODOJapan to seek record defense budget under Suga
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kurisupisu
Japan spending money to defend itself in ‘outer space’ - what a joke!
ReasonandWisdomNippon
Has anyone noticed how every single year the media blows up with news of Record Breaking Spending that Japan does on defense. In reality it's always been low number of 1%. For many years in stagnation.
South Korea with half the population, half the economy, 1/5 the land they have to defend, has a better military than Japan, close to surpassing our military spending. S Korea It's better prepared to defend it's citizens, it's own interest, it's land and territory.
Japan restricted by the military budget, restricted by Article 9, restricted on what weapons we can have, what capabilities we can use... We will always be at a disadvantage, our citizens will always be at risk from a weak, passive, pacifist idea, Which No Other Country Believes In!!
No Article 9 for Germany. None for Russia, None for China, None for South Korea, None for Europe, Canada, Israel, Australia, Vietnam and the rest of the world.
Only our country, only Japan agreed to such a weakness with devastating consequences in the future. Consequences which our country is not prepared for, consequences which can see many of our hurt or even worse!
happyhere
The Minister of Defense is Abe's younger brother, Nobuo Kishi, conveniently with a different surname. Abe is still pulling strings.
@reason Abe failed to do anything about the constitution even with two thirds majorities. Suga made clear it is not a priority for him. He doesn't go to Yasukuni and wants to improve relations with neighbouring countries. So go back into your cave and sulk.
Fighto!
Good for Japan, good sign to the Commies and other enemies that PM Suga is tough like Abe. Makes sense too, since right now is clearly the most dangerous time in Japan for 75 years. The region is a powder keg with Communist China threatening to light it at any moment.
William77
I partly can understand the geopolitical situation here,and the need to protect itself from non democratic and arrogant neighbors countries.
Saying that I oppose to this increase in military spending,it is only a domino effect that will never end.
Japan better use it’s people’s taxes in social welfare rather than missiles and weapons of destruction.
The article 9 so much criticizes by the extreme right wingers on the other hand should be a role model for a better and more civilized humanity free of wars and mass destruction weapons.
Goodlucktoyou
Bejesus. Thanks for that.
voiceofokinawa
This record increase of the defense budget must be scrutinized critically. Note, however, that the plan was drawn up by Suga's predecessor, the stepped-down Shinzo Abe and his Defense Minister Taro Kono, now holding another post under Suga.
happyhere
Yes, demotion for Kono after completely mishandling the SK file(with Abe's blessing). Motegi is slowly patching things up with SK (with Suga's blessing).
Meiyouwenti
A large part of the defense budget increase will end up in US weapons manufacturers’ bank accounts. A gift to Trump from Japan’s new Prime Minister.
jsevr
I'm just glad to see Japan has decided to develop their own domestic stealth fighters (money remains in Japan, helps build domestic technology and production) rather than just sending the money overseas buying more F35s.
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2020/07/09/japan-unveils-timeline-for-indigenous-fighter-jet-program/
rgcivilian1
Defense and tests purely in the name of scientific research and data gathering. Right? It works for China.
borscht
If Suga controls the diet and appointed Abe's brother to lead defense, shouldn't the headline be: "Suga Seeks Record Defense Budget" rather than pretend that the Japanese government ("Japan") is some how separate from Suga?
Ricky Kaminski13
Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
mukashiyokatta
Yet they are powerless when North Korea fires missiles that sail over their country...
rgcivilian1
mukashiyokattaToday 12:04 pm JST
Yet they are powerless when North Korea fires missiles that sail over their country...
No its called restraint, but no worries soon enough in the name of defense for scientific research and data gathering, we will see them blown out of the skies of Japan.
u_s__reamer
Let's hope there are some Yen left for the victims of the Covid economic downturn.
Ken Wyatt
Instead of throwing money at the US and playing catch up all the time, which is what successive administrations usually do, how about being efficient and leapfrogging China and NK by developing more advanced defensive technologies?
If Suga's so eager to spend, he should start with pension and health.
rgcivilian1
Suga, take a page out of China and place satellites for Ocean observation, wink wink..
drlucifer
Does Article 9 restrict the amount that Japan can spend for its defense ?
Peter14
With China increasing its military spending every year, and getting increasingly aggressive to a number of countries, it is a prudent move for Japan to increase its defense abilities to counter any move China may make against Japan.
dougthehead13
drlucifer Today 07:10 pm JST
Let's see what Article 9, written in 1946, says.
Article 9. Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.
In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.
If we put Article 9 strictly. Japan should not have a defense budget. Nor should it have a ministry of defense. Not even a military defense force.
That's what ReasonandWisdomNippon is trying to tell you. Article 9 restricts Japan from having a military force. Which in reality should not exist. That is the discordance of that article. Because that military force. It exists.
I have been saying this since day one. Article 9 written in 1946. It is too obsolete by 2020 standards. And given the political impossibility of reaching a consensus agreement. And thus be able to modify Article 9 in the Diet. The Japanese government has only been able to make the only choice it can make. Create laws that ignore the existence of Article 9. Alleging force majeure.
TARA TAN KITAOKA
Good move . Let us make peace and not war.