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© KYODOKishida orders funds to raise Japan's defense budget to 2% of GDP
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wolfshine
Don't wait or "consider it". Do it now. Those funds would just be wasted anyway.
Mr Kipling
Must obey the US master....
Waste tax payers money on US weapons that will never be needed instead of helping people in Japan.
virusrex
Since the population are against this measure it seems like Kishida is giving up already on recovering popularity and is betting on doing as many unpopular things as possible until he loses his position.
deanzaZZR
There are three options; new taxes, take from current government spending and reallocate to the military or increase debt.
It's a bold plan for an economy which finds it hard to grown over 1% a year.
TokyoLiving
Help your people first instead of barking at the rate US tells you..
ThonTaddeo
Let's do some math. Military spending is capped at 1% of GDP now, and GDP is not expected to increase significantly any time soon. And Kishida demands that it be 2%. Which means... a doubling of military spending!?
Cricky
We do not have a lot of time left, but I will continue to discuss it with the defense minister." Who could be sacked next week and what actually qualifies him as a defence minister anyway? A pin on his lapel? Was he in the JDF at any point in his life? Or as I suspect he watched some Netflix warry movies, at best
Hideomi Kuze
Last decade, Japan continued to increase military budget but situation is only deteriorated.
Nobody investigate about effect of expansion of armament, government picked militarists mainly and opened farce "experts council" that conclusion is already decided beforehand to pretend "basis" for increasing armament.
Kishida stimulates arms race of far-east Asia unnecessarily, makes general public more poor, more deteriorate situation.
Not only LDP government, even major media or parts of opposition parties are cooperative to expansion of armament, such present situation is similar to prewar Japan.
Hideomi Kuze
At least, more ruling party politicians and defense bureaucrats can do "Amakudari" to defense industries by increasing defense budget.
yokohamarides
Pretty clear that the LDP has nothing but contempt for the average Japanese citizen.
Peter14
Good move. China keeps growing its military for war so Japan defense must grow or be swamped.
China will start a war. Japan will be involved like it or not, to defend its territory and maritime trade routes to the world.
Be ready or be overrun by a rampant China.
OssanAmerica
The only nations in East Asia that have and are stimulating an arms race are China and North Korea. Democratic nations are simply responding to them.
Fredrik
On par with NATO? Why on par with NATO? Sounds like that is a demand by US, so we better obey and pay them the "protection money".
OKuniyoshi
I will offer, in today's world, no one wants conflict/war, especially countries in the East. Even Mr Kim/Xi. People/country use resources/money for defense purposes because they feel threatened/others, someone stronger trying to change their country/the way they live their lives. Resulting in a snowballing effect, everyone has to waste valuable resources to response to threats.
Solution? Get the most powerful country in the world, one that is right at the top of the food chain. Not to threaten anyone/try to change anyone/anyone's life. Will result in a snowballing effect, everyone, countries in the East, will not need to use up valuable resources for military purposes.
YGHome3
Kishida is not good.
Legrande
The oldest charade in the book, only the elites benefit from the military industrial complex.
Less discussed is the massive toll on the environment which is incurred as a result of the tons of chemicals utilized in the r and d as well as the disposal of all the weapons which were never used and become obsolete as a result of the unending creation of new weapons to be sold and bought.
fxgai
Leadership, please.
You are the boss - you should decree how this shall be achieved. Becoming PM should not mean you get to shirk all leadership responsibility.
u_s__reamer
Taxpayers' money wasted on the military for weapons that will (thankfully) not be used would be better spent on helping citizens struggling to keep their heads above water amid stagnant wages and rising prices. Who is so naive to believe that such a system of misgovernment typical of western democracies isn't rigged in favor of capital and against the interests of millions of ordinary people whose labor keeps society from collapse.
Yrral
Ossan,can Japanese deploy their defense in 5 minutes,you better educate yourself on time and distance
kurisupisu
What would any other country gain by invading Japan?
It has nothing worth the effort!
eug145
It's sad, but with all the tension in East Asia as well as the economic situation, a number of my friends are seriously thinking of going home.
Samit Basu
This is where all the money is going, importing American weapons. Japan can't build missiles, both offensive and defensive missiles, so Japan must import from the US like Tomahawk missiles and Aegis Ashore SM-3 missiles.
https://www.reuters.com/article/japan-defence-tomahawk/japan-considering-buying-up-to-500-tomahawk-missiles-by-fy2027-yomiuri-idINL1N32Q065
All the while cutting back on Japanese domestic armament, like tanks and artillery cut back to 300 each.
https://www.sankei.com/article/20221126-PIZGARQN7JIULK6XG7ATIXUV7Q/
smithinjapan
Here's how they'll pay for it: Cutting healthcare -- we will now have to pay 40% instead of 30% of costs on top of increased National Health Care premiums. Those who have been grandfathered at paying only 10% until now will have to pay much more. The age at which you can receive a pension will being at 70, with retirement following suit. Income tax will increase, consumption tax will go up to 15% very soon, and other social benefits will be cut completely, replaced by one-time cash handouts or coupons they hope will bolster the economic fallout (but won't).
Food costs are already going up AGAIN from tomorrow in canned and frozen goods. Japan has now officially started pounding the last nail in the coffin, and only earlier this week were pledging to have society have more children.
Hope the defense spending is worth it... they'll just be defending lifeless rocks.