politics

LDP panels OK proposal for capability to strike enemy bases

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Does anybody here know about the Tokyo District Court's 1959 ruling, widely known as the Date Ruling, that pronounced the U.S. military presence in Japan is against the Constitution? That ruling was recanted at the supreme court by Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Kotaro Tanaka, but it is well-known today that Tanaka was secretly in consultation with then Ambassador to Japan Douglas Macarthur Jr. before ruling that judgement.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

zichiMay 27 12:15 pm JST

The "international community" can not stop Japan or any other country from becoming a military superpower if they are able and wish to do so.

I disagree with you. If Japan was to become a military superpower there would be strong reactions from China and Russia and other countries in region.

What strong reactions? What are they going to do, start a war? When doing so would start a war with the United States? There will be nations against it and nations for it. The "international community" can not even stop some small nations from becoming nuclear powers. The notion that it can prevent any particular country, Japan or otherwise, from becoming a military superpower if they can afford to do so and has the will is, I repeat, pure nonsense.

That Japan has no desire to do so I believe is evident. Japan possesses the ability to produce nuclear weapons but has no desire to do so. The only way that could ever even become an issue is if the U.S. withdraws it's nuclear umbrella. Which is unlikely as doing so would affect other nations also covered such as South Korea and Australia. UK and France have nuclear weapons but are by no means "military superpowers, and certainly possession of them by nations like Pakistan and North Korea certainly don't make them "superpowers" of any kind.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"there would be strong reactions from China and Russia and other countries in region."

First, who cares what China thinks? China is the enemy. Of course, they are not going to like it. Russia is more worried about China. In fact, they will welcome it. Who else? The Koreans both North and South? Who are what they think. They are the enemy. 

India and South East Asia would welcome it. America and the rest of the G7 would also welcome it.

Taiwan would love it.

In fact only two countries would oppose it. The usually two: Korea and China. Who care what the enemy thinks?

Korea and China are going to have to get used to the Japanese superpower. They have no choice.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

zichiToday 09:53 am JST

In future, Japan will be referred to as a Superpower.

Japan will never be a superpower again in term of military strength, the international community will never allow it. Japan must remain a country of peace as it has done for 70 years.

The "international community" can not stop Japan or any other country from becoming a military superpower if they are able and wish to do so. Such a suggestion is pure nonsense. However, Japan has no reason or will to become a military superpower. Even nations like UK and France which have nuclear weapons do not seek to become military superpowers.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

More LDP warmongers to extract special money for military to call for securing a "sufficient" defense budget. WTF, Japan isn't defensive anymore, beat first before beaten isn't a defensive action I learned from Martial Arts that I consider beyond any sportive event. Japan is in military position within the 10th most powerful in the world, from the amount of money going there and technology itself restructured. Is that the reason Japan has to change the constitution to be much stronger and be offensive? Why I have to spend my life, time and money for that.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

I guess there are at least 4 people here that are for absolute power rather than following the constitution, regardless of how one feels about current events.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

This article misses some key points. First, the panel approved the conversion of the Izumo and Kaga into full aircraft carriers. Second, the panel has agreed to break the 1% of GDP cap on defense spending. Japan will be spending 100 billion on defense. Japan will now become a world wide military power. In future, Japan will be referred to as a Superpower.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

If the government maintains the position that having a strike capability is against the war-renouncing Constitution, why does it let the U.S. forces Japan to take offensive action from bases in Japan regardless of Japan's defense? Isn't that the same as contract killing or commission murder and so against the constitution?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Pretty sure only the people by referendum can decide that. Next up, the panel decides that for self defence elections should be done away with.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

LDP panels OK proposal for capability to strike enemy bases

This headline in itself seems a bit strange.

Who are Japans enemies right now? Nobody (with the exception NK firing missiles over Japan) has threatened or attacked Japan.

And if Japan regards a ship sailing "close" to what Japan considers its territory, an attack, then this makes Japan a dangerous country.

-10 ( +1 / -11 )

And the slow march towards a future military conflict gathers more pace...Nippon Kaigi at the wheel.

And the slow march toward a future with a sensible deterrent gathers pace... the wishes of the Japanese people at the wheel.

fixed it for ya.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Good for Japan.

If North Korea didn't lob all those missiles towards Japan, if China didn't show such hatred and aggression against Japan in various disputes, this would never have been needed in the first place.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

I'd like to ask some posters: if North Korea fires a salvo of missiles directed at Tokyo, or China lands its forces at Senkaku, how are you going to do? Reading aloud the constitution and crying "Mommy America, save us"? Strong and reliable deterrent, the ability to defend yourself is the best guarantee of peace.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

... “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”

that made sense right after the war.

its time Japan had a constitution they wrote themselves.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

If people could understand the difference between "capability to strike enemy bases" and "first strike capability" all these comments about the constitution and Japan returning to pre-WWII militarism fantasies would not be necessary.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

elephant200 - the pretext is not to strike first but the ability to strike back if that's necessary. When you are under attack, without a capability to defense, including the ability to strike enemy's bases, what do you think we will do in such a case? Hide ourselves under a table?

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Part of Article 9 of the Japanese constitution reads:

... 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.

Whatever the Japanese government "believes", maintaining forces with the capability to attack other countries clearly violates the constitution. Firstly, such forces would be considered a threat by other countries. Secondly, a strike capability is clearly "war potential". Either LDP politicians cannot read or understand their own constitution, or they are willfully ignoring it, just like the dictators do in China.

-5 ( +7 / -12 )

That's ridiculous and against the constitution. The very thing that the constitution prevents you from doing

-4 ( +6 / -10 )

You only have an enermy if you attack them.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

That’s good news. The ability to strike enemy bases will serve as an effective deterrent against aggression from the hostile nuclear powers and help reduce the risk of war in the region.

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

One concern of Japanese is whether the US can actually protect Japan. The US has not won a war since they beat us in WWII, and with all those airplane accidents, not to mention the arrests of US military for this and that. That is one reason for the interest in reviving the Japanese military among ordinary Japanese, not just the far right.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

@econstats and Alfie You must have noticed that Abe is playing both cards. He has expressed interest in joining all those Chine initiated projects like AIIB and the Road and Belt. Trump is not treating Abe very well and making him look bad in Japan.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Shinzo's got his orders from his masters in the US State Department: "Constitutional or not, just get it done." The carrot is access to oil and American markets, the big stick is the kind of regime change that was dropped on Hatoyama in 2010.

http://www.karelvanwolferen.com/46-havoc-fantasy-full-spectrum-dominance-26-sept-2014/

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

Well done LDP well done! Japan will save Asia from a greedy China.

1 ( +11 / -10 )

Japan better be sure bearing the consequences of retailiations if they intended to strike first! You know their retailiations can be a nuclear one. When you strike, your adversaries can gain a pretext for a lot more they desired for!

-7 ( +4 / -11 )

If we do not change the political order, I guess we deserve what we get.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Panels, decided to return to 1930 Japan is ready to once again free its neighbours of any choice except that of subservience to the Empire.

-7 ( +4 / -11 )

This is just the beginning. Slowly and bit by bit, Japan renounces the war-renouncing Constitution

-6 ( +5 / -11 )

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