Even if I could pull the trigger, I would probably close my eyes.

Still wanna change the Article 9, Prime Minister Abe? Fighting is a lot harder when you have to actually pull the tigger, something your troops are already doubting they can do.

Having the technology and equipment is only half of the equation to warfare. The other 50% is the actual ability of the armed forces service member to execute the art of warfare. Japan is simply not a legitimate armed force in readiness.

And I'd be right behind you too, mate, doing the same thing.

What the hell?? If so then sir please get out of my SDF and let someone with the balls to defend his country do it.

If so then sir please get out of my SDF and let someone with the balls to defend his country do it.

He wasn't talking about defending his country, he was talking about fighting overseas.

Japan is simply not a legitimate armed force in readiness

You say that as if it were a bad thing.

There is no need at all for Japan to fight overseas, and no need to ask recruits, who joined thinking they were going to be helping disaster victims and defending the lives of citizens at home, to go overseas and point weapons at people they have no gripe with.

Military isn't a game.

Do they not quite understand the meaning of "self-defense?" These guys remind me of the students who show for my English 101 class, and then get shocked when they are actually expected to speak English during the lesson! (No, seriously, the dean asked me not to use so much English in my English conversation classes ...)

Do they not quite understand the meaning of "self-defence?"

Yes, they do. It means defending yourself (in the case of an individual)/your country (in the case of the military) from outside aggression. It does not mean engaging in that very outside aggression against others.

When the majority of the current members of the JSDF joined up, 'Going abroad and killing people' was not part of the job description.

I'm sure they'll get the hang of it eventually, it's not as if there's never been a historical precedent for "Japanese going abroad en masse and killing people."

Still wanna change the Article 9, Prime Minister Abe? Fighting is a lot harder when you have to actually pull the tigger, something your troops are already doubting they can do.

Preach on!

Lets hope the news broadcasts this. Not holding my breath though.

Any soldier who has been in combat can tell you it's scary.

Still wanna change the Article 9, Prime Minister Abe?

Of course he does. He's an old man. The only force he uses abroad is in cutting up his food at banquets.

This person is expressing a very human, very real reaction to the thought of taking another life. Respect. So, now, think of the people they would have to recruit here to send people willing to fight abroad; you'd suddenly have all those "I just wanted to see what it was like to kill someone" being hired for Japan's "defence" because they would have no one sane wanting to do it. It would make US troops look like saints.