jackdl comments

There should be a headline and an article about the protest in Tokyo in support of justice for Eric Garner and Mike Brown!

Photos of that protest can be seen on Twitter at #EricGarner. A photo of the lead banner was retweeted hundreds of times.

The banner read: "Tokyo stands with Ferguson".

That was a great demonstration of solidarity with the historic protests taking place in the US!

What is the root cause of this LDP drive to war? It is the capitalist system in Japan. War is inevitable under this system because the rich capitalists must find new markets and compete with the capitalists of other nations to control those markets. Deja vu? If you think you have seen this before you are right? Do a search for "Coming full circle: Shinzo Abe" to find a recent interesting article from The Hindu concerning his history.

Many people are drawn to Japan wanting to escape the capitalist way of life of their home countries. But their is no escape. The growth of Japanese capitalism and the LDP alliance with US imperialism can only lead to war again. The US capitalists need to control the markets of Asia. They need the aid of their "partner" Japanese capitalists. The up and coming Chinese capitalists stand in the way of their control of Asia. For that basic economic reason, war is a matter of time under this system. It is necessary to question this worldwide system of capitalism.

Close all the US bases!

How gracious of the arrogant US imperialists to agree to move the base to a less convenient location for them! Such sacrifice! Ahh, but the imperialists need something... and it is the TPP.

Japan is the dog of US imperialist interests in Asia. What would Sakamoto Ryoma think? Is this the kind of Japan he gave his life for?

No to Abe's war propaganda!

This is Abe's Christmas present to the Japanese working class. The promise of another war. Abe prays "for those who sacrificed their lives for their country" while he plots to send more children of the working class to sacrifice their lives for the profits and markets of the rich Japanese and US capitalists.

The French imperialists, with the support of the US, invaded Mali to establish control of the natural resources of northern Africa. Just like prior to the first world war, the western countries are carving up Africa again.

Rich capitalist politicians -- like Abe -- have made a pact with the devil. Abe wants to get even "closer" to the western imperialists! Abe, no different from his grandfather, will bring disasters to Japan. It is time to do some "soul searching" about what is wrong with the system in Japan -- the capitalist system.

Can a third world war happen again? Are you familiar with the history that led up to it? Do you think history matters?

Why do so many commenters and the Japanese media refuse to consider any historical evidence concerning the ownership of these islands prior to 1945? Why do so few people want to discuss the war of 1894 when Japan attacked China and annexed the islands for the first time? Ignoring inconvenient evidence makes it very easy to prove one's case. The vandalism carried out by some of the Chinese protesters is not the main issue. The typical Japanese working person has nothing to gain from this dispute over the islands. Why did all this really start? Are there people who benefit from the Chinese people fighting the Japanese people?

The protests against Japan were provoked by the Japanese right wing. What did the Japanese government do? Provide a legal cover for the right wing maneuvers? Who really controls Japan? Today US Defense Secretary Panetta called for "calm" at the same time Panetta signed an agreement for a new US-Japan missle defense system. Is that system "defensive" or "offensive" in nature? Have have you thought about it? Does it give the US the ability to attack China? One good thing has come out of these protests so far. China has raised the historical issues -- and history matters. Do not think that you are powerless and at the mercy of others and that your opinion does not matter.

The islands were stolen by Japan in the war of 1894 after Japan attacked China. Japan also made Taiwan a colony. Does history matter? Imagine a robber who mugs you and steals your jacket. The next day you meet the robber on the street wearing your jacket. You demand you jacket back. The robber calmly replies: "That is old history. Don't bother me! This jacket is mine -- can't you see -- I'm wearing it!"

What would the great revolutionary, Sakamoto Ryoma, think of Hashimoto and his party? Hashimoto takes the name "Restoration" to identify with the Meiji revolution. Is Hashimoto a revolutionary or a reactionary?

Sakamoto Ryoma would scorn this party that supports the TPP and wants to place Japan even more under the thumb of the American imperialists. The real revolutionaries are in Okinawa at this moment protesting the American Osprey. Hashimoto is quiet as a mouse about the Ospreys. But he has a lot to say about revising Article 9 of the Constitution to take the Japanese people to war -- again.

avigator, thanks very much for the references. For me the key historical fact is the 1894 war between China and Japan. It was as a result of that war that Japan gained control of Taiwan and these islands. My conclusion is that Japan's claim to the islands cannot be supported because it can only be based on that war -- and that was an unjust war on Japan's part. I believe the issue of these islands is being used to promote nationalism -- both in Japan and in China. The people of Japan and China should not be enemies. As for leaving Japan to find a better place, keep in mind that these problems are world-wide. Ishihara does not speak for the big majority of the people in Japan.

Can someone recommend sources explaining who really owns these islands?

The islands belong to China. The Senkaku islands are known as the Diaoyu in China. Japan first gained control of the islands after the 1894 war. The Japanese government attacked China to grab territory -- imitating the way the European imperialists were carving up the world for investment opportunities. Japan also annexed Taiwan after that war. The historical record, documented in works by Kiyoshi Inoyue, a historian who worked at Kyoto University, shows that the islands were in Chinese territory, not Ryukyu territory (now Okinawa).

Do not fall for the tricks of Ishihara. His aim is to divide the people of Japan and China -- to the benefit of the rich Japanese. Ishihara pretends to be the one who can say no to the US. But look how he promotes the US strategy of controlling Asia by dividing China and Japan.