Japan has the potential to overtake Germany, France, UK in military and economic strength. I hope one day they get a seat on the UNSC and France gets kicked out.
Japan was actually the weakest of the main players in ww2 - their industrial output was dwarfed.
Germany launching bold attacks made more sense than Japan.
Some estimates I came across:
Paul Kennedy, The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers (1987), "warmaking potential" for 1937:
US - 41.7%...
people seem to forget that Germany, and Japan both were seeking the "ultimate weapons" which would change the tide of the war - the Germans had the V2 rocket which they launched at civilians in addition to the V1. They were working on the bomb as well - but foolishly got rid of all the Jewish...
Japan was far more brutal than Nazi Germany. Estimates say they killed 23 million Chinese.
Its sad they attacked the US. Just as dumb for the Germans to attack the soviets. You can't blame the Russians or Americans for fighting back. Unlike the Russians who would send man after man as...
Japan is like tiny Israel. China and Russia drawf it in every sense, I can see why they want to have some defensive capability not dependent on the US (who recently has become more of a Chinese ally).
http://www.2oceansvibe.com/2013/08/05/chinas-replica-of-paris-complete-with-eiffel-tower-is-a-ghost-town-gallery/
Its a slideshow, I personally never got the reason behind the recent Chinese ghost cities.
Not this time. I never understood why a small population with hardly any real military capability could be considered more of a threat than a giant, mammoth nation right next door buying Sukhoi's, French planes, etc.
Both are territorial disputes, If I were China I would be more worried about...
If anything Iran should support Israel from a strategic POV. The Israeli Iranian hatred is recent, but the Arab-Iranian hatred is much deeper and based off ideology. Just my POV.
All the Chinese above posters are residing outside China and Taiwan, in the "white man countries". Hopefully a Resident Chinese - Chinese Dragon can share his thoughts.