Drop the Double Standard on Japanese Defense

[Götterdämmerung]

2. Its always interesting how the United States can be more forgiving towards the Germans whereas with the Japanese, i feel that we are on another level. Objectively, I respect the Americans. Perhaps, it is because we struck first; we were the ones who made a first strike on their Pacific Fleet in December 7, 1941. So, in that regard, i can understand if the Americans would feel sensitivity to Japan's complete resurgence. But i do hope that both our countries remain strategic friends.

You never hear of US soldiers raping and beating German citizens either. We are as white as them, you are not. In fact, we are whiter, blonder and blue eyetisher than the US.

And our apologies to our victims are absolutely sincere, yours are not.

 

[Zsari]

To me, this issue is only a bilateral one between Japan and the United States. There's no need for Japan to ask rest of the world to stop some perceived double standards against Japan.

The instrument of surrender is not just signed between the US and Japan.

 

[Cyberian]

Yes, you are right. And you have a point. I would add that we Japanese do have a sense of regret for our actions in the past. And this is why we are very considerate of international world opinion. It is a matter of honor for us.

In Pakistani society, people don't even know anything about Japan's participation in World War 2. Instead people have immense respect for the Japanese people. You would not find anything critical against Japan. The Japanese nation is considered a great model for Pakistan and other nations to follow..

Just out of curiosity, have you ever met any Pakistanis in Japan?

 

[Aepsilons]

In Pakistani society, people don't even know anything about Japan's participation in World War 2. Instead people have immense respect for the Japanese people. You would not find anything critical against Japan. The Japanese nation is considered a great model for Pakistan and other nations to follow..

Just out of curiosity, have you ever met any Pakistanis in Japan?

I'm from Sapporo, didn't really see many Pakistanis there. But when I took college courses in Tokyo, i was able to meet many Indians, Pakistanis and Persians. We have a lot of Persians living in Japan, actually. Thats when i found out how Persian people actually settled in India and Pakistan. I think they are called Parsi (spelling?).

The university that I attended, University of Tsukuba, had a lot of international students. We had students from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, too.

You never hear of US soldiers raping and beating German citizens either. We are as white as them, you are not. In fact, we are whiter, blonder and blue eyetisher than the US.

And our apologies to our victims are absolutely sincere, yours are not.

Thanks for sharing your very ethnocentric tone in your post @Götterdämmerung . I've worked with German graduate students before and i've had the pleasant experience in working with them. None of them had displayed such racist tone as you have in your posting. To remind you, the United States is not a 'white' nation, there are African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans as well.

We are very regretful of our actions. I personally am sorry for the violence Japan committed in the war. You should not talk with such blatant disrspect @Götterdämmerung . Both our countries made unprecedented wrongs in our past war.

Thank you.

 

[Götterdämmerung]

Thanks for sharing your very ethnocentric tone in your post @Götterdämmerung . I've worked with German graduate students before and i've had the pleasant experience in working with them. None of them had displayed such racist tone as you have in your posting. To remind you, the United States is not a 'white' nation, there are African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans as well.

We are very regretful of our actions. I personally am sorry for the violence Japan committed in the war. You should not talk with such blatant disrspect @Götterdämmerung . Both our countries made unprecedented wrongs in our past war.

Thank you.

I think you misunderstood me. I just wanted to describe the sentiment the US has with you in comparison to with us. You can hardly deny that the US is a racist country. IIRC, the US didn't put US citizens of German origin into camps while they did with US citizens of Japanese origin.

We made our mistakes and for that we paid greatly, from our chancellor falling on his knees in Warsaw, getting divided for 4 decades to losing large swath of our territory in the East.

There are simply no comparison in the way we handled our mistakes to what Japan did and does.

 

[usernameless]

It's obvious that Japan will have to count on its own army in the future. THe US, just like any superpower in the past, will slowly lose influence. It's not a matter of if, but when. I hope the Japanese population will change its mind about the military too. just a handful Japanese people were positive towards the army when i was in Japan. This surprised me a lot since I thought Japanese would be proud of their military due the technologies they posses and due their proudness about their culture. the history is history, the present and future counts now.

 

[terranMarine]

What Abe is trying to do is using the China threat excuse to re-militarize Japan, now would the US feel comfortable seeing Japanese Navy increasing strength? If Americans were to back that up they would advocate Japan to scrap Article 9. I don't know if US has any influence in the decision of scrapping Article 9 but as long it's in place there's not much to worry about.

 

[KAL-EL]

now would the US feel comfortable seeing Japanese Navy increasing strength?

When you say 'US' do you mean the average US citizen, or the US government? Speaking as a US citizen, it wouldn't bother me in the least. I would have absolutely no issues with Japan's naval power increasing.

My opinion is that in the future, when Japan becomes too powerful. When the Japanese Navy begins to eclipse the USN 7th Fleet, they will begin to worry. And when Japan will show interest to develop its own nuclear defense umbrella, this will become , i am sure, an issue for our American friends.

Even if Japans constitution was reversed tomorrow, it would take quite a while for her to eclipse the 7th fleet. Regardless though, I have absolutely no issues with Japan re-arming. As I know the Japan of today is a rational Japan.

 

[Jlaw]

Why do the Japanese allow the United States to dictate their defence and foreign policy in the first place?

They are losers.

What Abe is trying to do is using the China threat excuse to re-militarize Japan, now would the US feel comfortable seeing Japanese Navy increasing strength? If Americans were to back that up they would advocate Japan to scrap Article 9. I don't know if US has any influence in the decision of scrapping Article 9 but as long it's in place there's not much to worry about.

It is good for China. Bad for America.

 

[terranMarine]

When you say 'US' do you mean the average US citizen, or the US government? Speaking as a US citizen, it wouldn't bother me in the least. I would have absolutely no issues with Japan's naval power increasing.

government, I would like to know what your politicians think about scrapping Article 9. If majority do support this it would have been scrapped by now since the US and Japan are hyping the China threat in recent years.

 

[Kyle Sun]

Japan did horrible massacre during WW2 and do not acknowledge the war criminal until now , double standard is absolutely necessary .

 

[KAL-EL]

government, I would like to know what your politicians think about scrapping Article 9. If majority do support this it would have been scrapped by now since the US and Japan are hyping the China threat in recent years.

Well than I imagine it would probably be a little more complicated. To start with, I say we all sit down to a very nice Chinese and Japanese meal.

 

[terranMarine]

It is good for China. Bad for America.

Why would it be good for China? Will our defense budget increase dramatically as a response?

 

[+4vsgorillas-Apebane]

If Japan have any pride as an Asian nation, they should immediately demand the withdrawal of destabilizing foreigners from Asian waters.

Mainland Asia have no fear of another invasion from Japan.

 

[rott]

You never hear of US soldiers raping and beating German citizens either. We are as white as them, you are not. In fact, we are whiter, blonder and blue eyetisher than the US.

And our apologies to our victims are absolutely sincere, yours are not.

In today's world, the US population isn't really white anymore. Though I still agree there are still plenty of white folks, but with the inter-racial marriages the whites are reducing at an alarming rate. I would conclude the Germans are more homogeneous. I just don't see the US as a whiteman's country anymore. Probably "beige" as Peter Russel puts it. lol...