Sunday, September 21, 2003
The Marmot has read some Korean news worth taking a look at indicating a continuing re-examination of Japan's long-held anti-nuclear stance.
This is consistent with some of the rumblings we've been hearing about Japan eventually aquiring its own nuclear deterent force. In short, it goes something like this: The NorKs keep rattling the nuclear sabre and even firing a missile over Japan and more recently into the Sea of Japan. For various reasons this greatly concerns Japan due to tensions between Korea and Japan - one being that Japan knows quite well that its oppressive Imperial history in the region has left nerves raw to this day. If there's trouble in Asia on a massive scale, Japan, with good reason, is not going to feel safe. China could possibly do something to keep Kim's regime in check, or maybe even remove it, but so far, if they've done anything, it's been extremely low key. So Japan now in effect rattles its own sabre, saying to the rest of Asia, "Look, if you don't want to see a more assertive Japan, maybe even a nuclear Japan, you better effing do something yourselves, because the idea of Koreans with nukes scares the crap out of us."
It's even possible that we could give the nukes to Japan ourselves, thus putting more of the responsibility for regional defense in the hands of people in the region and reducing, however slightly, the chances of US involvement in the case of conflict (pulling our military out of South Korea, or at least moving them down the peninsula wouldn't hurt, either).
Anyway, that's the 10 cent synopsis. Take it for what it's worth, but keep an eye on the situation, and watch how some nations get shaken out of their slumber...and read the post.
Good 10% synopsis. Let me add that the status quo is East Asia can't last - you have a situation where some of the world's largest economic powerhouses (with some of the world's largest military budgets) are being kept just beyond arm's length by the presence of a mere 100,000 US servicemen. Japan needs to ask itself how long it wants to rely on that presence of its self-defense, especially when it looks over at China. And for the Americans, they need to ask themselves how long they wish to squanders the massive potential strength latent in both their Japanese and South Korean allies. Hegemony ain't cheap, and if you got allies who are able and willing to help you out, you'd be wise in utilizing them.
Thanks. It certainly looks like the future holds a Japan and South Korea more responsible for their own defense. I wonder what that's really going to bring for us say 20 or 30 years in future? My perception is that South Korea's leaders of tomorrow, that is, today's youth, are pretty well anti-American. What kind of dynamic that will create in the future is of some concern... But then again, once our troops aren't sitting there anymore, that part of Asia can take care of itself and probably won't concern us as much I suppose.