Rage against the Machine!

[papa bear]

Japan doesn't have the military capability to wage a protracted war against any of their neighbors.  It is written into their constitution that they can only have a small defense force.  They are pretty much dependent on the US for thier defense.  Most of the Japanese I have met are anti war  and anti miltiary. 

 

The war mongers are dead, the country's political system is completely different.  Japan is more interested in doing business than waging war.The people in power today have little recollection of WW-2. 

 

I don't condone their war time attrocities any more than I do Germany's.  My point is, the war has been over for 60 years.  Time to move on and quit holding a grudge. Bigotry and hatred never accomplish anything.

230140[/snapback]

I agree, the only thing Japan would be capable of is a strike on key targets, unless they could take out the leadership and replace it with a less oppressive regime the only people that would suffer in the long run would be the people that live under the current regimes control.

Personaly I think Japan knows that and they are just trying to apply more pressure on N. Korea to get them to drop there nuke program.

Nobody wants N. Korea to have that capability.

[Thomas Promise]

Japan doesn't have the military capability to wage a protracted war against any of their neighbors.  It is written into their constitution that they can only have a small defense force.  They are pretty much dependent on the US for thier defense.  Most of the Japanese I have met are anti war  and anti miltiary. 

 

The war mongers are dead, the country's political system is completely different.  Japan is more interested in doing business than waging war.The people in power today have little recollection of WW-2. 

 

I don't condone their war time attrocities any more than I do Germany's.  My point is, the war has been over for 60 years.  Time to move on and quit holding a grudge. Bigotry and hatred never accomplish anything.

230140[/snapback]

Japan is quite capable of defending themselves. They have the 4th largests military budget in the World behind the US, Russia and China.

Here are some of the Military budgets for Nations of the World.

 

 

By Christopher Hellman, Senior Analyst

February 4, 2002

 

 

 

Last of the Big Time Spenders:

U.S. Military Budget Still the World's Largest, and Growing

Selected Countries Military Budget

United States $396.1 Billion

Russia* $60.0

China* $42.0

Japan $40.4

United Kingdom $34.0

Saudi Arabia $27.2

France $25.3

Germany $21.0

Brazil* $17.9

India $15.6

Italy $15.5

South Korea $11.8

Iran $9.1

Israel $9.0

Taiwan $8.2

Canada $7.7

Spain $6.9

Australia $6.6

Netherlands $5.6

Turkey $5.1

Singapore $4.3

Sweden $4.2

United Arab Emirates* $3.9

Poland $3.7

Greece $3.3

Argentina* $3.1

Pakistan $2.6

Norway $2.8

Kuwait $2.6

Denmark $2.4

Belgium $2.2

Colombia $2.1

Egypt $2.1

Vietnam $1.8

Iraq $1.4

North Korea $1.3

Portugal $1.3

Libya $1.2

Czech Republic $1.1

Philippines $1.1

Luxembourg $0.9

Hungary $0.8

Syria $0.8

Cuba $0.7

Sudan $0.6

Yugoslavia $0.5

 

Figures are for latest year available, usually 2001. Expenditures are used in a few cases where official budgets are significantly lower than actual spending. The figure for the United States is from the annual budget request for Fiscal Year 2003.

 

* 2000 Funding

 

Table prepared by Center for Defense Information.

Sources: International Institute for Strategic Studies, Department of Defense

 

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"For 45 years of the Cold War we were in an arms race with the Soviet Union. Now it appears we're in an arms race with ourselves."

[warpedbored]

Japan is beginning to look at increasing their capability. As of right now their military is self defense only. They don't even have balistic missiles. Increased pressure from the USA to take more responsibility for their own defense and North Korea's nuke program is making the public nervous though. Here is a blurb and a link.

 

http://www.nti.org/e_research/e3_37a.html

 

 

Since World War II, Japan has depended primarily on its security alliance with the United States to protect its borders. Tokyo’s relatively passive defense strategy echoed public distrust of the military and attachment to the ideals of the 1947 Peace Constitution, which prohibits the use of force to settle international disputes. Reliance on the United States for security eased the fears of other Asian countries about a possible revival of Japanese militarism and allowed Japan to concentrate on economic development. However, security challenges presented by North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, an increasingly powerful China, and the potential breakdown of the nuclear proliferation regime have caused the Japanese leaders and public to reassess the viability of Japan’s traditional security policies.

[dstarsboy]

Wow, i can't believe Iraq's military budget is so low.

[warpedbored]

Wow, i can't believe Iraq's military budget is so low.

230240[/snapback]

It isn't. We're paying for it. About 80-100 billion a year.

[papa bear]

As advanced as this world has become it is a shame that men still find reasons to wage war

Edited July 12, 2006 by papa bear (see edit history)

[Thomas Promise]

Wow, i can't believe Iraq's military budget is so low.

230240[/snapback]

It isn't. We're paying for it. About 80-100 billion a year.

230259[/snapback]

America, America sweet land of sub-si-dy

[izus]

1.3 million for North Korea?

 

 

thats a joke

[Jeikun]

1.3 million for North Korea?

 

 

thats a joke

230899[/snapback]

Well, it's 1.3 billion wich is a HUGE chunk of their budget. Yet add all the other countries listed together, then compare them with us

 

As for Japan, my wife despises it. My former interest in Japanese culture and language is a subject I don't address often for fear of reprisal. My beliefs on this subject are nearly identical to Carl's but I dare not speak it. My wife is normally very open minded and thoughtful, but bring up Japan "Animals, pigs, perverts..." etc etc comes out of her mouth.

 

I posted here once my opinion on why so many Chinese hate Japan so much, but my wife read it and if you think I'm posting it again after what happened after, you're nuts.

 

Peace love and happiness are cool and all, but though we disagree, it's a subject that actually has pretty much zero impact on our actual lives, so I just avoid it now.

[Thomas Promise]

1.3 million for North Korea?

 

 

thats a joke

230899[/snapback]

Well, it's 1.3 billion wich is a HUGE chunk of their budget. Yet add all the other countries listed together, then compare them with us

230909[/snapback]

Comparing other nations to USA in military spending you would have to take the next 26 nations combined on Earth to equal what we spend on Defense!

It is a Utopian idea that we could live in peace together. Just look at the money we could spend on improving our lives throughout the World instead of building weapons to destroy us all. The problem here is that you will always have a Hitler, Napoleon, Caesar or an Alexander who wish to be the Super Dictator to us all.