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yes, i would like to see the japanese become more involved in world
politics, defense of free nations, and aid to needy countries for a number
of reasons.
first of all, the japanese are not currently famous for their environmental
protection policies, nor are they using international waters fairly
(the use of 10-30 mile nets off the coast of california will soon
deplete the fish population beyond repair, and needlessly kills dolphins,
porpoises, and... well you get the picture. i believe the the japanese need
an 'environmental education', and i think they may get part of it by
simply becoming more involved in the world... perhaps learning about the
natural limitations of the planet. the more 'responsible' you feel about
something, the more you care about it.
as far as defense is concerned, soon the japanese will have more military
bases on their homeland than the US... this is a good thing.... why should we
be spending our $$$$ if they can defend themselves??? they are
supposedly capable of handling a russian conventional invasion, but
would still have to rely on the US for nuclear support if needed. i heard
on NPR that they would soon have a larger fleet (minus carriers??? the report
didn't say, but i didn't this they had carriers) than the US 7th fleet....
also good for protecting their entire area. i was under the impression
however, that the constitutional limit on defense spending was 3% of GNP,
and that this was just the first year that they exceeded 1%. if this
is true, i don't think that amendment will change in the near future...
there is still too much 'japanese paranoia' in the world. it is
probably good at this point in time if their defense growth potential
was not limitless.
the paranoia is probably one of their biggest obstacles. how can the
chinese, koreans, etc think anything but that the japanese are preparing for
an invasion??? this is a tough one, but i think the answer is tied to them
becoming more involved in world problems outside the defense and political
arena (the foreign aid helps a lot). they need to sway world opinion of
them, by proving just how involved they are willing to get. Their growth
may also stir russia into opening up diplomatic relations once again
(didn't the russia foreign minister just make an 'unofficial visit' to
japan??)... i think the more 'superpowers' there are, the less 'superior'
any one country will feel..... maybe they'll even work together for mutual
goals.
sarah who_will_continue_this_discussion_with_husband_gregg_tonight
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