Another Person Who Doesn't Understand Shinzo Abe

Japan has taken a fateful step toward becoming a “normal” power by adoptingthe doctrine of “collective self-defense”, paving the way for Tokyo to play a more direct role in ensuring stability in international waters as well as in aiding allies in times of crisis. It took a combination of iron-willed leadership, under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and deepening territorial disputes with China over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands in the East China Sea to force Japan to take greater responsibility for its own national defense.

Iron-willed leadership?  It's obvious that author has no clear understanding of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the policies they wish to enact.  Changing the Japanese constitution specifically Article 9 has been a long term goal of the ultra-conservative wing of the LDP  since the 1990's. Abe's first term as Prime Minister ended because his one and only policy goal was to force that change. Japanese public opinion quickly turned against Abe and he was forced to resign.

As expected, China has been perturbed by the resurgence of its archrival, Japan. And the Xi Jinping administration has spared no efforts to denigrate its counterparts in Tokyo. Aware of lingering regional anxieties over Japan’s early-twentieth century imperial aggression, especially in South Korea, Beijing hassought to convince the world that Japan is purportedly reassuming its militaristic past. Any sober analysis, however, would suggest that the real bone of contention is an emerging Chinese-Japanese contest for regional leadership, as Washington gets more comfortable with playing the role of an offshore balancer. Gradually, bitter territorial disputes have seemingly rekindled a century-old rivalry for the soul of Asia.

While most of Asia has moved beyond Japan's imperial past China and the Communist party continues to use that fear of imperial Japan for domestic consumption to create a nationalistic furor amongst the population.

The tumultuous memories of World War II continue to cast a long shadow on Japanese society. But as any astute political leader, Abe has instead opted for reinterpreting existing provisions of the Japanese constitution, striking a tenuous balance between Tokyo’s evolving security calculus, on the one hand, and the pacifist spirit of Japan’s constitution, which prohibits the country from using coercive means to settle international disputes, on the other.

 An astute political leader? Who are you kidding. He's not astute at anything, He's a racist, ultra nationalist, war crimes denier and a historical revisionist.  Unfortunately the Japanese public is ready to sail down that river again so Abe will force the changes through no matter what the people want. 

Shinzo Abe Rushes Towards Historical Revision: Changeing the Constituion Without Following The Law

When Shinzo Abe first obtain the Premership of Japan his overriding policy focus was on completing the Liberal Democratic Parties unilateral wet dream of anulling article 9 of Japan's post war constitution which placed limits on the countries military and how those formations might be constituted.  Written by the United States atricle 9 constraains its military to  what they called a self defense force only.  Disallowing any particpation by its armed forces in any foreign conflict.

On Tuesday afternoon Prime Minister Abe annoucned that his cabinet had made a unilateral discion which would all for Japan's self fence.  This was done without the consultaition of the Diet or imput from the public.  It was a negocaition between the LDP and its coalition partner New Komeito.

Actually changing the Japanese constitution is quite difficult as it requires a 2/3 vote of both houses of parliment and vote of the people through a referemdum two steps skiped by the ruling party.

Shinzo Abe like a majority of the Liberal Democrtaic Party are ultanationalists, racists, historical revisionist and war crimes diniers.   It's there fervent wish to restore Japan what it once was an imperial power.


 Under its constitution, Japan is barred from using force to resolve conflicts except in cases of self-defence.

But a reinterpretation of the law will now allow "collective self-defence" - using force to defend allies under attack.

PM Shinzo Abe has been pushing hard for the move, arguing Japan needs to adapt to a changing security environment.

"No matter what the circumstances, I will protect Japanese people's lives and peaceful existence," he told journalists after the change was approved.

   

Abe eases weapons export rules

When Shinzo Abe first held the premiership his policy focus was on the revision of Japan's constitution which prevents Japan's formation of a military has might be recognized by definition if not reality.  Thus Japan's military are known as the Self Defense Force,  be it land, navel or air forces.  Another policy adopted by the Japanese following World War II was the banning of arms exports. 

Given a second chance at leading Japan Shinzo Abe spent his first year following his reelection focusing on economic issues but as his first years anniversary passed Abe returned to his true policy obsession amending Japan's pacifist constitution allowing Japan to have a true military true the ruse of collective self defense.  While these two policies  at first glance don't seem to be connected for Shinzo Abe and the Liberal Democratic Party they are.  They believe that the constitution imposed upon Japan by the Americans was just another humiliation.   

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved eased principles and guidelines for weapons exports, ending a strict ban that lasted nearly 50 years as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sets the stage for Japan to play a more active role in global security.
The newly adopted three principles on the transfer of defense equipment prohibit Japan from exporting arms to countries involved in conflict and to those that violate U.N. resolutions. However, Japanese firms will be able to export weapons when the deals pass government screenings, a major policy change from the previous rule of banning arms exports to all countries, apart from a few exceptions.
The new principles state that Japan will continue to embrace the basic philosophy of a pacifist state that abides by the U.N. Charter, but the change in rules has sparked concern that the nation’s trade in weapons could expand in the future.

Don't believe for a minute that all these restrictions which the government has proposed will be enforced its all for show, an illusion  all meant to fool the world that Japan will act responsibly in its dealings involving arms shipments.

Japan drafts revision of arms exports ban

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is man who lives for the past a past that the world finds abhorrent.  During his first term as Prime Minister his policies were focused on reviving a Japan of the past through revisions to the constitution which restricts Japan's rights to a military and doesn't allow for the export of arms.  Abe's vision is the complete reversal of these constraints allowing as he sees it a return of Japan to a great nation.  

His laser focus on these dreams led to his resignation after a single year in office and several years in the political wilderness until his return to power in a landslide election for him and the Liberal Democratic party.   Having learned his lesson, upon returning to the center of Japanese power he concentrated on reviving Japan's morey bound   economy.  Now little more than a year into his second term Abe has once again turned towards that what which holds most dear breathing new life into a past most of Asia would rather not live through again a militarized Japan.

Abe is determined to achieve these goals and the first step is the removable the ban on exporting arms and armaments to the world believing that this will allow to Japan to reach his other goal a true military and not an aberration called the Self Defense Force.  Giving Japan once again the right to a collective self defense without restrictions.

Japan has drafted new guidelines that would reverse a decades-old ban on weapons exports, a source with knowledge of the matter said on Sunday, a move that could further strain ties with neighbors China and South Korea.
Tokyo has been reviewing the self-imposed export ban under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s new security strategy, aimed at bolstering the self-reliance of the military.

The draft principles omit the ban of exports to governments that are involved in international conflicts, a move that Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun said on Sunday was aimed at paving the way for more sales to countries like Israel, which last year bought Lockheed Martin’s F-35 jets with Japan-made components.
“It’s not necessarily aimed at boosting exports so much as clarifying the types of cases in which exports were previously allowed under exceptional circumstances,” the source said, declining to be identified because the draft is not public.

That these revisions will alarm China and South Korea doesn't matter to Shinzo Abe its all about returning Japan to its past greatness as he sees it.