It's hot in here... and why am I in this handbasket?

[phluxisgod]

I know that quite a few of you are better versed in Japanese politics and history than I am - I ran across something this morning that I don't really understand. According to the BBC article here, we're basically trying to bribe Japan to give up Article Nine of their Constitution with hopes of a seat on the UN Security Council

Comments

[valerie_quinn]

Actually, during the Korean War, the US said that Japan should get rid of Article 9. The US then wanted, as it does now, Japan's military help in dealing with its own problems. The 9th article, however, says that in exchange for Japan not having any military of its own, the US will provide the forces with which to protect Japan. At the time, that constitution made sense since it assured the rest of Asia that Japan would no longer be a threat while it also deterred any other nations from exacting revenge on Japan for its past aggressions.

Most Japanese don't want an army because they honestly don't think that there's any need for it. Yes, many people are pacifists, but more than that, the Japanese see having an army as being a declaration that they will be more involved in international affairs militaristically. They don't want that.

There are also many more reasons why Japan would not want to have a full standing army, but I'm not well-read enough to cover all of them. I can say that one of my teachers told me that the reason that she doesn't want there to be a larger role of an army is because right now laws bar the military from recruiting from schools. The institutionalization of a military would give them access to schools as an alternative to college (or maybe even high school). Teachers don't want that.