Toward a Deadlier World: The Re-arming of Japan.

Those who feel that military force is the best way to create a more peaceful world, would often cite how important it was for America to participate actively in World War II. The logic being that if the US had not participated both Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan would now rule the world. True perhaps, but now those victories that thousands died for in World War II are being undermined and reversed this very moment.

The nation of Japan is being encouraged to remilitarize and to become active militarily once again. In Japan, a nation that tried to conquer most of eastern Asia and oppressed and killed millions, was totally defeated after the use of two nuclear weapons, which ended World War II. As part of their surrender treaty, Japan had to forsake the use of military power. It was written into their so-called "Peace Constitution."

For a generation this formerly aggressive nation had to focus on true defense, rather than try to assert its military power in the region. Now partly at the urging of leaders in the US, the people who say they are trying to create more peaceful world for us, this sleeping tiger is being encouraged to rise up again.

Once a formerly aggressive nation's military is "put on ice" so to speak, one would think that sane nations in the world would try to make that a permanent situation. Any nation that is not going about using its military force aggressively would be a gain for world peace. One would think that, and one would also think that American leaders would support such an arrangement.

Yet despite this seemingly obvious logic, American leaders, and others, are encouraging Japan to re-arm and remilitarize once again. This can only lead to an increased level of conflict in the region and around the world. This is clearly a folly of historical magnitude, yet who is in world leadership speaking out against it?

I have searched the web for more information on this, and I have found very little out there. It seems to me that keeping Japan from remilitarizing and becoming militarily active in the world once again would be a good thing for world peace. The opposite is happening.

This article, found on www.zmag.org, discusses the implications of a rearmed Japan. The title of the article is Rearming Japan, it is by Jens Wilkinson. If you are aware of the pattern of how wars are propagated, you won't be surprised at why this is being encouraged. Military contractors and arms dealers are seeking millions in sales to this reemerging military nation.

This is why I don't believe it when our leaders say they're working for peace. How can they be when they are actively creating a new military force that could contribute to conflict again in the future, as it has in the past. A rearmed Japan cannot be a positive development in world affairs.

If in your community there was a fire chief that was giving people matches, gasoline, kerosene, and then going around trumpeting how much they care about keeping the community safe from fire, while asking for millions of dollars in equipment to put out these fires, would you take them seriously?

A fire chief such as this would be put in jail for many years, yet this is how our world leaders conduct international relations. They continue to encourage situations that cause conflict. By encouraging arms sales and militarization, they are only guaranteeing future conflict.

This is the pattern that you must begin to see in American and World leadership to understand the problem of war. The very people we are trusting to make us safe are in fact working diligently to make sure that we are not. Why? Because there is power, control, and profit to be found in controlling warfare.

Write, or e-mail, your congressional delegation and tell them that they should oppose the rearming of Japan, and that they must oppose the irresponsibility of continued arms sales around the world, and now to Japan. Explain to them how this can have no other effect than making a more dangerous world. When you march, make a sign opposing the re-arming of a culture that has a history of significant state-sponsored aggression.

If we want to make Something Better, we must not reverse gains in world security that have been made through the blood, sweat and lives of soldiers on the battlefield.

To me the logic is clear. Don't create aggressive militaries where there were none before. To do so is the height of irresponsibility and immorality toward mankind.

Send your thoughts.

Universal