Powell suggests Japan revise War-renouncing Constitution

[The Sushi Bandit]

http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20040813p2a00m0fp008001c.html

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Secretary of State Collin Powell said Japan had to think about revising the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution if Tokyo really wanted to become a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.

Powell met with Japanese reporters at the State Department on Thursday and talked about a variety of topics.

He referred to Article 9 of the Constitution that bans the use of force in settling international disputes while talking about Japan's ambition for a more prominent role in world affairs.

Edit.... what a JERK!

[amber dog democrat]

1. Yep time for Bushido and samurai swords.

As if he has ANY credibility. he is just another washed up whore for the Chimp adminsistation.

[The Zanti Regent]

35. Belafonte was right!

Powell and his equally rotten son are a disgrace!

[amber dog democrat]

36. whores

both of them. Their names would not open doors around my house.

[goforit]

41. Yep....they're fanning the flames of WWIII.

[democracyindanger]

2. Leave No Nation Not Pissed Off

I can't believe I ever thought this guy deserved any respect.

[fdr_hst_fan]

18. Once upon a time, in

another galaxy far, far away, he DID!

[Devils Advocate NZ]

21. No he didn't...

Not since helping to cover up My Lai has Powell deserved any respect.

[montanacowboy]

3. Yep, thats it Colin

tell those Japanese how to form their constitution... what an utter contemptible POS he is - he is SSOOOOOOOOOOO toast...what ass is he going to kiss when he leaves the lying bunch of scum?

[stepnw1f]

25. He won't Need to

because he's a filthy rich piece of shit.

[proud patriot]

4. Oh boy that should be a nail in the coffin for my Grandfather

:mad:

[asjr]

5. And also for an uncle of mine--he was in the South Pacific!

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. First we nuked them into submission, now we're trying to

provoke them into aggression?

Powell, sit down and shut up!

[Rose Siding]

7. The Tom Sawyer school of international diplomacy

Gee, Japan, fightin' all these wars is soooooo much fun. We love it! I guess you could too, if you didn't have that durned Article 9 thingy.

Hubris to the pt of humiliation.

[slojim240]

8. If you aren't a war-monger, you can't be our ally!!

Do you understand?

[MaineDem]

9. Wasn't that Article OUR idea???

I seem to remember us winning that war and making them agree to this.

Yeah, my father would love to hear this! He was on Okinawa in 1945.

[WMliberal]

16. yep, we wrote their constitution

and then regretted it as soon as war broke out in Korea.

[fdr_hst_fan]

19. My father was in the Philippines-

if he were still alive, he'd be thrilled to hear this, too-NOT!

:wtf: :mad: :puke:

[Lizzie Borden]

29. Absolutely.

That clause in their constitution was placed in there by US!!! How can this guy be our sectretary of state when he knows nothing about simple recent history? The Japanese must be laughing pretty hard. I haved never admired Colin Powell. He's just another know-nothing.

[jeff30997]

10. I can't believe this !!! Japan have been a peaceful country...

For almost 60 years and now...this? Powell! You bastard!:grr:

[MisterP]

11. hail the glorious new Pan-Pacific Co-Prosperity Sphere!

remember, history stopped after the Cold War, according to the globalizationists

[Chovexani]

12. Damn!

What, is ChimpCo bored with shredding our own Constitution or something, so now they want to fuck around with other countries' Constitutions?

My grandpa lost his legs in the Pacific in WW2 and is turning in his grave.

[bemildred]

13. Hey, Japan, you can be broke and hated just like us! nt

[lanparty]

14. I'll agree with Powell on this one ...

It would be nice if the world was all happy and peaceful, but it isn't. Currently, Japan relies 100% on America for it's defense. We are paying for this while borrowing money from Japan.

I think they need to defend themselves and create a modern military. Such a military would also be a useful counterweight against China as a possible aggressor in the far east.

Japan is no longer the country it was during the WW2 period. They are the most stable democracy in the far east. They need to take responsibility for their own defense.

[bpilgrim]

17. Japan's USD $42.6 billion/year budget makes it the fourth largest military

The Japanese military is severely limited by Article 9 of the Japanese constitution that renounces force as a means of settling international disputes and prohibits the creation of an army, navy, and air force. The exact limits of Article 9 is a controversial issue in Japan, but it has been interpreted as allowing for self-defense forces. Thus the JSDF has a very limited oversea capability, lacks long range offensive capabiliteies like long range anti ground missiles, air-refueling (as of 2004), Marines or amphibious units, special forces, large cache of ammunitions, or ROE (Rules of Engagement). Japan's USD $42.6 billion/year budget makes it the fourth largest military spender in the world, after the big three -- United States, Russia and the People's Republic of China. About 50% of that is spent on the personnel and rests are split on supplies, new weapons, upgrades, etc.

source...
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Military_of_Japan

thats an old canard to help the US pay for its burden.

peace

[Rose Siding]

28. Thanks for that information

Self-defense and peace keeping are the only kind of military that the US should be encouraging....ESPECIALLY since the world isn't all "happy and peaceful".

[bpilgrim]

32. Japan pays 150,000 dollars for every U.S. soldier stationed in Japan - FY

Japan pays 150,000 dollars for every U.S. soldier stationed in Japan - FY 2003

The Japanese government in fiscal year 2003 (Apr. 2003-Mar. 2004) will expend 638.7 billion yen (5.8 billion dollars) for supporting the U.S. military presence in Japan, reported Akahata of November 10 based on data compiled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The total amount is more than 665-billion yen (about 6-billion dollars) if an extra expenditure of 2.65 billion yen (24 million dollars) for U.S. forces in Okinawa is added under the terms of the Special Action Committee on Okinawa (SACO)'s agreement that requires Japan to pay for U.S. military construction projects.

Japan's monetary contribution includes 246 billion yen (about 2.24 billion dollars) from the so-called "sympathy budget", which is in violation of the USFJ even under the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). The SOFA provides that the United States will bear, for the duration of this agreement, without cost to Japan all expenditures related to the maintenance of the U.S. forces in Japan, except those to be borne by the provisions of base sites.

The United States maintains 39,691 troops in Japan, according to the U.S. Department of Defense's 2003 report on "Allied Contributions to the Common Defense". This means Japan is forced to pay 16.1 million yen (150,000 dollars) a year for every U.S. soldier stationed in Japan.

The DoD report also states that Japan's "host-nation support" accounts for 75 percent of the costs for U.S. forces stationed in Japan. The report reveals that Japan pays more than the top 25 U.S. allies combined. Japan's payment is 5.4 times what the second largest contributor, Germany, pays. This explains why the report highly commends Japan for providing the most generous host-nation support. (end)

source...
http://www.japan-press.co.jp/2358/14mil.html

peace

[psychopomp]

33. Yes, Japan pays an exorbitant amount

through the "sympathy budget" despite the SOFA.

Another interesting fact about the US-Japan Security Treaty is that, in event of war in the region, the US can use any airstrip in Japan. Hence, the idea of Japan being an unsinkable aircraft carrier.

I believe that Article 9 is a point of pride for most Japanese but have to acknowledge that at some point in the not-too-distant future US and Japanese security priorities and diplomatic will likely diverge. At that point, Japan will need to find new arrangements to preserve its security. Of course, regional security will be stabilized once the Taiwan issue, the China Strait issue and the Korean reunification issue are all settled, but there may be considerable turbulence before all of those issues are resolved. The US can provide some leadership and aid in diplomacy on all of the above mentioned regional problems.

Unfortunately, one has to consider the current source of the impetus to repeal Article 9, the influence of the far-right in Japanese politics. The recent fights over WWII references to Japanese invasion of China in school textbooks, the adoption of the Hinomaru as the official state flag, the adoption of "Kimigayo" as the national anthem all resulted in minor, but incremental victories for the rightists in Japan. Taken in sum, the changes auger a disappointing move toward the right.

[nolabels]

42. It is also very useful in keeping a military budget ballooned

Military spending is akin to a junkie buying a fix. In an age of near instantaneous rapid communication with people on the other side of the globe. In world where a device that fits in front shirt pocket can contain the same amount of information as a library. This world of test tube babies where medical ethics have become more important than if it can be done. We have many grappling problems, this idea of Nation-State is starting become antiquitated with no clear alternative on the horizon.

A corporatist like Powell offering stop gap one problem solutions to some very complex problems only exacerbates an ignorant rhetoric.

I say we just throw Powell in the river for his solution



http://www.addictedtowar.com/Japanese_edition.htm

http://www.addictedtowar.com/homepage.html

[Devils Advocate NZ]

22. Bullshit - Japan doesn't rely on the US at all...

Japan has a powerful, highly advanced military, and is perfectly capable of defending itself.

[annxburns]

15. How the mighty have fallen ..

I could not be more disappointed in Powell and McCain. In the end, you have to stand up. And they refused. They kowtowed to this deeply corrupt regime. And got along to get along.

It makes me understand and appreciate Kerry heroism even more. He could of come back from the war and rested on his war hero laurels. Avoided all the crap thrown his way by Nixon and O'Neil and Colson and Buchanan. But he had the balls to say, "No".

He so deserves my support.

[kodi]

20. the nation whose philosophy is non-violence is unqualified for leadership?

so, only those nations who are willing to wage war are acceptable as permanent members of the UN Security Council?

[Disturbed]

23. Colon

Is this an attempt to urge the Japanese to pre-imptively attack N. Korea?

[coreystone]

24. The “No War Clause” of the Japanese Constitution...

was a concept of MacArthur
during the period of Post WWII, imposed upon the Japanese people to “protect the imperial throne”. http://countrystudies.us/japan/112.htm

Article Nine of the Japanese Constitution was the desire of the US in the restoration of Japan following involvement in WWII.

Now! We have Colin Powell looking for “ALLIES”!

Well! Time moves on, and. situations change. Would we want the more rational attributes of US diplomacy during the post WWII period, in its influence over the political reorganization of Japan, to be so shallowly postured in a different light now? For what reason?


Article 9 of the same 1947 Constitution reads:

"Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.
"In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized."

www.veteransforpeace.org/japanconst.htm

This sure sounds like the typical United States diplomacy of “My friend today, and, my enemy tomorrow”, or, “My enemy today, and, my friend tomorrow” which, has become so prevelent, as demonstrated, historically, by floundering in our international diplomatic relations as the crowned world leader.

Colin Powell…..I sure do hope that you have some more insightful and long range solutions for the “problem causing” strategies which you have repeatedly voiced and supported during your tenure as Secretary of State. Your positions have certainly proven to be most problematic for the security of our nation!!!!!!!!!!

[sasquatch]

26. Well isn't that fucking nice

FDR works himself into the grave defeating the emporer of Japan and taking away their military agressiveness. The Bush Crime Family lifts their legs and piss on every major humane accomplishment ever made.

[0rion]

27. The coalition building must be going VERY BADLY

for us to need Japan so desperately.

[xxqqqzme]

31. 'a coalition consisting of

135,000 US troops and one Australian w/ a bowie knife.'....Jon Stewart (thought I'd fall off my chair)

[kitkatrose]

47. Tea almost going through your nose

is not a pleasant experience. :D

[lovuian]

30. The Bush Regime is getting ready for WWIII

Powell is getting ready for Japan to get ProActive...and be our Alliance...in the great War...It looks like the gang is getting ready

[allemand]

34. AFAIK, WWII ended nearly 60 years ago n/t

[robcon]

37. I think Powell is right.

But he should never, ever have said it publicly. There is little chance for a change when the U.S. pressures Japan to change its constitution. And he's a professional diplomat??????

[amber dog democrat]

38. This is an internal matter for Japan to address.

They are a sovereign nation and don't need to be strongarmed by rouge republics.

[allemand]

39. BTW, this will also be the position of Holbrooke/Clark/Richardson/Biden or

whoever will become Secretary of State in the incoming Democratic Administration.

[RetroLounge]

40. There ought to be LTTE's written about this

This could help turn some WWII vets to Kerry.

Don't ya think?

RL

[justjones]

43. He's right. After all, war is working so well for us.

NOT! :eyes:

[drscm]

44. A Secretary of State promoting the war machine. What happened to

DIPLOMACY!

[leesa]

45. Big market for war toys, eh Colon?

These people are seriously sick in the head.

[SOS]

46. USA says...

1945: Germany and Japan will never be allowed to re-arm!
2004: Why aren't these wimps invading Iraq with us?! Stinkin' pacifists!