Mr. Abe has done a lot to put Asia back on the path to War: what with re-arming Japan, making a mockery of Japan's Pacifist Constitution, and overflowing rhetoric about the dangers of a rising China. Just last week, I was perusing through Asia Times, reading an article by Peter Lee on the TPP, when I noticed the following picture, and a comment from a reader. Reader … [Read more...] about What’s Up with Abe’s Egging China On to War?
China-Japan Relations
Nations Agree on the Trans-Pacific Partnership … and My First Take of Its Significance
Yesterday, the U.S. and the eleven other nations announced that they had finally - after rounds and rounds of delays - an agreement. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) have been controversial and widely criticized, with secret negotiations taking place behind closed doors. Even the ultra liberal and Western brain-washed readers of the New York Times see little to like … [Read more...] about Nations Agree on the Trans-Pacific Partnership … and My First Take of Its Significance
Case Study on Democracy and Rule of Law: Japan and the World at a Crossroad?
Recently, the Japanese Parliament passed controversial legislation pushed by Abe to allow Japanese forces to fight abroad for the first time since 1945. Here is how Reuters reported it: Japan's parliament voted into law on Saturday a defense policy shift that could let troops fight overseas for the first time since 1945, a milestone in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's push to … [Read more...] about Case Study on Democracy and Rule of Law: Japan and the World at a Crossroad?
A short caricature on politics …
In the lead up to China's commemoration of the 70th anniversary of Japan's defeat in WWII, I thought I'd do a little personal aside ... that might explain why Japan can be so delusional about so many things. Politics ... in many ways ... especially politics in the democratic sense (i.e. at the level of the people) ... is about caricatures ... about simplifying … [Read more...] about A short caricature on politics …
Okinawa, Taiwan, and the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in United States–Japan–China Relations
This is not the first time I have read and linked to articles in The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus that I find sensible, instead of the misinformation and disinformation we see so often preached in Western press and Japanese press. I thought this article by Kimie Hara gives a more balanced Japanese view of the issue of territorial dispute between China and Japan and … [Read more...] about Okinawa, Taiwan, and the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in United States–Japan–China Relations