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Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk
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I suspect that the Japanese government will ignore the issue, with Shinzo Abe in power with the Liberal Democrat Party, which despite what it sounds like, is more right wing than the UK equivalent. The LDP is a strong force in Japanese politics, it's been in power very frequently since 1948, spending a time from 1955 to 1993 in control. That's like having a whole string of Republican or Democrat presidents for thirty-eight years, a life-time in the world of politics.
Since the bubble burst in the 1990s, Japan has struggled to get back on its feet, social conditions have deteriorated in many parts of the Japanese society, the amount of NEET and Hikikomori have risen, it seems that just as Japan was about to get back on to the straight and level, the 2008 crisis hit the world and plunged it back down again. Times like these fester nationalistic tendancies, which have been seen through the various island clashes around Japan of late. Given Chinas upward rise in military prowness and the decline of American political strength, as well as a rise in the tendancy for American isolationism in its media and populace, I would wager that someone in Japan will very soon put forward the proposal to modify Article Nine of the Japanese Constitution and it will receive rising support from the nationalistic Japanese who see a rising (and vengeful) Communist China as a threat, and it will be welcomed by America and Australia as further weaponry to bring to bear against any Chinese expansions in the Pacific through either trade or force.
I don't know...call me stuck in the 1940s, but the idea of a remilitarised Japan, doesn't sit well with me, I've got no beef against the Japanese, but their mindset does scare me sometimes.