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stormy001_m1a2
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« Reply #34 on: April 09, 2005, 06:38:50 AM » |
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I shall speak on this matter then.
Regrettably I miss the so-called decisive post that prompted AM mooders to edit it.
My opinion, is Japan did have moral debt to many nations for she did in Sino-Japanese War, which stretch way back from abortive taiko Toyotomi Kuribayashi in 1590s ambition to conquer China. Her constant Sino adventures which resulted in humilitating peace treaty for China in 1895 and subsequent naked military conquest in accordance to Ishikawa Plan 1931 which saw horrors of Imperial sanctioned sack of Nanking in 1937. Later on, the Japanese military strength irked the mighty industrial power of USA simply because of sharing similliar ocean. US Navy has been playing Kriegspiel simulating Japanese-US naval battles since 1920s which materialized in Washington Naval Treaty in 1922 which puts the naval ratio of battleship tonnage at 5:5:3 in very then contemporary attempt of weapons race control which unfortunately neglected the future of naval projection power: the flat tops. Therefore the blood soaked destiny of Pacific destiny is already set and when Admiral Yamamoto brillant but ephermal campaign on US Navy in 1941, it is expected. US unstated doctrine in Pacific is, no other nation will be allowed to have any equalivent naval parity with Star and Stripes at any cost. Theodore Rooselvet's Navy doctrine of "Second-to-the-none" resonates well, and today US Navy is arguably the most destructive power projection organization with 13 CVBG available for operations worldwide. To put these facts into perspective, 2/3 of global trade especially petroleum or humble grain goes by sea route and 160 over nations registered under UN have maritime considerations since they have geographical interactions with it. One third of Earth is consist of sea anyway thus naval intelligence is one of hottest topic in global politicking. Why do you think Malaysia is busy arming herself with French submarine right after our rather boisterious neighbour to the south acquired submarine. SSBN is 3rd retiliatory strikearm SIOP of any nuclear superpowers and the sea is their destiny shall the call come for them to realise their terrifying duty. Submarines like Typhoon or Ohio class reminded how crucial the sea is, to us which is ironic, we came from the sea in evolution to be what we are today, and yet the very seed of our own destruction comes from the sea too, man made. Not discounting the increasing sea level since the melting of polar ice too, Hahahahahahaha.
Our ever famous Malaccan Strait is busy as ever and one can imagine if a strong naval blockade can cause to global economy.
US did and already demonstrated her naval power, as witnessed in 1996 saber rattling in Taiwanese Strait. Clinton sent 2 carriers as gesture of US will and it works. PRC backed down and gritted her teeth from obviously bullying military exercise. It is obviously too, sadly that PRC understood language of gun better than anything else. Whichever romantic idealist thinkers need to see this to confirm that abritary capacity of military might as final say in diplomacy is the truth, not economic sanctions. Saddam Hussien is still in power after crippling UN sanction for almost 10 years but it took 3 weeks of armoured campaign by UK and US and he is down for the count, bing-bang-boom style.
EU is awesome in economic strength but militaryly weak, therefore her foreign resolution has chequered history. Just look at they handle the pus called Balkan Incident(s) and Chechnya in ever increasing authortarian Russia will make one cynic smile in satisfaction that Europeans might have $$$$ but no military tooth which basically confirm our brutal nature. We might be civilized but our understanding is decidedly primal in base considerations especially in relation of power-strength ratio.
Thus the future scenario of Anglo-Asian conflict which can be categorized as World War 3 to our collective mind stemmed from the fact that People's Republic of China naval modernization and upgrading which saw the inclusion of ex-USSR blue water carrier, Varyag CV in late 90s. There is a reason why India watch it with alarm at Chinese military development, and if we Malaysian gonna hope to have this status quo goes on without any hitch, we better hope India and PRC will counteract against each other in rather precarious Damocles style at our expense.
Japan is an interesting enigma is global power play currently. Historical aside, I prefer her to play her role as bulwark to Sino ambition in the region at least since I prefer Pax Americana hegemony than a Pax Sinica. Robert Kaplan, an eloquent neo-con advocator speaks my mind when he wrote that between all these current devils, which one is more acceptable. The answer is rather obvious. I never trust PRC and I never will. Thus, my answer is, yes I agree that Japan should be in Security Council in increasingly irrelevant UN but nevermind, it is just like the often disregarded Geneva Convention, it is nice pretension of power moderating factor or human nicieties in essentially global dog-eat-dog exercise. HAHAHAHAHA. You can call me US buttboy for all I care, I understand their style and like it, in view to I saw what PRC can offer which I shake my head in absolute disgust. No way I will bend over and get smacked by PRC. I want to enjoy my quasi global freedom and capitalism as much as I could, and I don't see how Pax Sinicia can offer me this. Bush or no Bush, it is just for certain term based experience for me but bottomline fact is, I prefer Pax Americana, anyday anytime.
However, it would be nice if Japan apologize for her actions in long war in China, her attempt to exterminate Korean culture from face of Earth and her subsequent military adventure in Pacific that cost so much. Also reimburse the victims of her conquest, especially in matters like comfort women and an official Nanking apology, like what Germany did in atone for Holocaust in World War 2 which cost Berlin up to now, almost close to 4 billion US Dollars (I Chang, 1998). However too, never confuse historical sentimentality with current political considerations which I observed a lot here in this thread and outside of it, which by the way points to rather painful obvious truth that China, India and USA is gearing up for 3 round of global war. To have any hope to at least slow down these spiral ride to another showdown which might us the planet, it might be wise to look at our core values and rationalize it in global perspective. Which is I already detail it, above. If old enemies like French and UK can reconcile to the fact that Germany can play an important for collective prosperity in EU, so can we if we willing to stop finger pointing and look at things from bigger picture.
But other than that, I support the Japanese appeal to be in which I said earlier increasingly irrelevant UN Security Council. Hey, it at least me sleep peacefully at night, pretending everything is alright in global front. He He He.
Shit happens, but as long it did not hit the fan, there will be some places that remain relatively shit free. And that's the place I want to be and to make sure of that, keep the shit out of fan's way. Oh yeah.
:wink:
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