Surrounded on all sides by
ocean, postwar Japan has long been able to rely upon the United States military
for strategic protection. But tense territorial disputes with neighboring
countries, the capture and beheading of two Japanese journalists by ISIS in February, and the horror of the
terror attacks in Paris have all served to remind the Japanese of the limits of
physical isolation and dependence upon others. This, in turn, has fed an
ongoing debate over the mission of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Is their role
truly one of self-defense, pure and simple? Or does the Japanese constitution
allow for preëmptive strikes outside of domestic borders, in the manner of a
traditional military? The question won’t be settled anytime soon. But it’s
fascinating to watch how Japan’s armed forces have endeared themselves to the
Japanese public. The militaries of many nations harness mass media and pop
culture for promotional purposes: the United States coöperates with Hollywood;
Russia ostentatiously unveils a three-tiered “war center” seemingly modelled on
a Bond villain’s lair. Japan is no different. But what makes their military
unusual is that the image being projected isn’t one of might or machismo but of
cuteness….To Read More…
No comments:
Post a Comment