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This, incidentally, was partly a "gift" from Obama to Abe in order to get him on board with the TPP: http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2015/05/obama-bribes-abe-su

This, incidentally, was partly a "gift" from Obama to Abe in order to get him on board with the TPP: http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2015/05/obama-bribes-abe-support-tpp-unleashing-japanese-military.html http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2015/05/obama-bribes-abe-supp... It just goes to show just how desperate Obama is to get the TPP signed and the depths to which he'll sink. First tacit approval of slavery in Malaysia and now state department approval of Japanese re-militarization. All for a trade agreement that grants corporations the ability to sue nation states in secret courts for instituting laws that impede their ability to profit.

thebmax 11y ago
Amazing what Obama is willing to give up in order to secure 'his' legacy issues. 60 years of post war Asian defense strategy thrown out the window. I don't see this ending well. Japan a has a deep militaristic underbelly and most japanese hate their regional neighbors (South Korea, China). They are our allies but this increases instability in Asia enormously and could lead to a regional arms race between China and Japan and greatly increases the risk of a military conflict in Asia in the next 30 years.
- suryon 11y ago
  Do not forget the Korea. Albeit Japan is their ally they will work their asses so hard to destroy them economically or militarily if the opportunity arises.
- Htsthbjig 11y ago
  I have lived in China, Korea and Japan and in my opinion you are not right. Fist, US of America is requesting Japan to do what is has done. They are worried about China, not Japan. Also the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam want Japan involvement. Japan today is a very old country which population is going to decrease in dozens of millions in the next decades. By contrast China has a population more than 10 times bigger than Japan, but now they are industrialized, they can sustain a war, and could kill millions. US wants to maintain control trade on China sea. Preserve the status quo(as WWII winner). Of course China wants to change the status quo, control her own sea, and if possible, dominate others(like the US does).
- maaku 11y ago
  > most japanese hate their regional neighbors Well let's not over-generalize, hate is a strong word. But yes, there are unresolved history and serious tensions...
nl 11y ago
That analysis is pathetically bad. I'm no fan of the TPP, but one shouldn't view every single thing that happens through that lens. There's a number of things going on here: 1) The South China sea dispute is getting more and more dangerous. Japan wants flexibility in making alliances to counterbalance China in that area. 2) This give Japan the ability to deploy troops (or more likely aircraft) to the Middle East in support of US operations there. That likely to happen in return for more active US support in the South China Sea. 3) There is always the North Korean factor. That really defies any sensible analysis, but one can imagine circumstances where Japan would like to use military forces against NK. It's true that the TPP is seen in the Asia-Pacific as an anti-China move, but it seems a comparatively minor part in this particular change in Japan's military stance.
- crdoconnor 11y ago
  >one shouldn't view every single thing that happens through that lens. It doesn't. Abe went from being very cool on the TPP to coming out in favor (at least in public) almost overnight an the only thing that changed in that period in US-Japan relations was the US state department giving Japan approval to re-militarize. There were virtually no changes to the deal. Ironically the deal might still fail (which Abe probably wouldn't mind since the TPP is not good for Japan), meaning that this negotiating chip was given away by Obama for free. >it seems a comparatively minor part in this particular change in Japan's military stance. You are confusing the reasons why Abe wanted to remilitarize (another topic entirely) with the reasons why Obama had the US state department give him the green light.
  - tsotha 11y ago
    >Abe went from being very cool on the TPP to coming out in favor (at least in public) almost overnight an the only thing that changed in that period in US-Japan relations was the US state department giving Japan approval to re-militarize. There were virtually no changes to the deal. Abe has been pushing for constitutional changes since he returned to the PM's office, and the US has been supportive all along since it means we'll be putting fewer resources into guaranteeing Japan's defense. This has been in the cards since before TPP even existed.

thebmax 11y ago

Amazing what Obama is willing to give up in order to secure 'his' legacy issues. 60 years of post war Asian defense strategy thrown out the window. I don't see this ending well. Japan a has a deep militaristic underbelly and most japanese hate their regional neighbors (South Korea, China). They are our allies but this increases instability in Asia enormously and could lead to a regional arms race between China and Japan and greatly increases the risk of a military conflict in Asia in the next 30 years.

suryon 11y ago
Do not forget the Korea. Albeit Japan is their ally they will work their asses so hard to destroy them economically or militarily if the opportunity arises.
Htsthbjig 11y ago
I have lived in China, Korea and Japan and in my opinion you are not right. Fist, US of America is requesting Japan to do what is has done. They are worried about China, not Japan. Also the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam want Japan involvement. Japan today is a very old country which population is going to decrease in dozens of millions in the next decades. By contrast China has a population more than 10 times bigger than Japan, but now they are industrialized, they can sustain a war, and could kill millions. US wants to maintain control trade on China sea. Preserve the status quo(as WWII winner). Of course China wants to change the status quo, control her own sea, and if possible, dominate others(like the US does).
maaku 11y ago
> most japanese hate their regional neighbors Well let's not over-generalize, hate is a strong word. But yes, there are unresolved history and serious tensions...

nl 11y ago

That analysis is pathetically bad. I'm no fan of the TPP, but one shouldn't view every single thing that happens through that lens. There's a number of things going on here: 1) The South China sea dispute is getting more and more dangerous. Japan wants flexibility in making alliances to counterbalance China in that area. 2) This give Japan the ability to deploy troops (or more likely aircraft) to the Middle East in support of US operations there. That likely to happen in return for more active US support in the South China Sea. 3) There is always the North Korean factor. That really defies any sensible analysis, but one can imagine circumstances where Japan would like to use military forces against NK. It's true that the TPP is seen in the Asia-Pacific as an anti-China move, but it seems a comparatively minor part in this particular change in Japan's military stance.

crdoconnor 11y ago
>one shouldn't view every single thing that happens through that lens. It doesn't. Abe went from being very cool on the TPP to coming out in favor (at least in public) almost overnight an the only thing that changed in that period in US-Japan relations was the US state department giving Japan approval to re-militarize. There were virtually no changes to the deal. Ironically the deal might still fail (which Abe probably wouldn't mind since the TPP is not good for Japan), meaning that this negotiating chip was given away by Obama for free. >it seems a comparatively minor part in this particular change in Japan's military stance. You are confusing the reasons why Abe wanted to remilitarize (another topic entirely) with the reasons why Obama had the US state department give him the green light.
- tsotha 11y ago
  >Abe went from being very cool on the TPP to coming out in favor (at least in public) almost overnight an the only thing that changed in that period in US-Japan relations was the US state department giving Japan approval to re-militarize. There were virtually no changes to the deal. Abe has been pushing for constitutional changes since he returned to the PM's office, and the US has been supportive all along since it means we'll be putting fewer resources into guaranteeing Japan's defense. This has been in the cards since before TPP even existed.