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> Japan is formidable but they are effectively a vassal state, always remember that. The fact that it has been neutered as a military power is irrelevant. It i

> Japan is formidable but they are effectively a vassal state, always remember that. The fact that it has been neutered as a military power is irrelevant. It isn't a "vassal state" btw, that's ridiculous. The world isn't the video game or fantasy novel you are trying to shunt its reality into. I do not think what you are describing was a historical reality. There may have been varying degrees of citizenry having to help keep the peace and such before the rise of modern policing, but I am pretty sure the 2nd Amd was about state militias and states rights vis-a-vis the federal government. I am sure I don't have the 100% correct picture, but I am also pretty sure that this wet dream about a self-organized force of comprised of the citizenry that enforced laws is historically inaccurate, in addition to being impractical in modern society (to put it mildly). Not to mention that most of us would prefer professional police; but a force that is better disciplined, better-trained, less protected by law to do whatever they want, and comprised of overall better people.

29athrowaway 3y ago
It is a vassal state. They pay for military protection, and have many duties and restrictions as a part of their terms of surrender. They cannot declare war and must assist in case of war. There are limits in terms of the size of their armed forces. They have foreign bases in their territory. And, geopolitics is and has always been game-like. With strategy and tactics governing everything. You just live in the equilibrium reached after one faction won. Pax Americana.
- catlover76 3y ago
  I see what you are saying, but also, Japan can do things to reverse a number of those restrictions, some of which are functionally self-imposed, can't it? And even for the ones that exist as a matter of international agreement and treaty, it's hardly like the US is going to seek compliance via force. If anything, at this point, there must be a non-negligible amount of support in American foreign policy circles for Japan's resuming a more independent and militarily capable stature to help deter China. If this was like 1950 and you said Japan was a vassal, that would seem reasonable, but I think at this point the situation is too complicated to put in those terms. For example, you could also say America is playing some kind of mercenary role and Japan is kind of in the very civilized and posh position of being able to pay another country for bodyguard services. That probably never worked out for a country or state in the long-run, but that's not really the point; one might call such a country weak, but not really a "vassal".
  - 29athrowaway 3y ago
    You just keep checking more boxes into what fits the description of a vassal state. Being a vassal state has benefits. Protection being one of them. The Japanese people are smart, they saw their options and realized being a vassal state of the US (and not the Soviet Union) was in their best interest.

29athrowaway 3y ago

It is a vassal state. They pay for military protection, and have many duties and restrictions as a part of their terms of surrender. They cannot declare war and must assist in case of war. There are limits in terms of the size of their armed forces. They have foreign bases in their territory. And, geopolitics is and has always been game-like. With strategy and tactics governing everything. You just live in the equilibrium reached after one faction won. Pax Americana.

catlover76 3y ago
I see what you are saying, but also, Japan can do things to reverse a number of those restrictions, some of which are functionally self-imposed, can't it? And even for the ones that exist as a matter of international agreement and treaty, it's hardly like the US is going to seek compliance via force. If anything, at this point, there must be a non-negligible amount of support in American foreign policy circles for Japan's resuming a more independent and militarily capable stature to help deter China. If this was like 1950 and you said Japan was a vassal, that would seem reasonable, but I think at this point the situation is too complicated to put in those terms. For example, you could also say America is playing some kind of mercenary role and Japan is kind of in the very civilized and posh position of being able to pay another country for bodyguard services. That probably never worked out for a country or state in the long-run, but that's not really the point; one might call such a country weak, but not really a "vassal".
- 29athrowaway 3y ago
  You just keep checking more boxes into what fits the description of a vassal state. Being a vassal state has benefits. Protection being one of them. The Japanese people are smart, they saw their options and realized being a vassal state of the US (and not the Soviet Union) was in their best interest.