Do you agree that Japan should never have a military again, EVER?

[innonimatu]

What people now call "peacekeeping" is invading countries, just doing so with a convenient excuse which can be easily sold to the public at large.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

What people now call "peacekeeping" is invading countries, just doing so with a convenient excuse which can be easily sold to the public at large.

If it is an excuse, what do you think is the real reason behind the peacekeeping-mission in Congo?

Japanese men shouldn't be used as cannon fodder in the Congo. Peacekeeping is as much of a waste as invading a country.

Not if conducting it under the terms of traditional peacekeeping. Which also brings a very low risks to soldiers.
If actually trying to enforce peace, I agree that the shortcomings of the UN and the non-existence of finale success in those cases makes cannon fodder out of the soldiers.

 

[Enkidu Warrior]

Ignoring the fact that by any measure Japan already has an outrageously overfunded modern military, no they should not. The status quo suits Japan just fine. As long as the US wants to spend all of its money playing world hegemon the rest of us should at least benefit from the money saved on offensive military forces. The restrictions placed on Japan (such as they are) are very much enjoyed by the Japanese, and very few would like to see them lifted.

 

[Brownsfan02]

should they be allowed to? yes
should they be allowed to use it? no

 

[Tee Kay]

If it is an excuse, what do you think is the real reason behind the peacekeeping-mission in Congo?

Ensuring adequate access to the vast mineral deposits by foreigners?

 

[amadeus]

Ensuring adequate access to the vast mineral deposits by foreigners?

It's cheaper just to buy off a few warlords.

 

[h4ppy]

What people now call "peacekeeping" is invading countries, just doing so with a convenient excuse which can be easily sold to the public at large.

In most modern day missions, yes. But when the term was first invented it usually meant that the UN would move their forces between the two fighting countries' armies, usually with the permission of both sides. It really was keeping the peace instead of fighting war with an international mandate.

 

[Glassfan]

All reactor-grade plutonium can be used in nuclear weapons, as US tests conducted in the 1960s confirmed. It would take around 8kg of such plutonium for a Nagasaki-strength explosion.

Note: you are probably thinking of Iran's uranium enrichment. Japan uses plutonium, all plutonium is weapons grade

Japan has a network of fast-breeder reactors and has developed them intensively over the last decade.

An interesting point about plutonium. During the Manhattan Project in WW II, the project leaders didn't know which of three technologies would be successful - magnetic gas diffusion or centripetal separation of uranium, or plutonium breeding - so they tried all three. Of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August, 1945, I seem to recall that one was enriched uranium 235 and the other was man-made plutonium (Richard Rhodes; The Making of the Atom Bomb). Breeder reactors are a higher, more expensive and more scientifically challenging technology. But you're right, plutonium is already weapons grade material. And while Japan may decline to build fission bombs in peacetime, they certainly have the moxie to slap strategic weapons together on short notice if threatened.

 

[Mustakrakish]

The thread name and poll options... Luckily I chose what I intended.

 

[Yared]

The thread name and poll options... Luckily I chose what I intended.

Yes

 

[Terxpahseyton]

It's cheaper just to buy off a few warlords.

This. While the UN fights the warlords, several countries including all members of the security council have "business relations" with them.
Thus even though the Congolese mineral deposits are of great interest, those interests are hardly protected by the UN forces.

 

[The Imp]

It has a military, just not a de jure one.

 

[Enkidu Warrior]

Japan may decline to build fission bombs in peacetime, they certainly have the moxie to slap strategic weapons together on short notice if threatened.

Indeed. Japan is one of several 'virtual nuclear powers'. This appears to be a rather attractive doctrine if you're not aiming for MAD levels of deterrence. It's very likely what the US is trying to avoid with the likes of Iran, since even a virtual nuclear power has a measure of deterrence from conventional attack. It's a bit awkward since the NPT rather specifically allows signatories to develop a civilian nuclear programme that would, without any duplicity, double quite well as a virtual nuclear arsenal if the need and/or motivation arose.

 

[Ahovking]

lol if you look at their Police it is a military they have @#$% tank....WHAT POLICE FORCE HAVE TANKS COME ON

 

[Enkidu Warrior]

The Japanese police have tanks? You learn something new every day.

 

[Tee Kay]

Source please.

Something other than EU Times

 

[Yared]

I think he means Iran.

 

[Cheetah]

lol if you look at their Police it is a military they have @#$% tank....WHAT POLICE FORCE HAVE TANKS COME ON

...

You actually have to ask?





If anyone is actually confused: This is Texan police during the operation against that Mormon-descended sect a few years ago.

 

[Ahovking]

Type 90 Kyū-maru

 

[Ahovking]

...

You actually have to ask?





If anyone is actually confused: This is Texan police during the operation against that Mormon-descended sect a few years ago.

that not an tank but an armed transport vehicle