The Japanese Dilemma

It is a conundrum, is it not. One of the world's largest standing armies, representing the power and the might of the world's still-single most powerful nation, detested in so many parts of the world, yet acknowledged bitterly, resentfully, as the Globe's security agent. Not, presumably, because they seek that position on the international stage necessarily, but as a reflection of their political and powerful social standing on the world stage.

The United States of America, post World War II saw, in the wisdom of its executive administration, the utility as well as the humanitarianism of aiding the defeated, Axis countries to re-build their economies, their shattered infrastructure, giving hope to a demoralized and beaten people. Germany's strength today, along with its utter disinterest in anything remotely militarily aggressive speaks to their lesson. It too long suffered the ignominious necessity of foreign troops on its soil.

Japan's ability to lift itself out of the moral decay of its reputation for war-time atrocities, its turn-about to become a military-uniform-detesting country, expressed in its amended constitution that its military may be used only for defensive, never offensive purposes, owes much to the encouragement, guidance, and financial assistance of the country that defeated it in wartime, and wrought on its soil, Armageddon.

Still, a peaceful, peace-time Japan has its own enemies, those who cannot simply let bygones be bygones, remembering the pain and the anguish of a brutal occupying force in their own countries. Korea and China have much to remember, Japan much to regret. Japan has had great comfort in knowing that American forces, stationed on its territory, remain dedicated to its well-being, with South Korea's technological advance in weaponry.

Yet the Japanese people hugely resent the presence of tens of thousands of American troops on their sovereign land. This is intellectual, social, humanly hysterical and ethical conflict that reflects a mood of the occupied, even if the two countries face one another as equals. So Okinawans have renewed their determination to exert influence on the Diet, on their new prime minister, to invite American troops to leave Okinawa.

This is a hard place to be; hoping to maintain a relationship that brings the defence of Big Brother against geographical bullies like North Korea and China to the fore when required, yet attempting to forestall the satisfying of angry and outraged Japanese nationals who have suffered more than enough humiliation at the presence of a foreign armed force on their territory.

Would that this world were such a place that foreign troops would never seek to enter, much less remain on territory not their own. That, in fact, countries of the world require the presence of their troops anywhere, even on their own soil, to protect themselves from the predatory advance of other countries' ambitions.