Hysterical Japan-Baiting

Joe Hung at Taiwan's China Post really outdid himself yesterday:

The pro-American Liberal Democratic government of Prime Minister Taro Aso is teetering on the verge of collapse, while a much more conservative leader, Ichiro Ozawa of the Democratic Party, is still likely -- all but certain, if not held in check my the political contribution scandal -- to come to power, come September.  If he does, Japan is all set to go nuclear to protect itself against hostile North Korea.  [emphasis added]

Japan's about to aquire nuclear weapons, Joe?  Boy, sure hope the CIA's been informed!

Dr. Hung continues:

Japan has a no-war constitution.

One of its unchanging fundamental policies is not to make or own nuclear weapons of mass destruction [sic].  But Japan is also a nation capable of making an instant about-face . . . [emphasis added]

Why, those sneaky Japs.  On Monday, they fool us with all this pacifism-this, and non-violence-that, and then BAMMO !  Next thing you know, they're nukin' Nanking !

Now, I'll be the first to admit I don't know much about Ichiro Ozawa.  On the one hand, this link suggests he favors Japan strengthening Japanese-American relations by extending military help to America for U.N.-approved missions (Afghanistan -- hai, Iraq -- nain).  And on the other, this source predicts he'd weaken those ties, by drawing CLOSER to China.

Beats me which is right.  But I'd believe EITHER of those predictions over Hung's Japan-as-Iran fantasy, any day.

Comments

[Tom the Redhunter]

Interesting. I read about this sort of thing occasionally going on. You're right, it's Japan-Baiting, and it's done for for demagogic reasons.

[The Foreigner]

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It's almost comedic in the sense that we have China on our doorstep, growing stronger (and not necessarily friendlier) by the day...and KMT-related newpapers try to turn JAPAN into the bogeyman.