General Discussion Forum for the Class

[Anonymous]

This discussion has been going on for some time. I think that Japan became very nervous after the North Koreans did their nuclear testing. You would be too if you had a giant like China as a neighbor, along with a kooky neighbor like North Korea. I think their stance is much more about protecting themselves rather than being aggressive. No one really wants to attack a country with nuclear capabilities, and Japan of all countries should know that best.
Let's hope that diplomacy with North Korea has worked for a while, but do you really see any reason why Japan should not have a larger military? After all, the world today is very different from what it was when their Constution was imposed on them.

[Anonymous]

Whether or not they should have a large military or not is a moot point, is it not? If there was ever a conflict with the North Koreans, the U.S., China, or perhaps even Russia, would have no choice but to act swiftly to quell it...the world would demand no less. Why hand a person a club if they have 16 more people standing behind them with guns? Makes absolutely no sense. This is also the exact same reason why the N. Koreans do not attack Japan.

[Anonymous]

Also, note that is why I deliberately used the word "shades." I never said that the Japanese had any desire to resuscitate their former imperialistic ambitions.

[Anonymous]

I understand the point about having "big guns" to back you up, but it seems to be a reason for concern when a nation increases its military at the same time with increasing nationalism. This occurance rarely results in peaceful means. However, I also understand the desire to protect oneself from stronger or more powerful neighbors, but China and Russia are also increasing their military spending as well. China greatly increased their military spending this year, and Russia is currently building about a dozen new nuclear attack submarines (contrary to the belief that the Russian Navy is dead!). Even so, Japan knows that the U.S. will defend her from North Korea, so why spend the extra money on something you get for free? If there is another outbreak of hostilities in Korea, I would be willing to bet that China will help out the North Koreans again.

[Anonymous]

I figured it would be a matter of time before this would happen. Its only natural for a nation to exert its autonomy, especially after they were forced into concessions, either rightly or wrongly, by the United States after WW2. The old constitution would be an irritant to the Japanese, akin to the treaty of Versailles against the Germans after WW1, because the concessions were made by a defeated nation. (granted, not as bad-it was very punitive against the Germans by the French)

Personally, I am middle of the road here. I never like to see a nation lean to the right, especially one with a militaristic history, but there are some real threats that Japan faces that could not have been anticipated after WW2.

I just hope they are judicious when they approach other nations, using diplomacy first and war as a last resort[Edit by="tstevenson on Apr 24, 7:42:42 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

I do agree - it sounds like a bad combination, and being a history teacher, you could potentially run a bit wild with this one.

I also agree that if some conflict were to break out, the larger neighbors would immediately step in, as would the United States. But I really don't believe that Japan is going to be the aggressor in this situation. It is an area of the world to watch, but as mentioned in the previous post, I think the one to watch is the former Soviet Union. Putin is very quietly doing his thing, and we seem to be so concentrated on watching China, that I think we are not paying attention to Russia's moves, nor the relation between both Russia and China.

And keep us posted on what the Russian military is doing!

[Anonymous]

On a side note about the military tensions in Asia, I was in South Korea with t he Navy in 2003. During my stay in Pusan, my fellow sailors and I were directed to stay away from certain parts of the city because there was a large anti-U.S. military protest. College students were demanding the U.S. get out of Korea. It was difficult to see the riot police heading in the opposite direction, knowing they were on their way to the protest. Granted, the older population still supports the U.S. military being in South Korea, but the younger generation see us as occupiers. The south Koreans who remember what happened in the 1950's want us to be there in case something does happen, whether it be with the north or whoever else wants to invade them next. My father fought in the Korean conflict and I would hate to see history repeated.[Edit by="jlatimer on May 30, 12:41:51 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

I lived/worked in South Korea from '94-96, and have visited many times since. The warning to stay out of certain areas has been around for as long as the US military has had a presence in the country. Spend a night walking through Itaewon- the closest equivalent to Seoul's 'red light' district- and it is pretty easy to understand why some Koreans get bent out of shape by the US military presence. I am sad to report having witnessed so many brawls, racially motivated attacks etc...It can get pretty ugly, and the stuff I saw was mostly the result of young US soldiers with way too much booze in their systems...Note, this is what I saw, and in no way am I saying all soldiers act this way etc. Around the universities there are frequent demonstrations against the US "occupation" (they use this term), but there is a fair amount of anti-American sentiment throughout the city, in all of the neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

American military personnel do seem to gravitate towards the more interesting (I'm being diplomatic) parts of town. And yes, I've also seem my share of fights that were started by drunk U.S. servicmembers. Surprisingly, the Navy brass almost seem to encourage the behavior by directing sailors to 'Texas Street' in Busan with tons of bars and known for having (Russian and Korean) prostitutes. In fact, the joke amoung U.S. sailors is that if you need to know a Navy ship's sailing schedule, ask a local ! So much for Top Secret information! So, yes, I agree, there are plenty of reasons for anti-American sentiment.

[Anonymous]

OK, now it just getting silly, as drunk Americans look bad everywhere simply because they are drunk - have you ever seen some us in Amsterdam, or worse yet, at Oktoberfest? It does make all of us look bad, but especially when it's the servicemen. The terrible thing is, we have come to expect it of them, and see it as no surprise. Then again, I guess culturally we don't expect 18-20 year old guys to sit around and sip tea while off duty.

Getting back to Japan and their Constitution, I think tstevenson in a previous post put it perfectly. We would all like to see diplomacy work, but personally, I think you need strong back-up so that other countries take you seriously when you do negotiate. No one takes you seriously if you are weak. And what if something does happen to Japan, and the US is spread to thin to hurry and help them? I doubt it would happen, but it could, so even if you have really strong supporters, I still think you need to be strong yourself. We can keep an eye on Japan, but I think we should be more positive about our more recent history with them, rather than prior to the conflict of WWII.

I know that some of you are history teachers as I am, and one of my service learning options is to interview a veteran. We had a wonderful friend of mine come in to talk the class who fought in the Philippines at Corregidor (we got his interview on videotape!!), and a few years ago he took a trip with his grandson to show his grandson where he had fought. On the island, he met a Japanese veteran, and though neither one spoke the other's language, they got a photo of the two of them shaking hands. He captioned it "Isn't War Stupid?".

I am not sure, but I don't know that there is a tremendous amount of resentment left over toward us by the Japanese, and I somehow don't think they would become an aggressor intentionally in order to provoke another conflict. I really hope I am right on this one.

[Anonymous]

On April 20th, I went to the U.S.-China Relations seminar at USC. First of all, I was amazed at how much research had been devoted to the topic of U.S./China relations. I knew that China was economically rising in the world economy, but had no idea of how quickly and of the global (especially environmental) ramifications. It was amazing to hear about the African Kente cloth that is being made in China for less money than the Africans are able to. There are misconceptions about China that are promoted in the media about its economy and politics. The presentation of Myth and Reality in U.S.-China relations analyzed some of these. For example, the myth of China's economic change and political stagnation. It was discussed that China presently has 95% freedom of speech. Even though it is still ruled by a dictator, it is very different from the China of Mao.
Coming from a Western point of view of the rationalization of "helping " as a means of interfering in our neighbor's politics, it was interesting to hear about China's policy about not interfering in their neighbor's business.
I was saddened that just about every speaker mentioned "human rights" as a major problem.
The issue of whether China was moving towards democracy was discussed. I appreciated the mention that not everything good that happens in China is because of "democracy" or because of China moving towards democracy. The strengthening of the economic situation of the U.S. was emphasized.
The environmental impact of China's meteoric economic growth and expansion was addressed in light of resource depletion, pollution, and public health. China has environmental "targets".
Among many other questions, this seminar raised two central questions:
1) How is this research going to ultimately make a change in the global community? Knowing the possible outcomes, can we overcome our apathy to escape the ultimate end of ourselves?
2) What are the "U.S" experts in China saying about the United States in regards to the problems we face in our own country? What should we be learning from them?

[Anonymous]

The seminar on April 20th sounds like it went well. I had one question regarding your post though. You mentioned China having "95% freedom of speech," but was it mentioned as to what the remaining 5% was regarding? I have heard that China has censored some internet search engines, but was curious to learn more. Considering we can't yell "Fire" in a crowded movie theatre, we technically don't have 100% freedom of speech here in the U.S. either.

[Anonymous]

In this month's National Geographic (June, 2007), there's a great article about China and their fast-growing cities entitled "China's Instant Cities." It includes time lapsed photos over 13 months in Xiahe New Village going from farmland to apartment buildings; a map of urban expansion; describing how they move mountains to expand cities (Lishui leveled 108 hilltops to double the city's population); and an interesting storey about how some of the new found wealth in China is being used. Very interesting reading!

[Anonymous]

I tried looking at the "Teaching About Japan Information Packet" CD that was given to us a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, none of the links would open. Anyone alse have this problem?

[Anonymous]

My web project will be a literature reference site for teachers and librarians. If you can recommend any titles (particularly for elementary and middle school) I'd appreciate the help.
Thanks,
Faynessa

[Author]

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