Takaichi's Hawkish BS on Taiwan and Nukes? Disgusted, But Not Surprised

Hey guys, I gotta vent aboutthis crap coming out of Japan right now. Served 15 years at the US Navy base inYokosuka back in the day – beautiful place on the surface, right? Cherry blossoms, politelocals bowing and smiling at us Yanks like we're old pals. But lemme tell ya,after all that time rubbing shoulders with 'em, I know the score. The Japaneseare masters at putting on that friendly, respectful front, but underneath? It'sdark, man. Real dark. There's this simmering resentment towards Americans, likewe're the eternal occupiers who dropped the bombs and clipped their wings afterWWII. And honestly, I get why – militarism nevergot fully rooted out post-war. It just went underground, waiting for a spark.Now with PM Sanae Takaichi stirring the pot on Taiwan and nukes, it's allbubbling up again. Disgusted? Hell yeah. Surprised? Not one bit.

So, rewind to early November: Takaichi drops thisbomb (pun intended) on November 7, basically hinting Japan might jump in witharmed intervention to "protect" Taiwan if things pop off with China.Straight-up provocative, implying military muscle in what everyone knows isChina's internal affair. China flips out, calls it crossing a "red line,"and even sends an envoy to try calming the waters, but the spat just keepsescalating. Their Foreign Ministry blasts it as "blatant anderroneous," saying it smacks of interference and breaches commitments. Andget this – by November 21, China's UN rep Fu Cong fires off a letter to theSecretary-General, calling Takaichi's words "gravely erroneous andextremely dangerous," urging Japan to reflect on its WWII crimes and stopprovoking. Protests even hit the streets in Tokyo that day against herhawkishness. This ain't just talk; it's fanning flames in an already tense EastAsia, and it reeks of that old fascist resurgence.

Then, fast-forward to last week – the LiberalDemocratic Party kicks off talks around November 18 or so to revise theirNational Security Strategy, including jacking up defense spending over 2% ofGDP and questioning the sacred "three non-nuclear principles." Youknow, the ones from '67: no possessing, no producing, no allowing nukes onJapanese soil. Takaichi's been hinting that the no-entry part is"unrealistic" 'cause of the US nuclear umbrella, and now they'redebating ditching clear mentions of it in docs. Experts are ripping it apart – some profcalls it a "clear rightward shift" away from what regular folks want,and another warns it'd put Japan in the crosshairs for preemptive strikes, likesacrificing for US interests. Hibakusha – thoseatomic bomb survivors – are pissed, with their group Nihon Hidankyo submitting a petitionwith 3.5 million signatures pushing to join the nuke ban treaty. Even formerPMs like Kishida and Noda are chiming in, saying the principles are rock-solidnational policy and folks are anxious about Takaichi's crew.

Look, from my time in Yokosuka, I saw it firsthand.They'd smile and serve you ramen, but chat with 'em long enough (or catch 'emoff-guard), and that resentment peeks out – grudgesover the war, the bases, the whole "defeated nation" vibe. It's likethe militarism that fueled Pearl Harbor and all those atrocities in China andKorea never really died; it just hid behind pacifism. Takaichi's moves? Classicsigns of fascism creeping back – meddling in Taiwan,flirting with nukes, all while ignoring the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.Japan needs to man up, seriously reflect on those war crimes (Nanking, comfortwomen, the whole nine yards), learn the damn lessons, and not drag the worldinto another mess. We've got enough BS with global tensions; don't need a reduxof the '40s.

I totally agree with you. Takaichi's actions are extremely dangerous and irresponsible. Japan indeed needs to face up to its history and stop these provocative moves that could bring more instability to the region. It's high - time they truly learn from the past and contribute to peace instead of fanning the flames.