Shinzo Abe Promotes “New Japan” In Speech To Congress
It seems like if Prime Minister Abe really wanted to showcase a “New Japan” he should do more on the historical issue front, but at least he said he stood by the previous Kono Statement that offered an apology for World War II atrocities:
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe drummed up support for the new Guidelines for Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation in his address to a joint session of Congress Wednesday, and signaled a “New Japan” is ready to enter into a liberalizing trade agreement with the United States.
The prime minister’s speech, the first given by a Japanese leader before a joint session of Congress, praised the U.S.-Japan alliance for winning the Cold War and allowing Japan to grow and prosper.
But as the new defense pact goes into plan, Washington and Tokyo have agreed the U.S. military presence on the Japanese island of Okinawa will be diminished and relocated to places outside Japan.
According to Abe, Japan will provide up to $2.8 billion to help “improve” U.S. bases in Guam.
Tokyo, in turn, will expand its self-defense role in the Pacific to include deploying deterrence against potential missiles headed for U.S. territory, a historic reinterpretation of Japan’s pacifist constitution…………………………….
“I will uphold the views expressed by the previous prime ministers,” Abe told the joint session of Congress, indirectly referring to the 1993 Kono Statement that acknowledged the Japanese military had forced comfort women to endure sexual slavery in brothels. [UPI]
You can read more at the link.
Perhaps I am mistaken, but I believe self-defense was the reason they tried to take over Asia and startd that World War II thing. Until they admit to themselves and others that what they did was morally wrong and figure out how to prevent a recurrence, they are a threat to other people.
The guys who did that are nearly all dead, charliem. As are the folks they did it to. They’re all going to be gone soon.
And now we have norks with the bomb, Iran trying to get the bomb, and China trying to build land bridges to the Philippines. We have ISIS trying to build a Caliphate from the Mediterranean to Baghdad. And the Russians are arming anyone who looks even remotely like an enemy of freedom.
But go on, you were talking about the dangers of allowing the guys who make fuel-efficient cars, sushi, and Sony TVs to do what, exactly?
Wait a minute! The Scandinavians ravaged northern Europe. Granted it was 1,000 years ago but, how can we ever trust them again? And don’t get me started on the Mongolians!
/Things change.