On this 70th anniversary of WW2 rather than simply pointing fingers at Japan it’s important to better understand the events which led a country that existed in near complete isolation and at peace with the world for well over 200 years to militarize and to or attempt to brutally colonize it’s neighbors. While Japan has no excuse for its actions during and leading up to the war Western powers must not fail to recognize their responsibility in helping to shape pre-WW2 Japan because one of the most important things that can be learned from any war is the role ones actions played in shaping if not creating ones enemies and adversaries.
U.S.-Japan Pew Poll
In a recent Pew Poll regarding U.S.-Japan relations I was surprised to read that out of 1000 U.S. adults polled 73% said they had never heard of Prime Minister Abe who is Japans current and longest serving Prime Minister in nearly a decade. Considering the U.S. has around 50,000 military personnel stationed in Japan with over half of them stationed on the small island of Okinawa which represents only around .6% of Japans total landmass, and treaty obligations to defend Japan if it provokes a war with China over its refusal to even recognize there is a territorial dispute with China over the Diao Yu Islands I thought I should provide a brief introduction to Mr. Abe by mentioning some of his fairly recent statements and actions.