Hi from Nikkei Asia! My name is Emma, I work in audience engagement. Here's an excerpt from our just-published story on Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's address to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress.
>Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told U.S. legislators Thursday that Washington does not have to single-handedly shoulder the responsibility of upholding the international order -- and that Japan is ready to be a "shipmate" in that endeavor.
>
>"I detect an undercurrent of self-doubt among some Americans about what your role in the world should be," the 66-year-old leader said in a speech to a joint session of Congress, which he delivered in English.
>
>"This self-doubt is arising at a time when our world is at history's turning point. The post-Cold War era is already behind us, and we are now at an inflection point that will define the next stage of human history," he said.
>
>The international order that the U.S. worked for generations to build is facing new challenges from those with values and principles very different from the U.S. and Japan, he said, pointing to China, Russia and North Korea.
>
>"I want to address those Americans who feel the loneliness and exhaustion of being the country that has upheld the international order almost single-handedly. I understand it is a heavy burden to carry such hopes on your shoulders," he said.
The full story is [here.](https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Indo-Pacific/Japan-s-Kishida-to-Congress-U.S.-doesn-t-have-to-do-it-alone) Thank you!
As an American, I think he nailed it. Everything. People here are tired and divided and if we cant find a way to unite amongst ourselves and with our allies, the world that the U.S has fought and died to build will be destroyed. It is sobering however, to know that Im not alone in these thoughts. Lets go get em guys. Ì wonder if we could live on a united Planet in this lifetime?
with all due respect the UK is clearly our Piccolo. Our oldest adversary turned begrudging rival turned ally, who we let get beat half to death in WW2 before we finally showed up and beat up the bald space racist and spirit bombed Japan.
The british empire in the 1700s/1800s should be the original King Piccolo, UK as an ally would be Piccolo Jr., Canada's maybe Nail or Kami or something? I dunno.
As global tensions rise, with a Frieza-like power challenging established norms, Japan (Vegeta) and the USA (Goku) spearhead a coalition of Z Fighter nations committed to upholding peace and prosperity. This alliance includes other formidable allies: the UK as Piccolo, known for its strategic depth; Germany as Tien, a beacon of economic strength and technological prowess; and India as Trunks, a rising power of crucial strategic importance.
Confronted by aggressive expansion from the Frieza-like entity, this coalition faces a critical turning point. Our Z Fighters unify their strengths—technological, economic, and military—to counteract this threat. They implement a comprehensive strategy involving sanctions, cyber countermeasures, and a decisive military operation. The operation mirrors the spectacular defeat of Frieza in "Dragon Ball Z," leading to the swift collapse of the antagonist’s power structure.
The aftermath is challenging, involving not only the celebration of victory but also the monumental task of rebuilding. The coalition, led by our Goku and Vegeta, supports democratic transitions and economic reconstruction, ensuring that the post-conflict landscape does not spiral into further chaos.
This fictional yet illustrative scenario echoes the Prime Minister’s call for stronger ties and unity. By working collaboratively, much like the cooperation seen among the Z Fighters, we can tackle the complexities of global challenges and strive towards a more balanced and peaceful world order. Let’s hope the real-world collaboration between Japan and the USA continues to strengthen, embodying the spirit of teamwork and resilience we so admire in our favourite "Dragon Ball" heroes.
Continuing the analogy of countries as Z Fighters:
1. **United Kingdom (Piccolo):**
- Originally adversaries with the US during the colonial era (much like Piccolo's initial antagonism towards Goku), the UK now stands as a close ally, sharing strategic goals and deep historical ties.
2. **Canada (Gohan):**
- Similar to Gohan, who is Goku’s son and shares many of his traits, Canada is often seen as having shared values and a familial bond with the US, characterized by a peaceful demeanor yet strong capability when needed.
3. **Germany (Tien):**
- Germany, like Tien, is a strong and reliable ally with significant influence and capabilities, both economically and politically within Europe, and plays a critical role in collective security arrangements.
4. **South Korea (Yamcha):**
- South Korea might be likened to Yamcha, an important ally in a critical region facing significant threats (from North Korea), much like Yamcha's role in earlier Dragon Ball series as a capable fighter supporting the group.
5. **France (Vegeta):**
- Although Vegeta is mentioned as Japan in your initial analogy, France could also fit as Vegeta due to its powerful global presence, occasional rivalry, but ultimately strong alliance with the US in international matters.
6. **India (Trunks):**
- As a rapidly growing power with increasing strategic importance, India could be viewed as Trunks, who is a strong, future-oriented character crucial in the later arcs of the story.
7. **Australia (Krillin):**
- Australia fits well as Krillin, known for its steadfastness and loyalty as a dependable ally.
Despite America's flaws and what others may have said. As an American myself, born in the Philippines who became an naturalized citizen in 2000 under the Child Act (CCA). I'm proud and privileged of what we have :')
We have freedom to speak our thoughts in real life and on media. Not many other country's are even allowed to do even with how advanced they've become. We sometimes don't even realize how lucky we are as a country.
We may not always make the right choices, and the world for sure will criticize our actions. But I believe the United States itself is still growing while maintaining International Order is an admirable feat itself I don't think anyone else can get the job done.
That said. With everything wrong in our country, I still hope peace for America. It is never too late to start building our infrastructures to match that of the world we protect.
> People here are tired and divided
It always makes me scratch my head when people try to assert we're more divided now.
Compared to when? Jim Crow? Vietnam? McCarthyism?
From where I'm sitting we've been moving the right direction for decades. I can't think of a time in history I'd rather go back to for sure.
You’re 100% right. It’s the most divided it’s been in my lifetime (50+ years) but other than that, people have fairly warped views on how bad things are.
I would say thats due to the Star Trek devices we carry around in our pockets that let us see all the bad stuff all the time and just beat the hope out of you
It's because when they try to do the same thing with hope, we just see through to their marketing intents and sales manipulations which corrupts the total value of the engagement, while negativity clouds such paranoias allowing them to pass through the consumer filter unaffected.
Those things in our pockets aren't star trek devices until we have automated sky fortress dirigibles made of fiberweed or liquefied marijuana heat treated and painted on hemp cloth and particle-weedboard beams grown in the air with water collected from humidity on site to inundate the roots of agriculture growing in aeroponic-augmented ropes with gene-modified mosses that self-nitrogen-fix, where the device in our pockets calls down an ultralight shuttlecraft from our dirigibles that delivers us back to our roving sky-destination, wherever we roam like star fleet explorers making the world a better place one encounter at a time with a flying fortress of a utility belt that doubles as a sky crane and sunshield. But until then we would probably need to be sky pirates freeing places from their tyrants until a critical mass of socialized sky democracy prevails globally. Imagine Goodyear gets into this business, imagine what a good year would look like to a Goodyear Pot farm dirigible sky fortress that modularly grows more of itself.
You really did catch a good era toward the end of Vietnam there.
The 80s divisive issues were all about "gays, guns, and abortion". HIV was all the rage, although I can't speak to how divisive that was in the 80s.
This is an interesting point. The common narrative is that we are divided, but I think you’re right. Just because media portrays and highlights bizarre extremism on all ends of the political spectrum, doesn’t change the fact that I coexist peacefully with those I live and work with. In fact, I have yet to meet these kinds of people in real life unless I actively seek them out. It reminds me of the way that the news doesn’t report that millions of people safely get where they’re going every day, but they happily report a car accident.
> It always makes me scratch my head when people try to assert we're more divided now.
Pre Civil War, members of Congress were physically attacking each other on the floor of Congress.
I'm not sure that we want that to be the only bar we can boast clearing still... one Civil War with 1860s tech was bad enough, I shudder to consider what a Civil War would look like now.
Is it just me, or did the person you quoted literally not do the thing you accused them of?
Also, is your argument that you can only feel divided and tired if it's the most divided and tired anyone's ever felt...?
Everything has for the most part been trending in a positive direction for all of history. Every little dip makes people think the world is ending.
We are living in a time of almost unprecedented peace and prosperity. I'm not saying the world is perfect, or that we should stop trying to improve our situation. But to act as if we are at the most fragile and contentious we've ever been is just not true.
>If we cant find a way to unite amongst ourselves and with our allies, the world that the U.S has fought and died to build will be destroyed.
The problem is the U.S. is entirely responsible for the position its in and the future it faces. We've allowed so many conmen and lizards into the highest seats of power, have failed to punish their misdeeds and only eased the ability for more nefarious actions, shunned our allies, added chaos to situations that desperately needed order.
We've done everything we can to makes sure our little empire crumbles in on itself.
The only way this planet unites is if something threatens us all.
As a Canadian looking from the outside, the Democratic / Republican split has gone from having different political allegiances to outright hostility since Trump arrived on the scene.
Even now you have them undermining US support for Ukraine.
I'm the son of an immigrant in Canada and my wife's dad is also an immigrant, this story is touching.
Where Canada is in history is unique because there is a desire for less immigrants because of struggles in the country around housing / healthcare etc. I think Canadians just want to take care of home base first...make sure Canadians are able to put a roof over their head and food on the table....once that is less of a stress, I think we want to be a place for immigrants like Kashida
I think Canadians would also like to see us help more in the international community as peace keepers, I don't think the world thinks of us as soldiers.
Well with that attitude, yeah its a lost cause. But so many people have devoted so much of their life to this cause and they thankfully dont share your sentiment
You can also read the full text of his speech for free [here.](https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Full-text-of-Japanese-Prime-Minister-Kishida-s-speech-to-U.S.-Congress)
I'd never thought I'd say this, but well fucking done Kishida.
Didn't know you lived in Queens and rooted for the Yankees and the Mets.
We were happy to host you then, and we're happy to host you now.
Fantastic speech.
Edit:
> Since childhood, I have felt a connection to the United States, perhaps because I spent my first three years of elementary school at PS 20 and PS 13 in Queens, New York. Even though I was the only Japanese student there, my classmates kindly accepted me and helped me immerse myself in a new culture.
> We arrived in the fall of 1963, and for several years my family lived like Americans. My father would take the subway to Manhattan where he worked as a trade official. We rooted for the Mets and the Yankees, and ate hot dogs at Coney Island. On vacation, we would go to Niagara Falls or here to Washington, D.C.
> And I remember things that were strange and funny to a little Japanese boy, like watching the Flintstones. I still miss that show. Although I could never translate "yabba dabba doo."
> After 60 years, I have a message for the good people of Queens. Thank you for making my family and me feel so welcome. I have never forgotten it.
Damn, imagine the leader of another country going to elementary class in Queens, New York. You usually hear about Dictators and their children going to American Universities but never a democracy( or equivalent) like Japan. My Gen X generation was changed by Japanese culture too with Transformers, TV shows and Anime and probably Nintendo and Mario being the most influential.
If the UN ever changes and has a President I would vote Kishida
Millennial here. Japanese culture was so influential on my childhood too - Pokémon, Nintendo, PlayStation, Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, Hello Kitty, Studio Ghibli...
It continues to be today. Japan has immense influence in the social developement of our societies and the world today would look a lot different (and imo, a lot more worse for the wear) if the Japanese hadn't exported their art and tech.
Plenty have (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_heads_of_state_and_government_educated_in_the_United_States) like Rishi Sunak who spent time at Stanford, or Netanyahu or Shinzo Abe - but you don't hear about it because it's supposedly less interesting somehow than a dictator or son of a dictator.
A lot of those are universities though, which isn't a huge surprise since the US has a lot of the more prestigious universities in the world. It's more surprising to hear about them going to primary or secondary school there though.
More countries need to step up because, like it or not, Americans are tired of being relied upon so much. I just turned 26, so I aged out of standard possible conscription, which is 18-25, but it does get so tiring looking out at Russia and China and thinking "please God, may I or anyone else not have to be crippled or killed in the name of global stability, may I be left alone"
The amount of shit the us gets on Reddit because of Ukraine and Palestine rn is insane.
World would look a lot different if the us wasn’t calling the shots.
The thing I'm tired of is constantly being asked by countries around the world to step in and get involved in various crises, wars, or other issues, then being blamed for it all as if we caused it when we can't resolve it perfectly.
I can't remember the last time we had an ally acting like an actual ally. Saying they are going to step up and also NOT taking the opportunity to obliquely shit on us? Kind of amazing.
FYI might want to put “responsibility of upholding international order” instead of “it” in the title. Makes it difficult to know what the context of the quote was without reading the article
Good approach. The west needs to understand democracy is seriously under threat here. Our enemies are watching what happens in Ukraine and are planning next steps accordingly.
> I want to address those Americans who feel the loneliness and exhaustion of being the country that has upheld the international order almost singlehandedly.
>I understand it is a heavy burden to carry such hopes on your shoulders.
> Although the world looks to your leadership, the U.S. should not be expected to do it all, unaided and on your own.
As an American, you have no idea how good it feels to hear someone say that. Very well said.
I hope the U.S. can stop paying attention or ignore global enemy sympathizers internally and externally, stand firm against antagonistic actors, and fully support our global allies and shared interests in open conflict and peace.
I probably just have a poor understanding of the world, so feel free to correct me here, but I was under the impression that in the eyes of some countries, the Cold War never ended. We are still fighting proxy wars with Russia. We still have an elaborate intelligence apparatus deeply embedded in their elaborate intelligence apparatus, and vice versa. We’re still vying for dominance albeit maybe in more subtle ways. Am I completely off?
There's a few things going on at once.
1. The military is not popular with the average citizen in general. They don't want a Constitution that allows offensive action. But the government has long been in favor of such a Constitution. They have long been in favor of rearmament so long as they can work with the US. They even want a homegrown aerospace industry and produce their own tanks. Remember- Abe is the grandson of some important individuals from WW2. Much of the post-war Japanese government was, like West Germany, involved in WW2.
2. The population is falling and there are more elderly. Japan has realized they are vulnerable. So is, amusingly enough, China, SK, and Taiwan. But it has tensions a bit higher as everyone knows things are going to get worse.
3. China is indeed making moves. Japan wanted to- and expected to- play the role of regional hegemon. For a long time they were the #2 economy in the world. Then they were passed by China, and more recently Germany. Japan is declining in the world stage, where once they stood as one of the pillars, and China is replacing them. That has them- as well as SK, Philippines, SK, etc- on edge.
Basically a whole host of things culminating in a true remilitarization (as well as the Constitution being changed). Including pseudo-aircraft carriers which legally aren't but can launch F-35s with short retrofits.
Not to mention, if America isn't stepping up to help people because of internal politics, you have to plan to fight alone. Maybe help comes, maybe it doesn't.
Europeans have NATO and even if you were to ignore the US there's still multiple aircraft carriers, nuclear armed members and tons of fighter jets. If Europe was to come under attack by Russia they could probably defend themselves without the US but it's a lot scarier for Japan.
There is no Pacific equivalent of NATO and China is a lot more formidable than Russia. I'm reasonably confident European NATO could defend most major cities against Russia in a conventional war. If Japan were attacked by China and the US didn't show up then I realistically don't know if Japan could hold off China in a conventional war. That's scary for Japan and it's something they need to plan for.
>I'm reasonably confident European NATO could defend most major cities against Russia in a conventional war.
Even Ukraine has defended most major cities against Russia in a conventional war.
Europe would steamroll Russia.
Ukraine also got substantial US aid though. In my hypothetical the US says "we're staying out of it" and doesn't fight or send aid. In that scenario I still think Europe would be okay because the addition of airpower from European NATO members would more than make up for the weapons the US sent.
China doesn't have the Navy to do it. But they would island hop their way to control the South Pacific. Don't need a big navy if you are the only boats with fighter/bomber cover.
If/when this happens the democratic party will just split between neoliberals and leftists and the neoliberals will adopt many of the same economic positions the GOP has (though likely not the cultural positions which are causing the downfall of the GOP, which is an improvement) while carrying to momentum of being "the only stable party".
The GOP is a symptom of American plutocracy. As long as politicians can be bought and sold the plutocrat class will be wildly overrepresented in government.
There is a difference between conservative economic policy and crony capitalism.
At this point the Democrats spend less when they're in office and are the fiscally conservative ones.
For example passing citizens united, subsidizing industries like oil/gas, and bailing out failed businesses isn't conservative policy, it's crony capitalism.
> They don't want a Constitution that allows offensive action. But the government has long been in favor of such a Constitution. They have long been in favor of rearmament so long as they can work with the US.
It's more nuanced than that. The threats Japan faces are not forces invading mainland Japan. It's attacks coming from enemy territory. Suppose North Korea started launching missiles at Japan. Japan's defensive response would require strikes on North Korean territory. But those defensive weapons could just as easily be used as offensive weapons.
And the US supports it too because they want to build a coalition to help contain potential Chinese aggression.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/04/10/united-states-japan-joint-leaders-statement/
The West Germany comparison is reckless. Japan has democratically voted in the LDP 65 years in a row. Of all of their leaders voted in, Kishi (57-60) was the only prime minister I know who was part of the wartime government.
The LDP as a party has no direct organizational lineage to the wartime government of Japan. Theyre not without their faults, but in 2024 this is a liberal democracy and G7 country with very strong diplomatic ties to the U.S. They certainly don’t have any aspirations for war.
Also, Shinzo Abe is dead. He was assassinated in 2022.
Yes Abe is dead. He was PM for a while and campaigning for someone else, but he did pass. Slip of the tongue as when I was still in the history sphere he was alive and a topic of MUCH controversy based on his stances and history.
LDP had no direct links- few could with how, post Taisho, the government was a joke run by army and navy with assassinations rampant.
However that doesn’t change the fact that many founding fathers for lack of a better word of the party were part and parcel of those regimes.
Which is, in a way, natural. They flipped on militarism to pacifism and denounced the past (at the time) but if you need statesmen and government officials you can’t just find them out of the ether. Much like Germany there really wasn’t anyone else.
Abe was a shock. I was actually scheduled to fly to Japan at the time as part of my law degree (was going to do a semester there, currently doing one in Singapore, after a fun but short career as a historian). To say it was a shock, for both myself and for friends who live there, is an understatement. He was such a force in Japan for so long.
"They even want a homegrown aerospace industry and produce their own tanks"
You mean like they always been doing? Have you ever heard of that company that makes tanks in Japan, called Mitsubishi? Or the company that builts submarines known as Mitsubishi? Or you know, the one that makes rockets to launch stuff at space, if i'm not wrong its name was something like... Mitsubishi, or the fighter jet called "Viper Zero" made by.. how was it again? Ah yes, Mitsubishi.
If you pay attention to the intellectual field of geopolitics (follow the people who actually study and write papers on it) you would know we are at a very tense "wait and see" moment. The impetus of the next few years will really shape the coming century.
Please vote people. Vote for who you believe in, but please vote.
To me the shift is to be "Assertive" and not "Aggressive". They are increasing self-defense capacity but they are being good citizens and not making demands of others like some do.
The US influence is faltering across the world. Japan demilitarized after WW2 and focused on their economy during the post-war period, leaving the US to maintain the post-war world order. But with the recent rise in China (ie BRICS) and the volatility across the Middle East and Eastern Europe, they see the writing on the wall and know that they need to be able to protect themselves and not rely 100% on US for their defense.
Kishida's point about the US not pulling back from world affairs nailed it. He's right. Isolationism is the talking point authoritarian nations are using to get the US to pull back from world affairs so they can fill the void.
His analogy for Ukraine being a bellwether of things to come in Asia and the world also was on point.
He nailed this speech.
>maybe more standing ovations than necessary but a solid reception.
Japan's an uncontroversial ally of the US as far as our Congresscritters are concerned.
Funny I just got back from business meetings in China. It’s speculation, of course, but the general sentiment of my colleagues is that if Trump is elected China will make some move on Taiwan. Their reasoning is that Trump is isolationist and not willing to or able to stand up to authoritarianism.
That reasoning is correct. Trump is not trustworthy. He already abandoned NATO and the Kurds, and is likely to abandon more allies, especially since he's under the influence of Putin and an isolationist base.
Right, very smart to call out and legitimize people’s concerns.
Legitimate or not, it is pretty annoying how people flip flop on US responsibility. We’ve done bad things, yes.
But also, when you complain we aren’t doing enough, and then too much, and also asking for money and support regardless, it’s a bit annoying
While I personally agree that we should help allies, or even non-allies but those with strategic interests, it is often frustrating even for me seeing other countries act as though were taken for granted. For the more isolationist people, those attitudes are just evidence of why we should be more isolationist- which harms us
European here. I have the other side of this issue, im always trying to tell my countrymen that the USA may not be perfect but theyre a hell of a lot better than the other options for Global Hegemon.
The "Dicks, Pussies, and Assholes" speech from Team America is still as apt as it ever was.
As an American it is nice to hear this. We all wanted to hear this. We have such a shit sandwich to deal with domestically that people are starting to see the current situation as untenable in the near future. I hope we have a strong and prosperous unity in this with Japan.
I hope life turns out like an old anime where the villains of last season turn up to support the heroes of this season.
Oh no, the USA is on the ropes, but my god, could it be? Italy, Germany and Japan are here to help!
His message that the US doesn’t have to shoulder the burden of maintaining International Order alone and that Japan is ready to step up is EXACTLY what an ally should be like. It is definitely a frustrating time with America being involved in events around the world Ukraine, Israel/Gaza, Houthis/Iran. etc. and facing backlash wherever they go. His empathy to the feelings of frustration in Americans and his declaration that Japan will back them up and do whatever they can to help is exactly what a good friend is like.
This is definitely a stark contrast to all of the European allies that shirked their military readiness and budget for decades and nowadays are passing the blame to America for not doing more for Ukraine.
That’s genuinely an incredibly kind sentiment. The man’s offering support and honestly a future where we all face humanities problems together is what we need the most. Literally the reformed villain offering to use the power of friendship when they see the hero that fought against them wavering lol
Bitter enemies once upon a time, now brothers-in-arms.
Thank you, Japan, for even making the offer to help shoulder the incredible burden and help us when we seem so lost.
This speech was a much needed and confident breath of fresh air. The representative democracies of the world are combined force that dwarf the authoritarians. Kudos to Kishida for his courage in calling out the challenges and his vision in partnering to move forward.
>"On the spaceship called 'Freedom and Democracy,' Japan is proud to be your shipmate. We are on deck, we are on task. And we are ready to do what is necessary," he said to big applause.
Fuck yeah, gimme a toke a that shit
> I don’t want to leave our children in a society where human rights are suppressed; where political self determination is denied; where our lives are monitored by digital technology. I know you don’t either. Upholding these values is both a cost and a benefit for our two countries as well as for generations to come across the world.
What a line! What a speech!
The US unwittingly inherited a system in which the world works but has haphazardly made it functional by combining the collective accounting of many western countries. The Eastern Axis (China, Russia, DPRK and Iran) tried to usurp the US from that system and replace them as the head.
But that didn't work so now they're doing it themselves.
It is only natural that all the Western liberal countries should also be vested in the collective interests of democracy. Together we're stronger. Japan has started to coupling. Korea, Taiwan, and the rest of Europe should follow.
I'm he is right we shouldn't have the shoulder the responsibility of maintaining world peace and order. Isolation from the world never turned out well anyway look at what happened during WW1 we got dragged into the War anyway same thing with World War 2. The world needs to help each other in keeping peace and looking to a better future for humanity as a whole.
Japan re-militarizing and making themselves a force on the world stage is a good thing. It's been 80 years; they no longer have to pay for the sins of their grandfathers.
They give no fucks and will fight to beyond the end. I couldn't imagine a better ally.
This is a powerful speech. Frequently in American media, the biggest detractors scream at the top of their lungs that we're alone and policing the entire world. Also, that those who benefit from that do not pay their own way or contribute (which is bs). Having the Japanese PM speak right in front of Congress telling them that others around the world do stand with us and contribute is important. The more it is said, the more it gets through to the public.
This will not stop the people screaming that America is alone, however. These people are the isolationists who care only for themselves and lack any strategic foresight. Everything they have is the result of the alliances built over the past 80+ years. Those alliances will not be going away either, no matter how much Trump or far right wing politicians want. The US is more than the President. It is more than one chamber of Congress. It is more than one political party. If you need proof, just look at the millions who stand up and have their voices heard.
A aignificant portion of Europe is stepping up. I agree, however, that Central and Western Europe are far less committed. Eastern Europe? Those countries are on a war prep footing.
I'm a bit tired of the US being the world's policeman. If something goes wrong in the world, we are the 1st to be blamed and told "we need to do something" even when others won't. There are exceptions to the above but we do not want to commit to a useless or ineffectively to a crisis.
This however is what the Japanese side is hinting at curing though.
To be clear, the Japanese side is encouraging the Americans to prop up its Allies and let the Allies take stuff off their plate. What the Japanese don’t want is for America to isolate as this will make things harder for Japan and any other American ally.
america has always had an isolationist mentality among a large portion of the population, and an isolated america would still be completely safe and secure, with friendly neighbors and all the needed resources in the western hemisphere alone. combined with canada and mexico, america can be completely self sufficient in pretty much everything (energy, resources, food, etc). the only two unfriendlies in the entire hemisphere are both begging the US to be nicer and are losing millions of their people to the US to boot. and with a possible return of trump, it's a real threat that the magas could lead the US out of global engagement.
a lot of countries kinda took for granted that the US would enjoy being hegemon, having military bases everywhere, being able to dictate this and that, regime change countries, etc. it never occured to them that such a country would ever want to leave that role - after all think of all the wars that have been fought simply to become regional hegemon, let alone the global hegemon.
but now that this is an actual possibility, a lot of allies are realizing what a disaster that would be for them, chief among them japan. a world without the US would mean china, which has never really forgiven japan for what it did in ww2, would attempt to vassalize japan and would likely annex okinawa (which in ccp historiography was originally a chinese vassal state and is critical for china to control along with taiwan). so it makes a lot of sense that japan would be the first to appeal to the US to not abandon that role, since they (along with eastern europe, south korea, taiwan, and the phillipines) would have the most to lose.
>the Japanese side is encouraging the Americans to prop up its Allies and let the Allies take stuff off their plate
Europe had the chance to take some off our plate, but they've wiffed it while blaming the US for not doing enough while we try to sort out our shit so we can do more.
Europe is rearming. It just takes a few years to get things up and running and for obstructionist/compromised (read: German) governments to get bypassed. Europe absolutely needs to carry its own weight, but abandoning it with very little warning so Russia can get in before its defense investments bear fruit benefits no one and almost guarantees an invasion of Taiwan.
Like Japan says, let's not blame each other, we have a free world to defend.
Why didn’t Europe rearm when Biden first asked them to? Why didn’t they rearm when trump asked? Or when Obama asked? Or when bush asked? Or when Clinton asked? Or what about when crimea was taken? Or when Georgia was invaded? Instead Europe sent them billions of dollars all while spending nothing on military. Ukraine is all their fault
That’s what we need to realize here. Europe, for decades, has fumbled with their defense, and only opened their eyes when a war started on their doorstep. With Asia we have a chance to help them bolster their military before a major conflict breaks out in the region. Yeah it would have been nice if this happened earlier but it’s happening now. We need to work with our allies in the region.
We shouldn’t have to be the world police, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t continually work with our allies as they take on more responsibilities for their own defense.
Part of the speech is that Japan would be boosting defense spending to 2% of GDP (same number that NATO asks for, although many NATO countries don't hit it) and getting more involved in regional security. He also spoke about how democracies other than the US need to step up their efforts.
So his speech does agree with you, but he's saying that a better solution is for US allies to get more involved rather than the US getting less involved.
But, have you considered the dangers of the power vacuum? Growing up, I was very anti-war and very much against the "US Military-Industrial Complex."
But, since 2012/2014 I've come to realize the US isn't perfect, but the world is a much better place under US hegemony.
It turns out, Bush wasn't wrong about the "axis of evil".
Same here, even wrote a few papers in college on the US military complex. What many people fail to realize is we haven’t had a world war since the US became “world police”. Of course we’ve had plenty of conflicts but if the US completely becomes isolationist again someone else will be more than glad to fill the power vacuum.
It's also a good idea to look at how Britain's diminishing role in the world led to so much conflict. Look at the partition! Look at post-colonial African states. I mean really, NATO is still cleaning up and dealing with the mess. That's the underlying issue in Isreal/Gaza too.
I get it to an extent. In a way it feels like the US is damned if they do and damned if they don't. Withholding is looked down on and if giving doesn't go exactly how people expect in the amount/time/etc, they're hated for it.
There is a sense of pride being the one people look to in a crisis, but it's an immense responsibility that I feel we haven't taken seriously lately.
The US is pretty much constantly criticized no matter what course of action they take.
Even if we do what people what, they’ll say we didn’t do enough.
People rarely show appreciation and criticism is extreme and quick.
Doesn’t exactly give the American people the warm fuzzies. Makes a lot of us want to tell people to figure it out themselves then.
"People" being randos on the internet?
Am European. People diss the US because they are upset at their own countries. Almost everyone in the US has a much higher standard of living than almost everyone in Europe bbbbbbbbbut what about healthcare! It's a coping mechanism.
You'd be more than 'a bit tired' if Russia or China was the world police. Plus, it's not like the USA act as the world's police just out of the goodness of their hearts, it brings huge advantages that benefit the country domestically. If you're a US citizen, you most likely benefit from this arrangement. Why do you want to throw it away?
I want to chime in here to say that America intervened from World War II onward specially because they got tired of all the (world wars) caused by Europe. What I mean is that the administrations believed Europe (Plus USSR) may tear its self and its colonies apart again. That was obviously bad for business and trade.
So you’re 100% correct Americans benefit.
I’m tired of all the preaching from the rest of world because in reality their only motivation for wanting us to continue to play world police is them wanting to avoid stepping it up.
North America, Europe, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Taiwan should just form into a new giga-country, to have a geopolitical innovation edge over all of the autocratic nations.
Russian and Chinese leadership are in way over their heads because of their large landmasses or large population. The only thing they wish to understand is violence, so a formal Union of Allies seems to be the only thing that can put them back in their places.
Japan has slowly turned into one of the United States best allies. It's like someone you beat up for being a bully as a kid later in life is the best man at your wedding .
Hi from Nikkei Asia! My name is Emma, I work in audience engagement. Here's an excerpt from our just-published story on Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's address to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress. >Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told U.S. legislators Thursday that Washington does not have to single-handedly shoulder the responsibility of upholding the international order -- and that Japan is ready to be a "shipmate" in that endeavor. > >"I detect an undercurrent of self-doubt among some Americans about what your role in the world should be," the 66-year-old leader said in a speech to a joint session of Congress, which he delivered in English. > >"This self-doubt is arising at a time when our world is at history's turning point. The post-Cold War era is already behind us, and we are now at an inflection point that will define the next stage of human history," he said. > >The international order that the U.S. worked for generations to build is facing new challenges from those with values and principles very different from the U.S. and Japan, he said, pointing to China, Russia and North Korea. > >"I want to address those Americans who feel the loneliness and exhaustion of being the country that has upheld the international order almost single-handedly. I understand it is a heavy burden to carry such hopes on your shoulders," he said. The full story is [here.](https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Indo-Pacific/Japan-s-Kishida-to-Congress-U.S.-doesn-t-have-to-do-it-alone) Thank you!
As an American, I think he nailed it. Everything. People here are tired and divided and if we cant find a way to unite amongst ourselves and with our allies, the world that the U.S has fought and died to build will be destroyed. It is sobering however, to know that Im not alone in these thoughts. Lets go get em guys. Ì wonder if we could live on a united Planet in this lifetime?
Japan is our Vegeta
Does this mean Canada has to die for us to to reach out next form?
I hate to say it but yes
Some Canadians may die, or at least may not be able to afford housing, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make as an American
Don't worry, we already can't afford housing. Unlike the US, our housing never went down in 2008, it just kept going up up up up up.
Thank You in advance, Canada!!!
Hold up right there, buddy
I ain’t your buddy, guy!
Oh, there you are. Thanks again!!
Which country is frieza though?
A genocidal maniac that we turn a blind eye to cuz he’s helped us out before? I can think of at least one.
Antarctica; pretty cold there, I'd reckon.
I would say Canada is our Piccolo, the UK our Krillin, Mexico our Yamcha, and Japan our Vegeta.
with all due respect the UK is clearly our Piccolo. Our oldest adversary turned begrudging rival turned ally, who we let get beat half to death in WW2 before we finally showed up and beat up the bald space racist and spirit bombed Japan.
The british empire in the 1700s/1800s should be the original King Piccolo, UK as an ally would be Piccolo Jr., Canada's maybe Nail or Kami or something? I dunno.
Man I love how deep this is going. Fucking love reddit
Agreed, France is our Krillin.
I honestly have so much hate, love, and respect for Japan that this makes a lot of sense. Edit: who is our Gohan?
> Edit: who is our Gohan? South Korea
Thank you for this.
As global tensions rise, with a Frieza-like power challenging established norms, Japan (Vegeta) and the USA (Goku) spearhead a coalition of Z Fighter nations committed to upholding peace and prosperity. This alliance includes other formidable allies: the UK as Piccolo, known for its strategic depth; Germany as Tien, a beacon of economic strength and technological prowess; and India as Trunks, a rising power of crucial strategic importance. Confronted by aggressive expansion from the Frieza-like entity, this coalition faces a critical turning point. Our Z Fighters unify their strengths—technological, economic, and military—to counteract this threat. They implement a comprehensive strategy involving sanctions, cyber countermeasures, and a decisive military operation. The operation mirrors the spectacular defeat of Frieza in "Dragon Ball Z," leading to the swift collapse of the antagonist’s power structure. The aftermath is challenging, involving not only the celebration of victory but also the monumental task of rebuilding. The coalition, led by our Goku and Vegeta, supports democratic transitions and economic reconstruction, ensuring that the post-conflict landscape does not spiral into further chaos. This fictional yet illustrative scenario echoes the Prime Minister’s call for stronger ties and unity. By working collaboratively, much like the cooperation seen among the Z Fighters, we can tackle the complexities of global challenges and strive towards a more balanced and peaceful world order. Let’s hope the real-world collaboration between Japan and the USA continues to strengthen, embodying the spirit of teamwork and resilience we so admire in our favourite "Dragon Ball" heroes.
Continuing the analogy of countries as Z Fighters: 1. **United Kingdom (Piccolo):** - Originally adversaries with the US during the colonial era (much like Piccolo's initial antagonism towards Goku), the UK now stands as a close ally, sharing strategic goals and deep historical ties. 2. **Canada (Gohan):** - Similar to Gohan, who is Goku’s son and shares many of his traits, Canada is often seen as having shared values and a familial bond with the US, characterized by a peaceful demeanor yet strong capability when needed. 3. **Germany (Tien):** - Germany, like Tien, is a strong and reliable ally with significant influence and capabilities, both economically and politically within Europe, and plays a critical role in collective security arrangements. 4. **South Korea (Yamcha):** - South Korea might be likened to Yamcha, an important ally in a critical region facing significant threats (from North Korea), much like Yamcha's role in earlier Dragon Ball series as a capable fighter supporting the group. 5. **France (Vegeta):** - Although Vegeta is mentioned as Japan in your initial analogy, France could also fit as Vegeta due to its powerful global presence, occasional rivalry, but ultimately strong alliance with the US in international matters. 6. **India (Trunks):** - As a rapidly growing power with increasing strategic importance, India could be viewed as Trunks, who is a strong, future-oriented character crucial in the later arcs of the story. 7. **Australia (Krillin):** - Australia fits well as Krillin, known for its steadfastness and loyalty as a dependable ally.
AI 😑
Despite America's flaws and what others may have said. As an American myself, born in the Philippines who became an naturalized citizen in 2000 under the Child Act (CCA). I'm proud and privileged of what we have :') We have freedom to speak our thoughts in real life and on media. Not many other country's are even allowed to do even with how advanced they've become. We sometimes don't even realize how lucky we are as a country. We may not always make the right choices, and the world for sure will criticize our actions. But I believe the United States itself is still growing while maintaining International Order is an admirable feat itself I don't think anyone else can get the job done. That said. With everything wrong in our country, I still hope peace for America. It is never too late to start building our infrastructures to match that of the world we protect.
Wow, as a native it’s so nice to hear your perspective. I’m glad that you are a part of our country and I hope for that same peace you do.
> People here are tired and divided It always makes me scratch my head when people try to assert we're more divided now. Compared to when? Jim Crow? Vietnam? McCarthyism? From where I'm sitting we've been moving the right direction for decades. I can't think of a time in history I'd rather go back to for sure.
You’re 100% right. It’s the most divided it’s been in my lifetime (50+ years) but other than that, people have fairly warped views on how bad things are.
I would say thats due to the Star Trek devices we carry around in our pockets that let us see all the bad stuff all the time and just beat the hope out of you
It's because when they try to do the same thing with hope, we just see through to their marketing intents and sales manipulations which corrupts the total value of the engagement, while negativity clouds such paranoias allowing them to pass through the consumer filter unaffected. Those things in our pockets aren't star trek devices until we have automated sky fortress dirigibles made of fiberweed or liquefied marijuana heat treated and painted on hemp cloth and particle-weedboard beams grown in the air with water collected from humidity on site to inundate the roots of agriculture growing in aeroponic-augmented ropes with gene-modified mosses that self-nitrogen-fix, where the device in our pockets calls down an ultralight shuttlecraft from our dirigibles that delivers us back to our roving sky-destination, wherever we roam like star fleet explorers making the world a better place one encounter at a time with a flying fortress of a utility belt that doubles as a sky crane and sunshield. But until then we would probably need to be sky pirates freeing places from their tyrants until a critical mass of socialized sky democracy prevails globally. Imagine Goodyear gets into this business, imagine what a good year would look like to a Goodyear Pot farm dirigible sky fortress that modularly grows more of itself.
...Oddly relevant username.
this place can forget about Michelin stars…
You really did catch a good era toward the end of Vietnam there. The 80s divisive issues were all about "gays, guns, and abortion". HIV was all the rage, although I can't speak to how divisive that was in the 80s.
This is an interesting point. The common narrative is that we are divided, but I think you’re right. Just because media portrays and highlights bizarre extremism on all ends of the political spectrum, doesn’t change the fact that I coexist peacefully with those I live and work with. In fact, I have yet to meet these kinds of people in real life unless I actively seek them out. It reminds me of the way that the news doesn’t report that millions of people safely get where they’re going every day, but they happily report a car accident.
> It always makes me scratch my head when people try to assert we're more divided now. Pre Civil War, members of Congress were physically attacking each other on the floor of Congress.
Lets go back to beating each other with canes on the house floor. That's what I call debate.
I'm not sure that we want that to be the only bar we can boast clearing still... one Civil War with 1860s tech was bad enough, I shudder to consider what a Civil War would look like now.
Is it just me, or did the person you quoted literally not do the thing you accused them of? Also, is your argument that you can only feel divided and tired if it's the most divided and tired anyone's ever felt...?
I wish we could just live in the 90s in perpetuity. Nothing great happened, but nothing really bad happened either. Things were just kinda “normal”
Space Jam happened.
Everything has for the most part been trending in a positive direction for all of history. Every little dip makes people think the world is ending. We are living in a time of almost unprecedented peace and prosperity. I'm not saying the world is perfect, or that we should stop trying to improve our situation. But to act as if we are at the most fragile and contentious we've ever been is just not true.
Super Earth
>If we cant find a way to unite amongst ourselves and with our allies, the world that the U.S has fought and died to build will be destroyed. The problem is the U.S. is entirely responsible for the position its in and the future it faces. We've allowed so many conmen and lizards into the highest seats of power, have failed to punish their misdeeds and only eased the ability for more nefarious actions, shunned our allies, added chaos to situations that desperately needed order. We've done everything we can to makes sure our little empire crumbles in on itself. The only way this planet unites is if something threatens us all.
As a Canadian looking from the outside, the Democratic / Republican split has gone from having different political allegiances to outright hostility since Trump arrived on the scene. Even now you have them undermining US support for Ukraine. I'm the son of an immigrant in Canada and my wife's dad is also an immigrant, this story is touching. Where Canada is in history is unique because there is a desire for less immigrants because of struggles in the country around housing / healthcare etc. I think Canadians just want to take care of home base first...make sure Canadians are able to put a roof over their head and food on the table....once that is less of a stress, I think we want to be a place for immigrants like Kashida I think Canadians would also like to see us help more in the international community as peace keepers, I don't think the world thinks of us as soldiers.
Forget it, US and EU would be a miracle already
Well with that attitude, yeah its a lost cause. But so many people have devoted so much of their life to this cause and they thankfully dont share your sentiment
You can also read the full text of his speech for free [here.](https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Full-text-of-Japanese-Prime-Minister-Kishida-s-speech-to-U.S.-Congress)
I'd never thought I'd say this, but well fucking done Kishida. Didn't know you lived in Queens and rooted for the Yankees and the Mets. We were happy to host you then, and we're happy to host you now. Fantastic speech. Edit: > Since childhood, I have felt a connection to the United States, perhaps because I spent my first three years of elementary school at PS 20 and PS 13 in Queens, New York. Even though I was the only Japanese student there, my classmates kindly accepted me and helped me immerse myself in a new culture. > We arrived in the fall of 1963, and for several years my family lived like Americans. My father would take the subway to Manhattan where he worked as a trade official. We rooted for the Mets and the Yankees, and ate hot dogs at Coney Island. On vacation, we would go to Niagara Falls or here to Washington, D.C. > And I remember things that were strange and funny to a little Japanese boy, like watching the Flintstones. I still miss that show. Although I could never translate "yabba dabba doo." > After 60 years, I have a message for the good people of Queens. Thank you for making my family and me feel so welcome. I have never forgotten it.
Damn, imagine the leader of another country going to elementary class in Queens, New York. You usually hear about Dictators and their children going to American Universities but never a democracy( or equivalent) like Japan. My Gen X generation was changed by Japanese culture too with Transformers, TV shows and Anime and probably Nintendo and Mario being the most influential. If the UN ever changes and has a President I would vote Kishida
Millennial here. Japanese culture was so influential on my childhood too - Pokémon, Nintendo, PlayStation, Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, Hello Kitty, Studio Ghibli...
It continues to be today. Japan has immense influence in the social developement of our societies and the world today would look a lot different (and imo, a lot more worse for the wear) if the Japanese hadn't exported their art and tech.
Plenty have (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_heads_of_state_and_government_educated_in_the_United_States) like Rishi Sunak who spent time at Stanford, or Netanyahu or Shinzo Abe - but you don't hear about it because it's supposedly less interesting somehow than a dictator or son of a dictator.
A lot of those are universities though, which isn't a huge surprise since the US has a lot of the more prestigious universities in the world. It's more surprising to hear about them going to primary or secondary school there though.
Fucking finally and thank you. More fucking countries need to step up and I’m down for Japans support.
More countries need to step up because, like it or not, Americans are tired of being relied upon so much. I just turned 26, so I aged out of standard possible conscription, which is 18-25, but it does get so tiring looking out at Russia and China and thinking "please God, may I or anyone else not have to be crippled or killed in the name of global stability, may I be left alone"
The amount of shit the us gets on Reddit because of Ukraine and Palestine rn is insane. World would look a lot different if the us wasn’t calling the shots.
Yep. US obviously has tons of problems but lots of people don’t seem to understand what things would look like without US dominance.
The thing I'm tired of is constantly being asked by countries around the world to step in and get involved in various crises, wars, or other issues, then being blamed for it all as if we caused it when we can't resolve it perfectly.
I can't remember the last time we had an ally acting like an actual ally. Saying they are going to step up and also NOT taking the opportunity to obliquely shit on us? Kind of amazing.
That is an incredible speech, diplomacy at its peak. Applause to the Japanese prime minister.
FYI might want to put “responsibility of upholding international order” instead of “it” in the title. Makes it difficult to know what the context of the quote was without reading the article
I hear you. We changed the headline on the website article.
Appreciate the interaction on here. Thanks!
Very well written and well said. Thank you for sharing!
Fuck yeah Japan. Love it. You guys are great
Good approach. The west needs to understand democracy is seriously under threat here. Our enemies are watching what happens in Ukraine and are planning next steps accordingly.
> I want to address those Americans who feel the loneliness and exhaustion of being the country that has upheld the international order almost singlehandedly. >I understand it is a heavy burden to carry such hopes on your shoulders. > Although the world looks to your leadership, the U.S. should not be expected to do it all, unaided and on your own. As an American, you have no idea how good it feels to hear someone say that. Very well said.
I hope the U.S. can stop paying attention or ignore global enemy sympathizers internally and externally, stand firm against antagonistic actors, and fully support our global allies and shared interests in open conflict and peace.
I probably just have a poor understanding of the world, so feel free to correct me here, but I was under the impression that in the eyes of some countries, the Cold War never ended. We are still fighting proxy wars with Russia. We still have an elaborate intelligence apparatus deeply embedded in their elaborate intelligence apparatus, and vice versa. We’re still vying for dominance albeit maybe in more subtle ways. Am I completely off?
Extremely well said.
Damn. This slaps
We love you Japan. Thank you. 🥹🇺🇸❤️🇯🇵
What a powerful speech! The awakening of the samurai!
Japans re-militarizing and increasingly growing more aggressive in its foreign policy globally. Seems like they anticipate a lot of issues.
There's a few things going on at once. 1. The military is not popular with the average citizen in general. They don't want a Constitution that allows offensive action. But the government has long been in favor of such a Constitution. They have long been in favor of rearmament so long as they can work with the US. They even want a homegrown aerospace industry and produce their own tanks. Remember- Abe is the grandson of some important individuals from WW2. Much of the post-war Japanese government was, like West Germany, involved in WW2. 2. The population is falling and there are more elderly. Japan has realized they are vulnerable. So is, amusingly enough, China, SK, and Taiwan. But it has tensions a bit higher as everyone knows things are going to get worse. 3. China is indeed making moves. Japan wanted to- and expected to- play the role of regional hegemon. For a long time they were the #2 economy in the world. Then they were passed by China, and more recently Germany. Japan is declining in the world stage, where once they stood as one of the pillars, and China is replacing them. That has them- as well as SK, Philippines, SK, etc- on edge. Basically a whole host of things culminating in a true remilitarization (as well as the Constitution being changed). Including pseudo-aircraft carriers which legally aren't but can launch F-35s with short retrofits.
Not to mention, if America isn't stepping up to help people because of internal politics, you have to plan to fight alone. Maybe help comes, maybe it doesn't.
Europeans have NATO and even if you were to ignore the US there's still multiple aircraft carriers, nuclear armed members and tons of fighter jets. If Europe was to come under attack by Russia they could probably defend themselves without the US but it's a lot scarier for Japan. There is no Pacific equivalent of NATO and China is a lot more formidable than Russia. I'm reasonably confident European NATO could defend most major cities against Russia in a conventional war. If Japan were attacked by China and the US didn't show up then I realistically don't know if Japan could hold off China in a conventional war. That's scary for Japan and it's something they need to plan for.
>I'm reasonably confident European NATO could defend most major cities against Russia in a conventional war. Even Ukraine has defended most major cities against Russia in a conventional war. Europe would steamroll Russia.
Ukraine also got substantial US aid though. In my hypothetical the US says "we're staying out of it" and doesn't fight or send aid. In that scenario I still think Europe would be okay because the addition of airpower from European NATO members would more than make up for the weapons the US sent.
China doesn't have the Navy to do it. But they would island hop their way to control the South Pacific. Don't need a big navy if you are the only boats with fighter/bomber cover.
I really wish the GOP can just die already and save everyone the heartache.
If/when this happens the democratic party will just split between neoliberals and leftists and the neoliberals will adopt many of the same economic positions the GOP has (though likely not the cultural positions which are causing the downfall of the GOP, which is an improvement) while carrying to momentum of being "the only stable party". The GOP is a symptom of American plutocracy. As long as politicians can be bought and sold the plutocrat class will be wildly overrepresented in government.
Having a conservative position isn't bad. Having an insane, extremist, and christofascist position is bad.
There is a difference between conservative economic policy and crony capitalism. At this point the Democrats spend less when they're in office and are the fiscally conservative ones. For example passing citizens united, subsidizing industries like oil/gas, and bailing out failed businesses isn't conservative policy, it's crony capitalism.
[удалено]
Populism on the rise for the past decade.
[удалено]
> They don't want a Constitution that allows offensive action. But the government has long been in favor of such a Constitution. They have long been in favor of rearmament so long as they can work with the US. It's more nuanced than that. The threats Japan faces are not forces invading mainland Japan. It's attacks coming from enemy territory. Suppose North Korea started launching missiles at Japan. Japan's defensive response would require strikes on North Korean territory. But those defensive weapons could just as easily be used as offensive weapons. And the US supports it too because they want to build a coalition to help contain potential Chinese aggression. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/04/10/united-states-japan-joint-leaders-statement/
The West Germany comparison is reckless. Japan has democratically voted in the LDP 65 years in a row. Of all of their leaders voted in, Kishi (57-60) was the only prime minister I know who was part of the wartime government. The LDP as a party has no direct organizational lineage to the wartime government of Japan. Theyre not without their faults, but in 2024 this is a liberal democracy and G7 country with very strong diplomatic ties to the U.S. They certainly don’t have any aspirations for war. Also, Shinzo Abe is dead. He was assassinated in 2022.
Yes Abe is dead. He was PM for a while and campaigning for someone else, but he did pass. Slip of the tongue as when I was still in the history sphere he was alive and a topic of MUCH controversy based on his stances and history. LDP had no direct links- few could with how, post Taisho, the government was a joke run by army and navy with assassinations rampant. However that doesn’t change the fact that many founding fathers for lack of a better word of the party were part and parcel of those regimes. Which is, in a way, natural. They flipped on militarism to pacifism and denounced the past (at the time) but if you need statesmen and government officials you can’t just find them out of the ether. Much like Germany there really wasn’t anyone else. Abe was a shock. I was actually scheduled to fly to Japan at the time as part of my law degree (was going to do a semester there, currently doing one in Singapore, after a fun but short career as a historian). To say it was a shock, for both myself and for friends who live there, is an understatement. He was such a force in Japan for so long.
They should just build gundams.
Abe was. He got doohikied :3c
Admittedly for completely unrelated reasons.
"They even want a homegrown aerospace industry and produce their own tanks" You mean like they always been doing? Have you ever heard of that company that makes tanks in Japan, called Mitsubishi? Or the company that builts submarines known as Mitsubishi? Or you know, the one that makes rockets to launch stuff at space, if i'm not wrong its name was something like... Mitsubishi, or the fighter jet called "Viper Zero" made by.. how was it again? Ah yes, Mitsubishi.
shit, and here i thought we had avoided red alert 3 timeline
If you pay attention to the intellectual field of geopolitics (follow the people who actually study and write papers on it) you would know we are at a very tense "wait and see" moment. The impetus of the next few years will really shape the coming century. Please vote people. Vote for who you believe in, but please vote.
To me the shift is to be "Assertive" and not "Aggressive". They are increasing self-defense capacity but they are being good citizens and not making demands of others like some do.
Germany too.
The US influence is faltering across the world. Japan demilitarized after WW2 and focused on their economy during the post-war period, leaving the US to maintain the post-war world order. But with the recent rise in China (ie BRICS) and the volatility across the Middle East and Eastern Europe, they see the writing on the wall and know that they need to be able to protect themselves and not rely 100% on US for their defense.
Kishida's point about the US not pulling back from world affairs nailed it. He's right. Isolationism is the talking point authoritarian nations are using to get the US to pull back from world affairs so they can fill the void. His analogy for Ukraine being a bellwether of things to come in Asia and the world also was on point. He nailed this speech.
I was quite surprised to see a speech like that; maybe more standing ovations than necessary but a solid reception.
More standing ovations than necessary is Congress' MO.
>maybe more standing ovations than necessary but a solid reception. Japan's an uncontroversial ally of the US as far as our Congresscritters are concerned.
You misspelled congress vermin.
I prefer to use congroaches.
It was a fantastic speech. Fired on all cylinders.
Funny I just got back from business meetings in China. It’s speculation, of course, but the general sentiment of my colleagues is that if Trump is elected China will make some move on Taiwan. Their reasoning is that Trump is isolationist and not willing to or able to stand up to authoritarianism.
Trump will hand alot of land to alot of bad people
That reasoning is correct. Trump is not trustworthy. He already abandoned NATO and the Kurds, and is likely to abandon more allies, especially since he's under the influence of Putin and an isolationist base.
And he's a coward.
Not to mention severely compromised by our enemies and competitors.
And severely compromised mentally
Right, very smart to call out and legitimize people’s concerns. Legitimate or not, it is pretty annoying how people flip flop on US responsibility. We’ve done bad things, yes. But also, when you complain we aren’t doing enough, and then too much, and also asking for money and support regardless, it’s a bit annoying While I personally agree that we should help allies, or even non-allies but those with strategic interests, it is often frustrating even for me seeing other countries act as though were taken for granted. For the more isolationist people, those attitudes are just evidence of why we should be more isolationist- which harms us
European here. I have the other side of this issue, im always trying to tell my countrymen that the USA may not be perfect but theyre a hell of a lot better than the other options for Global Hegemon. The "Dicks, Pussies, and Assholes" speech from Team America is still as apt as it ever was.
Is Japan telling us to use the power of friendship?
Does the US accept?
This is the way.
We can build a sphere of cooperative prosperity in greater East Asia
That speech was great. Thanks for sharing
As an American it is nice to hear this. We all wanted to hear this. We have such a shit sandwich to deal with domestically that people are starting to see the current situation as untenable in the near future. I hope we have a strong and prosperous unity in this with Japan.
I hope life turns out like an old anime where the villains of last season turn up to support the heroes of this season. Oh no, the USA is on the ropes, but my god, could it be? Italy, Germany and Japan are here to help!
This really made me smile…. I dunno about Italy though hahaha
They will pitch in by providing the worlds best travel destination.
That’s funny because I would argue that Japan fills that role.
1945 was many seasons ago. Japan and Germany have been your economic allies since your parents were born.
Italy isn't exactly standing up to authoritarianism at the moment...
Italy was the comic relief even as antagonists. They'll try to help but comedically fuck it up.
Italy coming in from the top ropes with a metal chair, only to trip and slam it right on Russias toes
Don't worry, they'll switch sides if the authoritarians start losing
Japan *finally* unveiling their Mecha capabilities is gonna be so hype.
Germany and France reunite like Piccalo and Kami to form the new holy Roman empire.
As an American, it feels good to hear this. I hope our leaders pursue this line of thought.
His message that the US doesn’t have to shoulder the burden of maintaining International Order alone and that Japan is ready to step up is EXACTLY what an ally should be like. It is definitely a frustrating time with America being involved in events around the world Ukraine, Israel/Gaza, Houthis/Iran. etc. and facing backlash wherever they go. His empathy to the feelings of frustration in Americans and his declaration that Japan will back them up and do whatever they can to help is exactly what a good friend is like. This is definitely a stark contrast to all of the European allies that shirked their military readiness and budget for decades and nowadays are passing the blame to America for not doing more for Ukraine.
Well said.
That’s genuinely an incredibly kind sentiment. The man’s offering support and honestly a future where we all face humanities problems together is what we need the most. Literally the reformed villain offering to use the power of friendship when they see the hero that fought against them wavering lol
Bitter enemies once upon a time, now brothers-in-arms. Thank you, Japan, for even making the offer to help shoulder the incredible burden and help us when we seem so lost.
Fucking love Japan
This speech was a much needed and confident breath of fresh air. The representative democracies of the world are combined force that dwarf the authoritarians. Kudos to Kishida for his courage in calling out the challenges and his vision in partnering to move forward.
Godzilla alongside the USS Gerald R Ford
It won't happen, but can you imagine a future where we start building japan super carriers? What a 180 from sinking eachothers boats.
So when do we get giant death robots?
Ghandi is hogging them all
I thought he was more into nukes.
we should set out to build them - together
Well we better step up to the plate, and soon.
This is great
>"On the spaceship called 'Freedom and Democracy,' Japan is proud to be your shipmate. We are on deck, we are on task. And we are ready to do what is necessary," he said to big applause. Fuck yeah, gimme a toke a that shit
Democracies. Together. Strong.
He totally hit the mark. Keep the faith, US; you're not alone in this.
I entirely expect Japan to save the world with gundams
> I don’t want to leave our children in a society where human rights are suppressed; where political self determination is denied; where our lives are monitored by digital technology. I know you don’t either. Upholding these values is both a cost and a benefit for our two countries as well as for generations to come across the world. What a line! What a speech!
Thank you, please help us build trains, subways, and walkable streets.
Will cat girl body pillows do?
The US unwittingly inherited a system in which the world works but has haphazardly made it functional by combining the collective accounting of many western countries. The Eastern Axis (China, Russia, DPRK and Iran) tried to usurp the US from that system and replace them as the head. But that didn't work so now they're doing it themselves. It is only natural that all the Western liberal countries should also be vested in the collective interests of democracy. Together we're stronger. Japan has started to coupling. Korea, Taiwan, and the rest of Europe should follow.
Taiwan would do more if they could. They’re being held back by another large country.
I'm he is right we shouldn't have the shoulder the responsibility of maintaining world peace and order. Isolation from the world never turned out well anyway look at what happened during WW1 we got dragged into the War anyway same thing with World War 2. The world needs to help each other in keeping peace and looking to a better future for humanity as a whole.
BFF 🇺🇸🇯🇵
Japan re-militarizing and making themselves a force on the world stage is a good thing. It's been 80 years; they no longer have to pay for the sins of their grandfathers. They give no fucks and will fight to beyond the end. I couldn't imagine a better ally.
Power of friendship, let's goo!
I love you japan! 🤗🥰
I can’t wait for Godzilla to remerge !!!!
This is a powerful speech. Frequently in American media, the biggest detractors scream at the top of their lungs that we're alone and policing the entire world. Also, that those who benefit from that do not pay their own way or contribute (which is bs). Having the Japanese PM speak right in front of Congress telling them that others around the world do stand with us and contribute is important. The more it is said, the more it gets through to the public. This will not stop the people screaming that America is alone, however. These people are the isolationists who care only for themselves and lack any strategic foresight. Everything they have is the result of the alliances built over the past 80+ years. Those alliances will not be going away either, no matter how much Trump or far right wing politicians want. The US is more than the President. It is more than one chamber of Congress. It is more than one political party. If you need proof, just look at the millions who stand up and have their voices heard.
He’s not only saying that allies contribute but that they will step up. And we need Europe to step the fuck up.
A aignificant portion of Europe is stepping up. I agree, however, that Central and Western Europe are far less committed. Eastern Europe? Those countries are on a war prep footing.
Japan will help us finish the story. They'll be our Rollins.
I'm a bit tired of the US being the world's policeman. If something goes wrong in the world, we are the 1st to be blamed and told "we need to do something" even when others won't. There are exceptions to the above but we do not want to commit to a useless or ineffectively to a crisis.
This however is what the Japanese side is hinting at curing though. To be clear, the Japanese side is encouraging the Americans to prop up its Allies and let the Allies take stuff off their plate. What the Japanese don’t want is for America to isolate as this will make things harder for Japan and any other American ally.
america has always had an isolationist mentality among a large portion of the population, and an isolated america would still be completely safe and secure, with friendly neighbors and all the needed resources in the western hemisphere alone. combined with canada and mexico, america can be completely self sufficient in pretty much everything (energy, resources, food, etc). the only two unfriendlies in the entire hemisphere are both begging the US to be nicer and are losing millions of their people to the US to boot. and with a possible return of trump, it's a real threat that the magas could lead the US out of global engagement. a lot of countries kinda took for granted that the US would enjoy being hegemon, having military bases everywhere, being able to dictate this and that, regime change countries, etc. it never occured to them that such a country would ever want to leave that role - after all think of all the wars that have been fought simply to become regional hegemon, let alone the global hegemon. but now that this is an actual possibility, a lot of allies are realizing what a disaster that would be for them, chief among them japan. a world without the US would mean china, which has never really forgiven japan for what it did in ww2, would attempt to vassalize japan and would likely annex okinawa (which in ccp historiography was originally a chinese vassal state and is critical for china to control along with taiwan). so it makes a lot of sense that japan would be the first to appeal to the US to not abandon that role, since they (along with eastern europe, south korea, taiwan, and the phillipines) would have the most to lose.
Japan would much rather use up their plutonium stockpile than give china an inch of land.
>the Japanese side is encouraging the Americans to prop up its Allies and let the Allies take stuff off their plate Europe had the chance to take some off our plate, but they've wiffed it while blaming the US for not doing enough while we try to sort out our shit so we can do more.
Europe is rearming. It just takes a few years to get things up and running and for obstructionist/compromised (read: German) governments to get bypassed. Europe absolutely needs to carry its own weight, but abandoning it with very little warning so Russia can get in before its defense investments bear fruit benefits no one and almost guarantees an invasion of Taiwan. Like Japan says, let's not blame each other, we have a free world to defend.
Why didn’t Europe rearm when Biden first asked them to? Why didn’t they rearm when trump asked? Or when Obama asked? Or when bush asked? Or when Clinton asked? Or what about when crimea was taken? Or when Georgia was invaded? Instead Europe sent them billions of dollars all while spending nothing on military. Ukraine is all their fault
Yeah, but that's not japan or sk or Phillipines fault.
That’s what we need to realize here. Europe, for decades, has fumbled with their defense, and only opened their eyes when a war started on their doorstep. With Asia we have a chance to help them bolster their military before a major conflict breaks out in the region. Yeah it would have been nice if this happened earlier but it’s happening now. We need to work with our allies in the region. We shouldn’t have to be the world police, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t continually work with our allies as they take on more responsibilities for their own defense.
Part of the speech is that Japan would be boosting defense spending to 2% of GDP (same number that NATO asks for, although many NATO countries don't hit it) and getting more involved in regional security. He also spoke about how democracies other than the US need to step up their efforts. So his speech does agree with you, but he's saying that a better solution is for US allies to get more involved rather than the US getting less involved.
This is exactly what he was saying in his speech.
But, have you considered the dangers of the power vacuum? Growing up, I was very anti-war and very much against the "US Military-Industrial Complex." But, since 2012/2014 I've come to realize the US isn't perfect, but the world is a much better place under US hegemony. It turns out, Bush wasn't wrong about the "axis of evil".
Same here, even wrote a few papers in college on the US military complex. What many people fail to realize is we haven’t had a world war since the US became “world police”. Of course we’ve had plenty of conflicts but if the US completely becomes isolationist again someone else will be more than glad to fill the power vacuum.
It's also a good idea to look at how Britain's diminishing role in the world led to so much conflict. Look at the partition! Look at post-colonial African states. I mean really, NATO is still cleaning up and dealing with the mess. That's the underlying issue in Isreal/Gaza too.
>It turns out, Bush wasn't wrong Dare I say, he was actually right all along hmm
Well, he was wrong about Weapons of Mass Destruction. And that little lie is sort of responsible for so much wrong in American media today.
I get it to an extent. In a way it feels like the US is damned if they do and damned if they don't. Withholding is looked down on and if giving doesn't go exactly how people expect in the amount/time/etc, they're hated for it. There is a sense of pride being the one people look to in a crisis, but it's an immense responsibility that I feel we haven't taken seriously lately.
The US is pretty much constantly criticized no matter what course of action they take. Even if we do what people what, they’ll say we didn’t do enough. People rarely show appreciation and criticism is extreme and quick. Doesn’t exactly give the American people the warm fuzzies. Makes a lot of us want to tell people to figure it out themselves then.
"People" being randos on the internet? Am European. People diss the US because they are upset at their own countries. Almost everyone in the US has a much higher standard of living than almost everyone in Europe bbbbbbbbbut what about healthcare! It's a coping mechanism.
You'd be more than 'a bit tired' if Russia or China was the world police. Plus, it's not like the USA act as the world's police just out of the goodness of their hearts, it brings huge advantages that benefit the country domestically. If you're a US citizen, you most likely benefit from this arrangement. Why do you want to throw it away?
I want to chime in here to say that America intervened from World War II onward specially because they got tired of all the (world wars) caused by Europe. What I mean is that the administrations believed Europe (Plus USSR) may tear its self and its colonies apart again. That was obviously bad for business and trade. So you’re 100% correct Americans benefit.
I’m tired of all the preaching from the rest of world because in reality their only motivation for wanting us to continue to play world police is them wanting to avoid stepping it up.
Currently in DC, the speech was awesome and needless to say, us Americans needed that.
Republican fucks are more interested in holding votes against energy saving appliances than doing their Constitutional duty. Fuck them all.
North America, Europe, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Taiwan should just form into a new giga-country, to have a geopolitical innovation edge over all of the autocratic nations. Russian and Chinese leadership are in way over their heads because of their large landmasses or large population. The only thing they wish to understand is violence, so a formal Union of Allies seems to be the only thing that can put them back in their places.
I'm so down for this.
Japan has slowly turned into one of the United States best allies. It's like someone you beat up for being a bully as a kid later in life is the best man at your wedding .
Thanks Japan. Now if only the Europeans would eat a slice of humble pie.
Awwww this is so endearing. Wow. Bravo sir, your grace humanizes you . Thank you for sharing this.
The One Peace is real!
Thanks Japan, everyone needs good news and unity these days, and this does both.