Liberal Japan

Yesterday DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa met with US ambassador Thomas Schieffer to discuss Japan’s support for America’s war on terror. The focus was especially on Japan’s Indian ocean operations, which includes refueling of ships and patrolling the waters. This operation will come up for renewal in the Japanese Diet this coming Autumn. Ozawa has said the DPJ will not support the renewal. As the DPJ now control the upper house this is a serious problem for those who support renewal of the operations.

Reporting and hot headed opinion follow …

DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa said:

Our interpretation of the Constitution is that the right to self-defense is made only when Japan is attacked. If I am in the position of decision-making, unfortunately I don’t think we’ll be able to participate in the operations led by the United States. … I am of the opinion that we (Japan) should instead proactively participate in peacekeeping operations authorized by the United Nations.

Schieffer then brought Ozawa up to snuff on the real situation, he replied:

It’s about blood! You’re blood, my blood. How many Japanese died on 9/11! Don’t you care? [Malevolent snickering.] … and if that’s not enough, then there’s the oil my friend. Mu, ha, ha, ha! Even if your not man enough to avenge the deaths of your countrymen, then what about the oil? 90% of your oil comes from this region, my dear little man, and after America rules it all, from the shores of Mediterranean and up to and past the Indus river, what do you think will be your share! Mu, ha, ha, ha!

Ozawa is said to have only been able to have escaped the meeting by producing a Christian cross with which he was able ward off Schiffer.

Okay, it didn’t quite happen like that, but those were Schiffer’s arguments:

1. Japan needs middle-eastern oil, which is threatened by terrorists.
2. Japanese died in 9/11 as a result of terrorists.

This is a frighteningly simplistic view of what’s going on, but it does mirror the typical American viewpoint on these issues. Let me state something and be very, very clear:

Terrorism is only a problem so much as guns, or say airplanes, are a problem.

For example, what if Schiffer had argued:

1. Japan needs middle-eastern oil, which is threatened by airplanes.
2. Japanese died in 9/11 as a result of airplanes.

You’d say, that’s too simple, wouldn’t you? And yeah, you’d be right.

Okay, okay, terrorism does imply something more than just a simple tool. It’s an action and therefore implies ethical standards are involved here. Airplanes can’t have ethical standards. Terrorism is bad, airplanes are not. Criticism noted. But as far as I can tell, America is not at war with terrorism but with the boogie man. There’s very little looking beneath the surface to explore what the war of terrorism is really about. However, Schieffer’s statement about 90% of Japan’s oil going through the region is pretty revealing, isn’t it?

Sometimes its hard to tell the bad guys from the good guys.