We paid a great price for this same learning experience, and personally, I welcome a return of the Japanese to world affairs. By the sounds of it, pacifism is growing very thin in Japan this week.....
Cliff notes, the stupid extremists are stupid....and the Japanese have been beheading people since before it was cool. 
I think this is more a case of these events providing an excuse to satisfy Shinzo Abe's war-boner than some kind of major cultural shift. Don't forget this is the same guy who visits shrines honoring who we would today consider war criminals, pissing off China and South Korea in the process.
Edit: BTW Shinzo Abe is probably my least-favorite current leader of any country that holds legitimate elections, so I could go on...
I agree with you Shinzo Abe.. he seems to exist just to piss off Japan's neighbors.
The Japanese have been slowly dipping their toes into world affairs. They were with us in Afganistan and their Self Defense Force is one of the largest and most modern militaries in the world
Not sure what Japan would be capable of doing in this situation. While I admire their society in a lot of ways, it is going downhill at a rapid rate due to economics, disaster recovery and a declining population with very poor age ratio demographics. FYI Domestically, Japan now sells more adult diapers than it does children's diapers. Going to be hard to raise a standing army from that group.
It won't be until the Islamic mainstream decides that extremist have gone too far and decide to do something about it that this situation will ever change. So far, the Islamic mainstream has chosen to treat the extremist in their ranks much like the Catholic church did (does?) the child molesters in their ranks.
I don't see a resolution to extremism as long as the religion is divided along the two branches of Shi'a and Sunni. The two factions need the drama to maintain support for their respective causes. You have to remember that Islam is a non-secular religion that DOES want control of the world and pretty much states it up front; it was not designed to coexist with other religions or dissenters.
I doubt ISIS is all that concerned. What's Japan going to do to ISIS that the rest of the world hasn't, or can't?
Given their constitutional prohibition against a military ("self defence forces" only), I don't think they can project a lot of power halfway around the world.
Maybe the Japanese will take this ideological clash (Islamic state jackholes vs civilization) to ISIS in a way that we in the west don't seem to have been able to do lately. I certainly hope so.
Maybe some people and nations need to start getting properly pissed at the high jacking of a religion and assault on civilization that we've seen from radical islam.
Maybe they'll send ninjas to take care of the problem. That would be awesome.
NOHOME wrote: You have to remember that Islam is a non-secular religion that DOES want control of the world and pretty much states it up front; it was not designed to coexist with other religions or dissenters.
Just like Catholicism before the Renaissance (speaking in broad generalizations here of course).
In my mind the key is education. If you can generally increase the level of education of a large group of people (like the Renaissance), then they start to dictate what the religions they believe in can and cannot do.
Knowledge is Power.
Ever wonder why oppressive governments and religious establishments try to restrict internet? or why 'freedom of speech/the press' is important?
What kicked off the Renaissance? I would argue the printing press and also 'freedom' to use it.
What if we took a portion of u.s. military spending and just inundated the world in free laptops w/ internet?
16vCorey wrote: Maybe they'll send ninjas to take care of the problem. That would be awesome.
If you think Ninja’s are super sweet, Google “The Official Ninja Homepage: Real Ultimate Power”
I’d post a link but my employer has blocked the site which is strange because it’s not offensive or anything.
GameboyRMH wrote: I think this is more a case of these events providing an excuse to satisfy Shinzo Abe's war-boner than some kind of major cultural shift. Don't forget this is the same guy who visits shrines honoring who we would today consider war criminals, pissing off China and South Korea in the process. Edit: BTW Shinzo Abe is probably my least-favorite current leader of any country that holds legitimate elections, so I could go on...
The Chinese and Koreans are going to be pissed about that occupation until the end of time, nothing will ever change that. And fwiw, I don't hold that against the man, because those shrines are the equivalent of our national memorials for ALL of our nation's soldiers. At the end, war is hell, a necessary hell, but a hell just the same that is mixed with valor and atrocities alike. Get over yourself.
KyAllroad wrote: Maybe the Japanese will take this ideological clash (Islamic state jackholes vs civilization) to ISIS in a way that we in the west don't seem to have been able to do lately. I certainly hope so.
That would be nice actually, I doubt those jackholes would know how to deal with them either....as I doubt they've ever heard of a flamethrower. 
RX Reven' wrote:16vCorey wrote: Maybe they'll send ninjas to take care of the problem. That would be awesome.If you think Ninja’s are super sweet, Google “The Official Ninja Homepage: Real Ultimate Power” I’d post a link but my employer has blocked the site which is strange because it’s not offensive or anything.
Oh yes, I'm familiar!
rcutclif wrote: What if we took a portion of u.s. military spending and just inundated the world in free laptops w/ internet?
They tried that in Cuba.....see where that got us?
And FWIW, they don't comprehend freedom of the press or speech.....or many other freedoms that we are complacent about having.
yamaha wrote: The Chinese and Koreans are going to be pissed about that occupation until the end of time, nothing will ever change that. And fwiw, I don't hold that against the man, because those shrines are the equivalent of our national memorials for ALL of our nation's soldiers. At the end, war is hell, a necessary hell, but a hell just the same that is mixed with valor and atrocities alike. Get over yourself.
Really bad analogy, those shrines are more analogous to Germany's memorials to soldiers in the last couple of world wars, especially the previous one. If you really believe this you need to read up on Japanese history. There's a reason previous Japanese PMs didn't touch those shrines with a 30-foot pole.
This can't end well.
The Japanese have been good citizens of this planet since they denounced war and became pacifists. I'd like to see it stay that way personally. My reasons are listed here. I don't blame the Japanese people for these actions as I attribute this behavior to what was then a militaristic and imperialist society. I'd like the world to not have to deal with that sort of society again. My fear is that militarism could contribute to it's rise. I'm not saying nor do I believe that this is only possible in Japan. I would just like to see a nation stay pacifist once the transition is made.
I agree that ISIS is full of idiots.
Xceler8x wrote: This can't end well. I agree that ISIS is full of idiots.
That is the problem: The people who oppose ISIS constantly underestimate what they are up against. They are not idiots. They are organized, funded and have a plan. Plus, the West is forced to fight under a set of humanitarian rules that are well known to the opposition, but that ISIS is free to ignore. It's tough to win a gunfight when your rules make you show-up with a butterknife.
Well, unless you are Ghandi. That dude was bad-ass!
rcutclif wrote: What if we took a portion of u.s. military spending and just inundated the world in free laptops w/ internet?
Well I'd bet a large portion of it would be porn - not trying to troll, just being completely honest. I'm sure there would be much good as well though.
RX Reven' wrote: If you think Ninja’s are super sweet, Google “The Official Ninja Homepage: Real Ultimate Power”
It's super bitchin' and stuff. Better be ready to be PUMPED though!:
Other than ninjas, the best thing Japan can do is unlease some serious computer nerds against ISIS to berkeley up their interwebs and try to siphon off their funds.
In reply to spitfirebill:
That'd be funny, ransom their money back to them for territory......
In reply to nohome:
No, not underestimating them, they have a plan which seems to be along the lines of "Piss off everyone until they wipe us off the face of the earth". I award them bonus points for being opportunistic, albeit misguided.
In reply to petegossett:
I wouldn't want to fight anyone after a 10 minute sesh. It could do the world a lot of good!
i am far less concerned with Abe's visit to the shrines that pay respect to those who laid down their lives to the state/empire. just because they are on the losing side doesnt diminish their sacrifice. we dont spit on German graves, or even our own buried southerners memorials.
i am more concerned with his revisionism views on the things the empire of Japan did.
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