2013年1月19日土曜日

Should Japan have its own military force?

Japan seeks to boost military spending-
“Should Japan have its own military force?”

   I am against Japan having its own military force for three main reasons.
   First of all, it is banned by law. After WW2, the 9tharticle of the Japanese Constitution prohibited acts of war and banned settlement using force. This article also states that to accomplish this, armed forces with war potential will not be maintained, although armed forces for self-defense is considered alright in Japan. Thinking about all the people who had been hurt in WW2, I think it is not right to construct an army again and make the same mistakes of the past.
   Secondly, the American military has already caused many problems in Japan, and I don’t think the citizen’s image of the military is really great. We sometimes hear on the news about the soldiers in the United States Forces Japan (various divisions of the United States Armed Forces that are stationed in Japan), that they are caught drink-driving or committing violent acts toward Japanese citizens. In fact, in Okinawa where a large United States Force is stationed, the number of crimes committed by American soldiers since 1972 is over 5,747 in total. Another problem that is still unresolved about the American military is the noise and commotion jet planes make while making flights. If Japan also had an army of its own, the citizens would be even more annoyed, so I think Japanese will not be too enthusiastic about letting the number of soldiers increase.
   Finally, I am against Japan having its own military force because of the amount of money that military activities cost. In the 2011 GDP ranking of war expenditure , Japan marked 6th place with about 54 billion dollars spent in one year. If another military force is established or the number of armies increase, too much money will be needed in the military field when it should be spent on other things.
   In conclusion, I am against Japan having a military force of its own because of the law, problems that the American military have already caused, and the military budget. Choosing if Japan needs one is a hard decision, but I think we should learn from past experiences and never forget about the sacrifices that were caused by war.

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