Prime Minister Abe Shinzo adheres rigidly to amendment of the war-renouncing Article Nine of the constitution, which seriously impacts on the status of the Self Defense Forces (SDF). The SDF was created by interpreting the constitution in an illegitimate way to be an exclusively defensive military. Now the SDF has grown out to be one of the world’s top armed troops, which constitutes an obvious dismantlement of Article Nine. Behind the scene we find artificial threats of enemies choreographed by the government.

PRACTICAL DISMANTLEMENT OF ARTICLE NINE BY ABE GOVERNMENT

The SDF has been built up, responding to a series of imaginary enemies, beginning with the Soviet Union (now Russia), Korea and China. The governments of Japan have been committed in the diplomacy and engaged in the national security policies in accordance with a rule to create tense relations perpetually with these countries so that the SDF equipment may get sophisticated in the technological spectrum. Thus, the related budgets have swollen year after year. The expenses have been regarded as sanctuary, while budgets have been bargained in the public service sector which directly links with people’s life.

Territories Extending to Outer Space

The Ministry of Defense demanded an estimated sum of 5.2986 trillion Yen as a military appropriation for the fiscal 2019. The amount does not contain 196.8 billion Yen to be spent on the US forces stationed in the country (a host nation support).

The total amount for the fiscal 2019 is bigger than that of the previous year by 2.1%, which is to be compared with the past annual growth rate of 0.8% attained for the five years gone by. It is because the Abe government has allocated purchases of unparalleled kinds of equipment to respond to the needs in order to enhance defense capabilities (snip) under the severer security circumstances (a Defense Ministry source).

The SDF envisages its scope not only in the Asian region but also in the outer space as is seen in the deployment of Aegis Ashore MD systems, long-range cruise missiles and F35A fighter jets and etc., which intercross each other in their territories.

The enormous account does not contain sums to procure expensive weaponry on the FMS basis (Foreign Military Sales). The scheme is an annual installment payment to be made five years after delivery as the longest. The total sum counts 5.3 trillion Yen in the fiscal 2019, which exceeds the entire military budget of the same fiscal year.

Now the government is reviewing the Defense Guidelines.

SDF grows to be real military force

The military budgets have rapidly expanded for these years. It is a consequence of the government’s information manipulation and practices: producing China and Korea as potential enemies and threats, conducting war games, mobilizing citizens to evacuation and anti-air drills and misinforming through mass media. These tactics ruin people’s social consciousness to be dismayed.

The Security related Laws (=war legislation) were finally approved in 2015 to practically allow the SDF to fulfill joint military missions with foreign troops, including those of the US, in the over-interpretation on the right of self-defense.

The Conspiracy Act was forced to pass the Diet, too, to control public security. A final process is to set up a martial court so that the SDF might become real military troops.

Histories in the world tell us a war begins in the name of self-defense. The Asia-Pacific War, Vietnam War and Iraq War started with a fabricated play directed by a team of aggressor nations. A country lacking national interests, a will to wage a war and capabilities to invade does not stage a war. Propaganda of ‘threats of Korea’ is a drama written and played by the Japanese ruling elite.

Propagandizing and dramatizing threats of China and Korea undermine the principle of pacifism of the constitution. The government emphatically asserts the right of self-defense so that the SDF might stage a war in the rest of the world. We must recognize this fact once again to fight against the constitution amendment drives of the Abe government.

November 20, 2018