However, with China’s longstanding threat of invading Taiwan and a nuclear Korean peninsula, can we realistically trust other countries to adhere to treaties? Even if China and North Korea are just talking big and don’t plan to do anything, the perceived threat still exists. Does Japan want to take that chance?

Well, let’s phrase the question this way. How many Japanese would be willing to have their blood spilt to defend Taiwan should China attack? Or to remove Nuclear weapons from North Korea? Or to join in with America to topple the regime in Iran?

With Japan by America’s side, this will increase not decrease American hubris on the right.

At least form one vantage point, Japan’s constitution, in particular article 9 is revolutionary. It forbids the government from engaging in foreign escapades and firmly establishes that the country should only be acting in self-defense.

Do citizens really want to authorize their governments to engage in using military force to resolve policy disputes?

Perhaps Japan should get up to the podium and begin to demand that other countries reciprocate by altering their constitutions.

So yes, China spends 4.3% while Japan spends 0.9%, according to your CIA statistics. But I googled a little bit (I don’t have access to CIA or Pentagon stuff) and both China and Japan spend about $45 billion. So in a way I think those CIA statistics are misleading to your main point.

Also, I just want to say this now but I am horrified that SDF went to Iraq. Think about what constitutes defense and what constitutes security, and how much the supposed aims of security will pressure the SDF to actively engage in offensive fighting in the event of a war. Again, I’m not trying to be argumentative, but I just don’t think it’s fair to Nakajima san to raise these statistics.