+1234

Those troops, combined with the QWERTY troops, can take on anything.

Possibly ironic that a military with a history of nasty WMD's calling itself the self-defense force was in Iraq anyway.

I LOL'd.

Ah yes, the famous Home Row Battalion.

As long as there are fans of NFC North teams, we'll never have a shortage of personnel to man the Flatulent Airborne Reaction Team.

Jamespoon: Flatulent Airborne Reaction Team

Have your pants been declared a Level 5 Biohazard by the CDC?

/RIP Mr. Conductor
//And I'm gettin' real sick of guys named Todd

Fraggler: Ah yes, the famous Home Row Battalion.

The only troops that are good enough to be on top of the ZXCV rebels.

Took me a moment to get that, but I did laugh :)

Things could be going so much better if they had a really good leader, like the former head of the American forces, General Powell. Sadly, they're having to get by with a semi-Colin.

/so very, very sorry

How can the Self-Defense force defend Japan's Self without being deployed in Iraq?

Japan is racist against Dvorak-users.

They're just laying low until they can mass produce fighting mech and variable fighters.

Hopefully we will be following their lead shortly.

Anarchofascist: How can the Self-Defense force defend Japan's Self without being deployed in Iraq?

Well, it's all very convoluted. An excellent question.

Personally I'm not in favor of it, but the argument that some people try to make is, giving help in Iraq in response to American demands strengthens the Japan-American alliance, and that makes Japan safer, so it counts as "self-defense."

It's bogus, technically the country is not supposed to engage in "group self-defense" (集団的自衛権 if anyone cares）which is where you respond if someone threatens your ally. So, the argument is that this Iraq deployments counts under that. In response, people give that above argument that says "but if it makes the Americans happy then it strengthens our self-defense so it's just our own self-defense."

If people want to change the law, they should do it in the open.

Anyhow, the 空自 (the ASDF) is going to stop Iraq operations, but it's partly to be withdrawing in order to show withdrawing so that the retiring PM (Fukuda) can get more support for passing a bill to continue the refuelling of American ships in the Indian Ocean, which is due to expire soon.

People argue over if that is indirectly helping the American war efforts also, with similar rhetoric.

King Something: +1234

Counting to the number 4

Anitazurakko: It's bogus, technically the country is not supposed to engage in "group self-defense" (集団的自衛権 if anyone cares）which is where you respond if someone threatens your ally.

And the reason I say it's bogus isn't so much just the action itself but if you think about it, such arguments removes entirely the distinction between "self-defense" and "group self-defense" so just on the surface it's not healthy.

The WASD commandos will cover their withdrawal.

Does Japan accept QWER troops, or do they have a don't ask-don't tell policy?

King Something: +1234

this

You forgot Poland.

Not available for comment

/not believing it took this long

Dorf11: The WASD commandos will cover their withdrawal.

clickers!

awesome

Fukuda




McCain probably won't meet with him either...
Palin wouldn't swear to it

-1.

Should be JKL;

I don't mean to spoil the fun, but aren't the other four home row keys JKL: instead of HJKL?

aujoshh: -1.

Should be JKL;

You're just jealous you didn't think of it.

Being in Iraq is self defense because it's practice for Japan's upcoming war with China.

Before I got in here, I was just sitting here wondering "why is that acronym so familiar?"

/cracks another beer

~123

Ace Frehley's Ghost: Not available for comment

/not believing it took this long

Oh No!
There goes Tokyo!
Go Go Gozilla!

itazurakko: Anyhow, the 空自 (the ASDF) is going to stop Iraq operations, but it's partly to be withdrawing in order to show withdrawing so that the retiring PM (Fukuda) can get more support for passing a bill to continue the refuelling of American ships in the Indian Ocean, which is due to expire soon.People argue over if that is indirectly helping the American war efforts also, with similar rhetoric.

The traditionally pro-American LDP is officially lameducked beyond repair. Some of my Japanese friends are saying that the usual American-friendly attitude in Japanese public will be gone and become sort of like a neutral-ish attitude with a very mild opinion in world affairs.

/half-Japanese American

jjorsett:
Being in Iraq is self defense because it's practice for Japan's upcoming war with China.

Didn't we already do this a few dozen times before?

jjorsett: Being in Iraq is self defense because it's practice for Japan's upcoming war with China.

I don't think China has a sufficient military to start a full-fledged conventional war.

Came here to say JKL Sem;

SweetHomeNowhere: jjorsett: Being in Iraq is self defense because it's practice for Japan's upcoming war with China.

I don't think China has a sufficient military to start a full-fledged conventional war.

From what Ive heard and researched is that though they have plenty of warm bodies, they are having real troubles on the ability to move them out of Chinese borders. No large air fleet like the States nor do they have a large navy (Compared to the States)

They have been buying old 70s era canadian/british carriers in order to find out how to build the steam catapults

/I looked all this up about a year ago, so Im not solid on the numbers or if there has been major changes recently

SweetHomeNowhere: jjorsett: Being in Iraq is self defense because it's practice for Japan's upcoming war with China.

I don't think China has a sufficient military to start a full-fledged conventional war.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_size_of_armed_forces

whoopsy, wikipedia disagrees

Link (new window)

The end of this article has comparisons between the numbers of all the far east militaries (Sans ground troops)

/Written in 2000, you could probably find more accurate/recent if you spent time looking

Ahah, I never noticed that before.

So Japan is allowed to have a military, but only if they use it to defend the USA and not anyone else, including themselves?

Bloody hell.

All geo-political arguments aside; it's the bloody 自衛, Self-Defense forces! It's truly amazing what a country can achieve when they're not pissing money away on this shiat.

Whenever I pass the "Protect-Article-Nine" guys on the street, I do what I can.

i came for the WONDERFUL japanese army/navy/airforce recruitment commercials

i leave a bit dejected

Ona very slightly related note:

Once, a friend of mine threw a "Hawaiian-themed" party. An other friend shows up in jeans, and a T-shirt. The T-shirt had taped thereupon, a print-out of an Imperial Japanese Navy flag.

That's m' boy!

a Dvorak user submitted this article with a more efficient headline.

evilboyevil: So Japan is allowed to have a military, but only if they use it to defend the USA and not anyone else, including themselves?

That's kinda what the "Japan should have a military" people in US want to think, seems like.

SweetHomeNowhere: The traditionally pro-American LDP is officially lameducked beyond repair. Some of my Japanese friends are saying that the usual American-friendly attitude in Japanese public will be gone and become sort of like a neutral-ish attitude with a very mild opinion in world affairs.

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised to see such changes if they get a change in government 政権交代 either, myself. Could be interesting, if not this time then the next.

lolmadillo: i came for the WONDERFUL japanese army/navy/airforce recruitment commercials

I do my best with this one poster:



Taken on my crappy camera on vacation to 日光 years ago, it was hanging in a window of a shop on the main street. The slogan above "go go peace" is basically "to do our best/try our hardest, feels great!"

I would've said JKL; but that's just me. I loled regardless. Well done, subby.

itazurakko: evilboyevil: So Japan is allowed to have a military, but only if they use it to defend the USA and not anyone else, including themselves?

That's kinda what the "Japan should have a military" people in US want to think, seems like.

SweetHomeNowhere: The traditionally pro-American LDP is officially lameducked beyond repair. Some of my Japanese friends are saying that the usual American-friendly attitude in Japanese public will be gone and become sort of like a neutral-ish attitude with a very mild opinion in world affairs.

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised to see such changes if they get a change in government 政権交代 either, myself. Could be interesting, if not this time then the next.

lolmadillo: i came for the WONDERFUL japanese army/navy/airforce recruitment commercials

I do my best with this one poster:



Taken on my crappy camera on vacation to 日光 years ago, it was hanging in a window of a shop on the main street. The slogan above "go go peace" is basically "to do our best/try our hardest, feels great!"

Never been there; I like to hang out off the radar, shiatty bars in Shimane.

Still,

第九条永遠

Astounding what people can do, when they're not offing each other...

I'll admit I'm for keeping 第九条 myself, only, I have to ask for people wanting to say "get an army!" particularly if they're American, so, what if it's decided not to be your butt brother every time? Then the reponse isn't so positive so ざーまみろ.