More than 70 years ago, Hiroshima and Nagazaki, two of japanese cities had to be attacked with nukes (Nuclear Weapon) before Japan surrendered and the second world war was finally over. Till date, that is the only time a nuclear weapon is used as a weapon for warfare. That is, only Japan can practically explain the devastating effect of a nuclear attack and the horror of the aftermath.
After the second world war, United States of America and Japan found ways to settle their differences and forge a working relationship. economic and commercial, socio-cultural and political and also military links and channels were 're-created' between the two independent states. This however is much to the disgust of some states in Asia, most especially; North Korea.
North Korea and Japan have in the past been a victim of America's bombing campaign. This led to loss of hundreds of thousands of life and destruction of properties in volume almost never recorded before in the history of war. For this reason, one will wonder "the enemy of my enemy should be an ideal friend" but what transpired between the United State and Japan after the Second World War defiled this code that is almost a 'status quo'.
The 'friendly' relationship between Washington and Tokyo has drawn wild criticism from Pyongyang who thought that since both Tokyo and them has in the past being a victim of Washington bombing campaign, their shared mark of US destructive aggression should be a factor that makes them close allies.
North Korea after the Korean war has remained aggressively unfriendly with the united states, even developing missiles and nuclear weapons to have a "bully posture" in case the US try to get too close or meddle with her internal affairs and to frustrate US allies in Asia. Japan on the other hand took a different stance and opted for a friendly relationship, even more than what they shared in the 19th century and the early years of the 20th century before the Great Wars turned the relationship from sweet to bloody soar.
The Treaty of Kanagawa on March 31, 1854 spearheaded by Commodore M.Perry and the Harris Treaty in 1858 opened an economic and diplomatic relationship between the United States and Japan after two centuries of closure of Japanese port to ships of western origin and no direct relationship with the westerners.
This reluctant opening of Japanese ports to westerners however kick-started one of the most outstanding time in Japanese history. Japan took advantage of the new access to this technologically advanced westerners and modernise her industries and military to rise to be the most industrialised and most prominent Asian power in the pacific.
The level of development of the Japanese military during her short interraction with the west (most especially the U.S) was very evident in the Russo-Japanese war of 1905-1906 in which the imperial Japanese military gave the Russian military a crushing defeat giving them the "lords" status over the yellow sea, Manchuria and the Korean Peninsula.
But this also led to the internal agitation for a reform that led to the weakening of the position of the Tokugawa Shogunate who is the 'real' ruler of Japan and the emergence of power of the position of the Emperor in the Meiji Restoration of 1868.
North Korea has managed to be free from U.S interference in her internal and external policy formulation and execution, and has forge for herself an audacious image in the international society due to her nuclear weapon capabilities, the size of her standing army, achievements in ballistic missile technology and the large number of attack submarines they can boast of which gives them the ability to defend her territory even on the sea and fend of 'predators' But despite all this,majority of her citizen are wallowing in abject poverty and they are almost totally prohibited from interacting with anything outside their territory.
However, states like Japan that has allied with the United States in the region are more prosperous; though like others also, they are not nuclear armed but they have one of the top ten economy in the world, and also, one of the top ten Gross Domestic Product (GDP),one of the top ten technologically advanced economy, and also, one of the top ten military.
Their military can boast of missile destroyers, nuclear powered submarines, 'disguised' aircraft carriers, 4th generation aircrafts(both indigenously built and those imported majorly from US) and 5th generation aircraft development programs, indigenously built 4th generation tanks which is among the best in the world, sophisticated air defence system, and one of the most modernised army in the world. all this achievement which is also evident in South Korea, another U.S ally in the region and North Korea closest neighbour.
All this achievement is made possible partly due to Japan's friendly relationship with the U.S who made it possible for them reconstruct, and rehabilitate much quickly after the second world war. Trade relationships, socio-cultural exchange, technology exchange,Education and joint researches and investment in high-tech industries also flourish in Japan majorly because of her willingness to let bygones be bygones and start on a different slate with the united states.
This posture of allies and foes in this region of the world can't but leave our mind with different questions and thought about what would have been;
would it have been possible for Japan to reach this level of technological advancement judging from her level before the second world war and achieve the working economy and GDP and a peaceful society she is enjoying now if she had continue to pursue a hostile relationship with the U.S?
what would be the level of North Korea economically, politically, militarily and socially if she had remain friendly with the united state?
or a more critical question like;
Is Japan keeping the US as friend because it recognises that they are more advanced technologically and are waiting to learn from them before discarding them just like it did between 1854-1941?
drop your own opinion...
0 comments:
Post a Comment