My opinion of this week(347):

Courage to say "NO"

The death of two diplomats was really distressing and pathetic. How can
we just imagine sadness of their families. I guess all people in this
country felt the same way.
 
But the reaction of people on this accidents splits into two side. The
one insists: "We should never forgive such outrageous terrorism. We 
should fight with them by sending the Self Defense Force. " The other 
insists s:"This is a moral lesson why we should be more careful about
sending SDF to Iraq now."

The debate at ML on this issue was also fully split into two. I believe
such debate itself is very useful, although I am firmly on the side of 
the latter.

Foreign Minister Kawaguchi and Prime Minister Koizumi spoke in a mournful
voice at press conference expressing their condolence. But they said they
would never give up sending SDF to Iraq as they decided earlier without
bowing the pressure from terrorists. They said that Japan  should never 
waste the death of two diplomats. The message sounded like a misleading 
propaganda utilizing the tragedy as far as my impression is concerned.

Almost 80% of people now expressed the necessity to reconsider sending 
SDF to Iraq. But it is also true that many people have been  moved very 
much by such sentimental propaganda. 

As we see many typical reaction of people against this accidents and
reading various arguments in ML expressing need to fight with terrorism,
I must point out the mistake the argument that insists to send SDF now
to Iraq. Many of such arguments are rather emotional without rational
grounds to do so. One said :"Now is the time for action rather than 
clarifying causal relationship  why that happened." 

I don't think so. We must clearly know pros and cons about the issue
before we start any action.

The causal relationship for the accident is rather clear. The war which
Bush started had no cause for destructing a sovereign state. Isn't it
a kind of terrorism?  Prime Minister Koizumi should be more careful to
express the support to Bush. Why  are France, Germany and many other
countries are safe from terrorism ? Are they coward and dirty? No, I
don't think so. Their reaction and stance against Bush's war was right.

I know the importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance. In order to keep
a good alliance relationship between Japan and US, We Japanese should 
now be brave enough to say "NO" against such a wrong deed that Bush 
started.

Japan is now facing to a very important alternatives  to select. We 
should select now the road "NO" in any respects.

2003/12/6
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(348):

What an irresponsible logic! 

Koizumi finally decided to send Self Defense Force to Iraq and 
explained it at the news conference. He quoted the preamble to 
the Constitution in order to explain why sending SDP to Iraq is 
justified. In the context of explanation,  he did not mention 
anything at all concerning the article of 9 of Constitution 
which declares a pledge not to fight a war again in any where at
any cases except a certain clear case of self-defense.

Since that logic and explanation got a strong criticism from 
mass media and others, so I won't repeat it anymore.

There was another criticism. Koizumi answered clearly not carrying
over any weapons by SDF to the question made by a press man. 
Secretary General Fukuda appeared at news conference next day and
said SDF would  carry soldiers who are armed with light weapons 
such as machine guns. 

What an irresponsible logic it is ! Who in the world would accept
such explanation? The popular votes announced by several mass media
indicated that almost 80% of people said NO against the decision. 
More that 60% of people also said they had not understood Koizumi's
explanation.

The real problems start from now. The morale of SDF members who are
sent to Iraq will not be so good under such circumstances. There 
are serious possibility that they will be attacked by terrorists. 
Their lives are in serious danger. 

Koizumi did not answer clearly about political responsibity he should
take when such serious accidents happen. But the matter is not just 
the overthrow of one cabinet.

It is the matter of very important pathway of this country in the day
to come.

2003/12/13
Tadashi HAYASE

My opinion of this week(349)

"Addicted to War: Why the U.S. Can't Kick Militarism"

Regardless of the majority of objection against Koizumi's decision
on dispatching Self Defense Force to Iraq, Ishiba, Director-General
of the Defense Agency announced finally the action plan to send 
their forces to Iraq. 

The news of capture of Saddam Hussein by US military force seemed
to become a strong backing to the action. In US, supporting rate 
to Bush increased to 58% from 52% after the news were released. In
Japan, there was a news. Koizume was talked graciously by several
attendants of Business Federation meeting that he was very lucky 
with that news. I don't understand why it is a good news for the 
decision he made before. 

The capture of Saddam Hussein is a big news, of course. We all people
in the world understood to see the general public in Iraq who had 
been suffered for long time tyranny of Hussein administration expressed
their joy to hear the news. We also understood how the judicial trial 
for Hussein will be made is a big issue from now on. 

But I never understand why the supporting rate for Bush goes up because
of this. Is this because the Iraq war started by US has been justified?
Is Koizumi's decision of sending SDF to Iraq justified by the capture
of Hussein?  Never, as far as my observation is concerned. The former
fact has nothing to do with the latter fact.

The reality is on the contrary. Since the capture of Hussein, attacks to
US forces increased more. The rise of anti-American sentiment will 
obviously increase more in Iraq and Arab countries regardless any 
arguments concerning the war. The anti-American sentiment will naturally
faced to other allied nations including Japan.

Contrary to the expectation, the capture of Hussein would enhance the
evolvement of the war into a hopeless mess. 

In our ML discussion on this issue, Fujiki san commented the subject
of this my opinion of this week, by referring the title of famous best
seller in US sometime ago: "Addicted to War: Why the U.S. Can't Kick 
Militarism".

I wonder if not only Bush but also US itself is really now in toxic 
condition of war. I see the typical symptom of that is the fact that
support rate for Bush increased by great extent with the capture of
Hussein.  

By the way, Smithsonian Museum in US newly displayed Enola Gay which
precipitated Atomic bomb to Hiroshima. A Japanese peace organization
protested the fact that the display made no explanation at all on the
hideous tragedies by bombing at Hiroshima. It is a quite reasonable
protest as far as my opinion is concerned. Is Enola Gay just a great
thing for the history of US?  

I have a great concern myself if this kind of fact is another symptom
of war addiction in US.

2003/12/20
Tadashi HAYASE