(August 6, 2016 at 1:24 pm)Jello Wrote:(August 6, 2016 at 11:14 am)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: I also think their naming conventions are changing -- their most recent class of submarine is the Soryu class, named after various dragons; names which were reserved for carriers in WWII.
This is quite possible. If anything gets named Hiryu, then i'm fairly sure they've changed their convention up a little, as that's one of the other WW2 carriers. Or Yamato/Musashi.
Anyway, why does it matter that they have a military of sorts? They've came a long way as people since WW2 and aren't gonna pull any crazy shit without US permission first
It matters because east Asia has long memories and takes the long view on trends in the world. Most South Koreans and Chinese don't believe Japan's post war pacifism to represent a fundamental repudiation of the long term and deep seated sense of national superiority and insecurity that led to Japan launching aggressive wars against Korea and China before WWII. Rather they believe the pacificism was but a temporary veneer made necessary by Japan's post WWII military weakness. The pacificism would disappear as soon as Japan acquire the capacity to act independently and successfully wage war.
Both South Korea and China also believe regardless of short term American strength, in the long run america is in inexorable relative decline while Asia as a whole is rising, and would as a whole eventually far outdistance America in economic, industrial and military power. Therefore American would inevitably, and in the not too distant future of maybe 30-50 years, become comparatively too weak to assert its will in the west pacific. They believe Japan sees the world in much the same way, and Japanese rearmament is the indication japan is preparing for this day when it could resume its effort, interrupted by defeat in WWII, to become an independent aggressive power that can assert its will through military force.
