August 15 will come soon. It is the 79th anniversary of the defeat of Japan in the World War II. The world, however, witnesses today a returning to an era of ravages and military buildup. What is the meaning of Article Nine of the Constitution, which declares renunciation of war and non-possession of war capabilities? It is extremely hot these days. Let’s get cool down and think over the constitution’s article, analyzing the world affairs.
DETERRENCE HAS BROKEN DOWN – FACE UP REALITY!
The Preamble of the Constitution says; ‘We have determined to preserve our security and existence, trusting in the justice and faith of the peace-loving peoples of the world’.
Article Nine of the Constitution, on the basis of the aspiration of the Preamble, provides; ‘the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. In order to accomplish the aims of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained’. That represented a hope of peoples of the world that catastrophe should never be repeated.
History gets back to cruelty
Nations rarely have a constitution, after WWII, that stipulates non-possession of war potentials. Many of the countries have constitutions which specify ownership of military forces for ‘national defense or security’. During the Cold War era harsh competitions of nuclear weapons were unfolded, too.
For a while in the years after the end of Cold War the world shifted to disarmament and people wished to see a world without nuclear arms. However, today, what do we witness? History has begun to get back. In Japan, a theory of ‘Taiwan emergency’ is being asserted openly and loudly, and, thus, the southwestern islands of the country are being militarized and the US military and the Self Defense Forces of Japan are rapidly integrated to attain combat readiness.
No nation affirms to justify war of aggression. But wars have been prepared in the name of ‘deterrence’ and initiated in the name of ‘self-defense’. We see today that the world has ushered in calamity of wars. We did not imagine that 30 years ago.
Dilemma of deterrence
Diplomacy based on ‘trusting in the justice and faith’ has not been compatible with pursuit of ‘deterrence’. Enlargement of ‘deterrence’ has limited potential of peacekeeping, leading to takeover of diplomacy by deterrence in the end. We see an example in the realities in Ukraine.
If, allegedly, Japan needs ‘deterrence’ capabilities to evade war of aggression that might be waged by a dictator, like Putin, the country should behave more actively, exceeding Russia, which can afford to allocate over 6% of the GNP to military expenditure. Limitless efforts are required in the competition of deterrence, vying with ‘an authoritarian country’ that cuts off public services. This is dilemma of deterrence.
It is merchants of death that welcome such arms races. The deterrence rivalry will someday go over the red line. In fact, we stand today on a brink of a crisis.
Of course it is hard to carry out ‘disarmament’ immediately. Japan, however, as it has Article Nine of the Constitution, should take the lead in the world in diminishing ‘deterrence’ capabilities and raise loud voices of No War and No Armament. We will have the 79th anniversary of the August 15. The mission is sought for earnestly by victims in Okinawa, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and those perished amidst the air assaults across the country, as well as Asians slain by the Japanese military during the war.
「8月15日」を迎える。79年目の敗戦の日だが、世界は戦禍と軍拡の時代に逆戻りしつつある。非武装・不戦の９条は無意味なのか。猛暑の中、頭を冷やして世界における９条を考えて見よう。
「平和を愛する諸国民の公正と信義に信頼して、われらの安全と生存を保持しようと決意した」とする憲法前文の精神にたって９条は「陸海空軍その他の戦力はこれを保持しない。国の交戦権はこれを認めない」とうたう。第二次大戦の惨禍を繰り返すまいとの全世界の願いが込められている。
逆転し始めた歴史
しかし、「軍隊を保持しない」と憲法に明記した国家は第二次大戦後においても世界に稀である。多くの国は「国防」「安全保障」のために軍隊を保持し、東西冷戦時代には核軍拡競争も激しかった。
ポスト冷戦時代には、しばらくの間世界は軍縮に向かい「核なき世界」が期待された。だが今はどうだろうか。「新冷戦時代」といわれるように、歴史は逆転し始めている。日本でも「台湾有事」論が跋ばっ扈こ し、南西諸島の軍事化が強行され、米軍と自衛隊の一体の戦闘体制作りが急速に進んでいる。
侵略戦争を公然と肯定する国はない。しかし、「抑止力」の名のもとに戦争は準備され、「自衛」の名のもとに戦争は始まり、気がついたら戦禍の世界が眼前にある。30年前には思いもよらなかった光景である。
抑止力のジレンマ
「公正と信義に信頼」を前提とする外交は、「抑止力」とは両立しなかったのだ。「抑止力」の拡大は外交の余地を狭め、遂には外交が「抑止力」に負けることは、ウクライナの現実が教えている。
プーチンのような独裁者の侵略を防ぐには「抑止力」が必要というなら、ＧＤＰの６％を軍事費に投入できるロシア以上のことをしなければならない。平然と福祉を削る「強権国家」相手の抑止力競争には際限がない。抑止力のジレンマだ。
このような軍拡競争を喜ぶのは「死の商人」であり、「抑止力」競争はいつかレッド・ラインを越えるだろう。実際、今日はその瀬戸際にあるといってよい。
もとより、「非武装」を実現するなどすぐにはできない。しかし、９条をもつ日本だけでも「抑止力」を率先して削減することを求め、「不戦・非武装」の声をあげていこう。79年目の「８・15」を迎える私たちに、沖縄・広島・長崎・空襲の死者と、日本が殺したアジアの人々がそれを求めていると思えてならない。
英訳版↓
No. 1366 August 15 of Year 2024
August 15 will come soon. It is the 79th anniversary of the defeat of Japan in the World War II. The world, however, witnesses today a returning to an era of ravages and military buildup. What is the meaning of Article Nine of the Constitution, which declares renunciation of war and non-possession of war capabilities? It is extremely hot these days. Let’s get cool down and think over the constitution’s article, analyzing the world affairs.
DETERRENCE HAS BROKEN DOWN – FACE UP REALITY!
The Preamble of the Constitution says; ‘We have determined to preserve our security and existence, trusting in the justice and faith of the peace-loving peoples of the world’.
Article Nine of the Constitution, on the basis of the aspiration of the Preamble, provides; ‘the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. In order to accomplish the aims of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained’. That represented a hope of peoples of the world that catastrophe should never be repeated.
History gets back to cruelty
Nations rarely have a constitution, after WWII, that stipulates non-possession of war potentials. Many of the countries have constitutions which specify ownership of military forces for ‘national defense or security’. During the Cold War era harsh competitions of nuclear weapons were unfolded, too.
For a while in the years after the end of Cold War the world shifted to disarmament and people wished to see a world without nuclear arms. However, today, what do we witness? History has begun to get back. In Japan, a theory of ‘Taiwan emergency’ is being asserted openly and loudly, and, thus, the southwestern islands of the country are being militarized and the US military and the Self Defense Forces of Japan are rapidly integrated to attain combat readiness.
No nation affirms to justify war of aggression. But wars have been prepared in the name of ‘deterrence’ and initiated in the name of ‘self-defense’. We see today that the world has ushered in calamity of wars. We did not imagine that 30 years ago.
Dilemma of deterrence
Diplomacy based on ‘trusting in the justice and faith’ has not been compatible with pursuit of ‘deterrence’. Enlargement of ‘deterrence’ has limited potential of peacekeeping, leading to takeover of diplomacy by deterrence in the end. We see an example in the realities in Ukraine.
If, allegedly, Japan needs ‘deterrence’ capabilities to evade war of aggression that might be waged by a dictator, like Putin, the country should behave more actively, exceeding Russia, which can afford to allocate over 6% of the GNP to military expenditure. Limitless efforts are required in the competition of deterrence, vying with ‘an authoritarian country’ that cuts off public services. This is dilemma of deterrence.
It is merchants of death that welcome such arms races. The deterrence rivalry will someday go over the red line. In fact, we stand today on a brink of a crisis.
Of course it is hard to carry out ‘disarmament’ immediately. Japan, however, as it has Article Nine of the Constitution, should take the lead in the world in diminishing ‘deterrence’ capabilities and raise loud voices of No War and No Armament. We will have the 79th anniversary of the August 15. The mission is sought for earnestly by victims in Okinawa, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and those perished amidst the air assaults across the country, as well as Asians slain by the Japanese military during the war.
August 14, 2024