East Asia’s Sins of the Fathers?

project syndicate

DEC 15, 2013 5
East Asia’s Sins of the Fathers

　これもくだらない記事で、英語圏の記者のなかには、同じように、たまに、安倍首相をじいさんの岸信介と関連づけて論じているひとがいますが、現在の安倍氏の政策にどれだけじいさんの影響があるか、それは、わからない話で、わからない話を知ったかぶりして言ったところで何にもならない。

Being subservient to American power, as Japan has been since 1945, was the inevitable consequence of a catastrophic war. Most Japanese can live with that. But submission to China would be intolerable.

　日本は、対米従属は我慢できても、対中従属は我慢できない、ってそういう問題ではない。どっちが、less evil で、more beneficial かの問題でしょう。

None of these leaders – Xi, Abe, or Park – wants a real war. Much of their posturing is for domestic consumption. One reason why they can engage in this dangerous brinkmanship is the continuing presence of the US as the regional policeman. America’s armed forces are the buffer between the two Koreas, and between China and Japan.
The US presence allows East Asia’s rival powers to act irresponsibly. The only thing that might change their behavior would be US withdrawal of its military force. In that case, the three countries would have to come to terms with one another by themselves.
But that is still regarded by the Americans, Japanese, Koreans, and probably even the Chinese as too much of a risk. As a result, the status quo is likely to persist, which means that nationalist grandstanding over conflicting territorial claims is far from over.

　アメリカがいるから、無責任に行動している、というが、そもそも無責任に行動しているのか、仮に、しているとして、それが、アメリカがいるからなのか、アメリカがいなくなれば、無責任に行動しないのかーーーーそこらへんの議論がまるでない。

　それでは、誰も説得できないでしょう。