Japan and the strange peace
There is something strange about what is happening with Japan.
For decades, the country presented itself as a pacifist nation.
A constitution written after World War II to make sure history would never repeat itself.
Japan was supposed to be a country of peace.
And now we hear that it is preparing to join a massive American missile defense system: the so-called Golden Dome.
A very nice name.
Almost poetic.
But behind that golden dome, the reality is always the same:
missiles, radars, bases, and billions spent preparing for war.
And that is where the paradox becomes obvious.
Japan — the country with the pacifist constitution — is slowly becoming another piece of the American military architecture.
Meanwhile, thousands of Japanese citizens are protesting in the streets.
They are simply reminding their government of what the country once promised:
never again to be dragged into the military strategies of great powers.
But as often happens, people protest… and governments decide.
So the Pacific becomes another front of tension.
And Japan, once a symbol of constitutional pacifism, risks becoming a forward base in a strategic game that goes far beyond it.
It is always the same story.
The words speak about defense.
But weapons always speak the language of war.