Japan to pay a heavy price for hubris
Abe’s “kamikazenomics” sees a massive increase on arms spending
Japan’s cabinet has approved a new national security strategy and increased military [“defense”] spending, directly targeting China.
“China’s stance toward other countries and military moves, coupled with a lack of transparency regarding its military and national security policies, represent a concern to Japan and the wider international community and require close watch,” said the national security draft.
Abe’s government will budget 23.97 trillion yen [$232.4 billion] over the next five years to buy weapons, up from 23.37 trillion yen during the previous five years.
Many Japanese believe that Mr Abe is using the threat from China as an excuse to pursue his own nationalist aspirations.
The Village Idiot’s Shopping List
- 5 x Submarines
- 2 x Anti-missile destroyers
- 28 x F-35 fighter planes
- 17 x Boeing Osprey aircraft (VTO)
- 52 x Amphibious vehicles
- 3 x Surveillance drones
- Sundries
Japan first increased military spending in January 2013, after 10 years of cuts.
Major Beneficiaries
“U.S. contractors would be major beneficiaries of Abe’s increased spending. These include V22 Osprey maker Boeing Co, lead F-35 fighter-jet contractor Lockheed Martin Corp, missile-fabricator Raytheon Corp, and Northrop Grumman Corp, which builds the Global Hawk unarmed drone,” said a report.
Amazing, but True!
How Japan was shafted: Japan’s new defense plan includes cutting the country’s tanks by 400 to 300 over the next 10 years. TANKS? That’s right, tanks! The super-heavy, tracked, armored fighting vehicle that’s designed for front-line combat in conventional warfare.
Japan proudly owns 700 tanks.
Somehow, someone must have convinced the Japanese government that to defend their islands they would need tanks [sic,] and not just any old number, but 700 of them.
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF)
Currently, JMSDF operates at least 120 large vessels (excluding smaller auxiliary ships) including
- 16 Attack submarines
- Four helicopter-carrier destroyers
- Six large aegis class destroyers
- Two guided missile destroyers (DDG)
- 20 Destroyers (DD)
- 30 Mine countermeasure vessels
- 18 Destroyers (frigates)
- Six destroyer escorts (corvettes)
- Seven patrol vessels
- Three landing ship tanks
- 8 Training vessels
- And a fleet of various auxiliary and support ships
From Disaster Calendar 2011 – December 31
Most Unethical Nations in 2011 [and Probably 2012]
World’s top 20 countries with the highest arms expenditure
Top 20 countries with the highest military expenditure for 2010 shown as a percentage of the world total. Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, War Resisters League and others.
NOTES:
1. The “Tier 1 Coalition Countries,” or the countries that obediently support the United States war efforts to maintain its empire status, which include Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Australia, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Spain and the Netherlands account for at least 71% of the world’s total arms procurement.
2. Arms procurement is normally 20-50% of the countries’ military budgets.
3. World’s total arms expenditure for 2010-2011 was estimated at $1,655 billion.
4. The 2012 United States federal budget is a staggering $2,847 billion, of which 48% ($1,372 billion) is allocated to the military. (Source). The figure includes 30% or $869 billion for current military operations, and 18% or $503 billion for past military disasters from Total Outlays of $2,847 billion in 2012 fiscal year. [“The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan—not to mention the Pentagon’s voracious appetite for expensive weapons systems—have been a gold mine for the Big Five: Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Northrop-Grumman and Boeing.” ~ “From Pentagon, a Buy Rating on Contractors,” Joe Nocera, New York Times, Feb. 11, 2011]
Fire Earth 