Japan unveils new carrier-like warship, largest since WWII

[JustinR]

Of course, given their history, what makes you so sure that they'd have a need to recover any of the planes they'd be launching?

Ouch!

[mekender]

Did any of you notice that this came out on August 6th? Any bets on if that was deliberate?

Ya, I found that to be the strangest part.

[esa5444]

All of that is true, but we're also rapidly approaching the time when nobody even remotely responsible for anything that happened in WWII will be alive anymore. At some point in the not too distant future, blaming the Japanese for the war and all of the atrocities simply because they are Japanese, will make about as much sense as blaming me for slavery in the US because I am white, or the Irish hating me because I'm a descendant of the house of Cromwell.

I think the situation in the area is very different than in then 1930s. Back then, Japan was a major power and the other countries in the area where colonial backwaters. Now, 2 of the countries close to Japan have the capability to turn Japan into a nuclear wasteland in roughly 40 minutes, and their only moral objection to doing it is that they won't get to make fun of the US for being "the only country to have nuked innocent people". South Korea and Taiwan are heavily armed. North Korea is just too full of crazy to even bother trying to occupy. I say let the Japanese build up a military again. It's time we, American Taxpayers, stopped paying for their national defense. Let them defend their island, police the waters, keep China in line, etc, etc. We can cut our deployments there and pass the savings on back to those of us paying taxes. If Japan and China want to get into a shooting war, it's not our problem.

[Aesop]

Arresting gear? You really have no idea how tiny a tip of the iceberg those cross deck pennants are vs how much engineering space it takes up under the deck.
Steam Cats. Ah ha. hahahahahahahahaah

Actually, I really do. I just don't think that they wouldn't have worked out a solution ahead of time, even if it means a major overhaul. A few months to a viable carrier still beats hell out of 10 years, in a pinch. They're sneaky little shits like that. Something about how "impossible" shallow-water torpedo runs were, or somesuch...

Move along to talking about the likely power projection and air war scenarios Japan will face. They can project a some serious AEW and fighter/attack capability from shore now. They need to be able to get troops on the spot quickly -- a gator ship like this does the trick.

Yeah, because what 7 Pacific-rim prime ministers want to see is a picture of a "destroyer" the size of an America-class LHA with the capability to embark a battalion or two of Japanese Marines and helicopter assault capability.

All of that is true, but we're also rapidly approaching the time when nobody even remotely responsible for anything that happened in WWII will be alive anymore. At some point in the not too distant future, blaming the Japanese for the war and all of the atrocities simply because they are Japanese, will make about as much sense as blaming me for slavery in the US because I am white, or the Irish hating me because I'm a descendant of the house of Cromwell.

Well, yeah, except for articles like this from a whole 5 months ago say the issue is far from a dead one.
You might also crossreference the Russians' collective fear of invading Mongolian Hordes to this day, a mere 800 years after Genhis Khan.
Or read The Rape Of Nanking, and ask the government of the PRC how they feel about Japan getting geopolitically frisky again.

Of course, given their history, what makes you so sure that they'd have a need to recover any of the planes they'd be launching?

Well played!
Damn me for not thinking of that one right off!

Did any of you notice that this came out on August 6th? Any bets on if that was deliberate?

There are no coincidences there.
Anyone who says otherwise also thinks the consulate in Benghazi was attacked over a YouTube video seen by 37 people.

[workinwifdakids]

All of that is true, but we're also rapidly approaching the time when nobody even remotely responsible for anything that happened in WWII will be alive anymore. At some point in the not too distant future, blaming the Japanese for the war and all of the atrocities simply because they are Japanese, will make about as much sense as blaming me for slavery in the US because I am white, or the Irish hating me because I'm a descendant of the house of Cromwell.

Yeah, but it doesn't have to make sense. It just is.

Even though Japan is a strategic ally, we're fools not to remember that Japan carried out an organized state-sanctioned holocaust that would have made Josef Mengele say, "Well, THAT was excessive."

[randy]

Even though Japan is a strategic ally, we're fools not to remember that Japan carried out an organized state-sanctioned holocaust that would have made Josef Mengele say, "Well, THAT was excessive."

But at least they were inclusive and non-discriminatory. They butchered all non-Japanese regardless of religion, skin color, etc.

[Aesop]

"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,
adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

And he didn't even know the Japanese.

[slowpoke]

I'll just leave this here, I know we've covered this before.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjAXJaFydwM

[Frankingun]

I'll just leave this here, I know we've covered this before.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjAXJaFydwM

Proof once again that the Japanese are insane.

[Jered]

I'll just leave this here, I know we've covered this before.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjAXJaFydwM

Yeah...

*points to the second post in the thread*