Comments on: Obama, and Japan’s going nuclear http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2009/06/02/obama-and-japans-going-nuclear/ Economics, Politics and Public Policy in East Asia and the Pacific Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:28:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 By: Aurelia George Mulganhttp://www.eastasiaforum.org/2009/06/02/obama-and-japans-going-nuclear/comment-page-1/#comment-33291 Aurelia George Mulgan Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:28:39 +0000 http://www.eastasiaforum.org/?p=4650#comment-33291 It would be interesting to know what concrete proposals might come out of the argument that 'Japan should make greater efforts at securing regional stability, such as through the denuclearisation of North Korea.' What would these 'greater efforts' consist of? Japan can hardly ramp up sanctions against NK any further - this is an approach that has just about reached the limits of its potential. The Six-Party talks have not proven a very effective instrument either. What else is there? On a related point: the big difference between the Bush and Obama administrations is the latter's apparent adoption of nuclear disarmament as a way of dealing with the problem of nuclear proliferation. However, this is very long-term methodology, which does not have much pay-off in the short term, and is hardly going to have any immediate effect on the strategic dynamics in NE Asia that impact on Japanese security. It would be interesting to know what concrete proposals might come out of the argument that ‘Japan should make greater efforts at securing regional stability, such as through the denuclearisation of North Korea.’ What would these ‘greater efforts’ consist of? Japan can hardly ramp up sanctions against NK any further – this is an approach that has just about reached the limits of its potential. The Six-Party talks have not proven a very effective instrument either. What else is there?

On a related point: the big difference between the Bush and Obama administrations is the latter’s apparent adoption of nuclear disarmament as a way of dealing with the problem of nuclear proliferation. However, this is very long-term methodology, which does not have much pay-off in the short term, and is hardly going to have any immediate effect on the strategic dynamics in NE Asia that impact on Japanese security.

]]> By: Lincoln Funghttp://www.eastasiaforum.org/2009/06/02/obama-and-japans-going-nuclear/comment-page-1/#comment-32727 Lincoln Fung Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:45:26 +0000 http://www.eastasiaforum.org/?p=4650#comment-32727 The US has other moral obligations beyond the elimiation of nuclear arms too. A world free of any nuclear weapons will be good for everyone, except some handful. Nuclear disarmament of the two nuclear superpowers should be welcomed by all countries. Just as Japan's nuclear dilemma, if the Americans are serious of world including Asia peace and stability, they should cease to continue their cold war thinking and strategies and put an end to NATO's expansion, and begin to dismantle all cold war military structure, treaties and organisations. The world needs a new security structure that is based on UN Security Council. For that to be effective and reliable, the Security Council needs to be reformed. Broader permanent representation of the world current reality is required. The veto power by each of the 5 permanent members should change to make it less extreme. Americans not only have the moral obligation for eliminating all nuclear arms, they, as the sole superpower and the leader of the only cold war era legacy of NATO, also have the moral obligation to bury all cold war legacies and to establish a new collective world security. Eventually, the world should be a place of humanity of permanent peace and every country, every nation, irrespective large or small, no matter of rich or poor will live with dignity, peace and harmony. They will compete (just like the market economy) as well as cooperate with each other for prosperity and better living standard. The US has other moral obligations beyond the elimiation of nuclear arms too.

A world free of any nuclear weapons will be good for everyone, except some handful. Nuclear disarmament of the two nuclear superpowers should be welcomed by all countries.

Just as Japan’s nuclear dilemma, if the Americans are serious of world including Asia peace and stability, they should cease to continue their cold war thinking and strategies and put an end to NATO’s expansion, and begin to dismantle all cold war military structure, treaties and organisations.

The world needs a new security structure that is based on UN Security Council. For that to be effective and reliable, the Security Council needs to be reformed. Broader permanent representation of the world current reality is required. The veto power by each of the 5 permanent members should change to make it less extreme.

Americans not only have the moral obligation for eliminating all nuclear arms, they, as the sole superpower and the leader of the only cold war era legacy of NATO, also have the moral obligation to bury all cold war legacies and to establish a new collective world security.

Eventually, the world should be a place of humanity of permanent peace and every country, every nation, irrespective large or small, no matter of rich or poor will live with dignity, peace and harmony. They will compete (just like the market economy) as well as cooperate with each other for prosperity and better living standard.

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