Japan rolls back pacifist platform

December 16th, 2006 at 14:10 Björn Hallberg

New laws will require schools to teach patriotism and once again elevate the Defense Agency its pre-war status. Students may in fact be graded in patriotism and schools will “cultivate an attitude that respects tradition and culture, that loves the nation and home country.”

The education reform bill triggered controversy, both because of its sensitive content and because of disclosures this week that the government had planted officials posing as ordinary citizens at “town meetings” discussing the measure.

Sounds a lot like how they do things in America then, with fake town hall meetings, superpatriotism and all. All of this of course sounds fairly backward to many European observers, who have in fact learned from past mistakes. Then again, perhaps something good will come of this. With greater nationalism comes a very real possibility of a major fallout between the US and Japan. And with that in mind, any price is worth paying.

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