A timely definition of 'pot calling kettle black': Japan pontificating about a lack of friends in South East Asia. Gee, I wonder where they got that idea from (NOT!). Just goes to show, I guess, what long-term and sincerely loyal friends a couple of such low-yeild atomic (Not even nuclear!) bombs can make for you. That's got to be the winning answer, then: more nukes to make more such sincerely loyal friends and rule the world forever and ever!
Hey, it's worked for Israel: just look how many friends they've made and how impossible it might remain for anyone to ever question the success or failure of the post-war religion-based state reaction/experiment and call for the disbanding of any and all states founded on religion, regardless how sincere their faith may be, whether they've been chosen by God or not.
Eoin Clancy and McDdd have made good comments on Nikkei doing the "projection business" from the American perspective but actually depicts something closer to Japan's situation. My comments are more about geography. (1) Most of the Maoist guerillas in Nepal had put down weapons and participated in Nepalese politics the traditional way. Mountainous areas are broken lands and difficult to move around. Isolation and differences abound. The tendency to go independent is always high since each small parcel is different and difficult for a central government at far away to help. The historical relationship between India and Nepal is tight (no other way) and Nepal is at the front of India-China conflict.
(2) Bangladesh has new flames recently, but the old fire has always been smoldering ever since the Bangladesh Independence War. Bangladesh could not have won its independence without India's help, and probably cannot keep the country running without economic interaction with India. Whatever color the new political leader may have, he or she would have to be on good terms with Dehli.
(3) Sri Lanka's story is similar to Nepal and Bangladesh: geographically and historically close, population migration (mostly one way) and north-south conflict due to a big mountain in the center. India has a national security concern to keep the people of Sri Lanka happy so the problem does not propagate. At one point I thought the Tarmil Tiger launched terrorist attacks on India's mainland, but not lately. By the way, the Hainan Island at the south tip of China has a similar geography but the central mountains do not pose as big an obstacle. China built coastal highway loops first, then building roads into the hinterland.
(4) Maldivs is important for global marine empires like US/UK, but very little for continental-focused India. Maldiv's fate may be similar to that of Nauru's. Eventually, these two countries may not even exist as there is nothing to sustain the population. By the way, they have today's population only because the Westerners ship everything toward these two countries. If the people had to feed themselves, I think the population would have easily halved if not completely starved.
A coded article or a metaphor on Japan itself. I don't believe the Japanese are that dumb to not see the bigger picture.
If only they could get them cool GIs and sailors off of their islands and get their currency out of the hands of London and Wall St, a big ask.
A timely definition of 'pot calling kettle black': Japan pontificating about a lack of friends in South East Asia. Gee, I wonder where they got that idea from (NOT!). Just goes to show, I guess, what long-term and sincerely loyal friends a couple of such low-yeild atomic (Not even nuclear!) bombs can make for you. That's got to be the winning answer, then: more nukes to make more such sincerely loyal friends and rule the world forever and ever!
Hey, it's worked for Israel: just look how many friends they've made and how impossible it might remain for anyone to ever question the success or failure of the post-war religion-based state reaction/experiment and call for the disbanding of any and all states founded on religion, regardless how sincere their faith may be, whether they've been chosen by God or not.
Eoin Clancy and McDdd have made good comments on Nikkei doing the "projection business" from the American perspective but actually depicts something closer to Japan's situation. My comments are more about geography. (1) Most of the Maoist guerillas in Nepal had put down weapons and participated in Nepalese politics the traditional way. Mountainous areas are broken lands and difficult to move around. Isolation and differences abound. The tendency to go independent is always high since each small parcel is different and difficult for a central government at far away to help. The historical relationship between India and Nepal is tight (no other way) and Nepal is at the front of India-China conflict.
(2) Bangladesh has new flames recently, but the old fire has always been smoldering ever since the Bangladesh Independence War. Bangladesh could not have won its independence without India's help, and probably cannot keep the country running without economic interaction with India. Whatever color the new political leader may have, he or she would have to be on good terms with Dehli.
(3) Sri Lanka's story is similar to Nepal and Bangladesh: geographically and historically close, population migration (mostly one way) and north-south conflict due to a big mountain in the center. India has a national security concern to keep the people of Sri Lanka happy so the problem does not propagate. At one point I thought the Tarmil Tiger launched terrorist attacks on India's mainland, but not lately. By the way, the Hainan Island at the south tip of China has a similar geography but the central mountains do not pose as big an obstacle. China built coastal highway loops first, then building roads into the hinterland.
(4) Maldivs is important for global marine empires like US/UK, but very little for continental-focused India. Maldiv's fate may be similar to that of Nauru's. Eventually, these two countries may not even exist as there is nothing to sustain the population. By the way, they have today's population only because the Westerners ship everything toward these two countries. If the people had to feed themselves, I think the population would have easily halved if not completely starved.