Article 9

Article 9 was a declaration made at the end of World War II. At the time, the United States leadership most likely did not for see that Japan would eventually become the strong ally of the United States that Japan is today. Given the unstable nature of the current world, I feel it is very important for Japan to be able to militarize, not only for protection of their nation, but to aid the United States in the war on terrorism. The fact that North Korea is known to have nuclear weapons makes it even more vital of Japan to be able to deter potential strikes. It may be that the United States is hesitant to lift Article 9 because of some pressures from the Koreans or the Chinese, but I think that not allowing Japan to militarize is stopping the Unites States from having the ability to have another international ally to help in the war on terror.