Tag: Asia

Dual-Citizenship Illegal

The ban on dual-citizenship in Japan was upheld as constitutional by the Japanese Supreme Court:

Japan’s top court has rejected an appeal by a Japanese-born U.S. citizen challenging the constitutionality of the country’s ban on dual citizenship, finalizing lower court rulings.

The decision by the Supreme Court’s First Petty Bench, dated Monday, was on a claim that Article 11 of the Nationality Law, which stipulates the loss of Japanese nationality upon voluntarily acquiring a foreign nationality, infringes on the right to self-determination.

The Fukuoka District Court turned down the initial claim in 2023, noting that the law was appropriate and was not beyond the scope of discretion. The Fukuoka High Court also supported the first decision last year.

According to the ruling, the woman acquired U.S. citizenship in 2004. She applied for a Japanese passport in 2017, but her application was rejected the following year on the grounds that she had lost her Japanese nationality.

This is an interesting rejection of Clown World’s anti-nationalist campaign, particularly because the Japanese constitution was imposed upon Japan by the US occupiers after World War II. It’s a strong indication that the dual-citizenship effectively created by the US Supreme Court decision in Afroyim v. Rusk, 387 U.S. 253 (1967) was both incorrect and inappropriately utilized in an excessively expansive manner to create a supra-national individual right that does not and should not exist.

Being ruled by foreigners is not only a curse in the Bible, it is a common late stage in empires that usually presages an eventual collapse.

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War on the Subcontinent

India and Pakistan aren’t hitting each other hard yet, but they are definitely exchanging real cross-border blows:

Powerful explosions lit up the night sky over Pakistan shortly after midnight as India launched strikes on nine separate sites in response to last month’s Islamist terror attack in Pahalgam, in Indian-controlled Kashmir, which left 26 civilians dead.

Shocking footage circulating on social media showed massive fireballs erupting as missiles struck targets across Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

Delhi was quick to stress that its attacks – named Operation Sindoor, after the red pigment traditionally worn by the wives of Hindu men – targeted ‘terrorist infrastructure’ and did not strike Pakistani military assets, describing them as ‘focused, measured, and non-escalatory in nature’.

But Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claimed the strikes hit civilian areas and described them as an ‘act of war’ as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned that India’s ‘heinous act of aggression will not go unpunished,’ erasing hopes that a dangerous escalation might still be avoided.

Just hours later, Pakistani missiles reportedly brought down five Indian fighter jets before pounding Indian positions across the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border separating Indian- and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, with mortar and artillery.

Earlier today Pakistan’s armed forces were authorised to respond to India’s strikes. A statement from the National Security Council said: ‘The Armed Forces of Pakistan have duly been authorised to undertake corresponding actions in this regard.’

So now we’ve got war on the Asian-European frontier, in the Middle East, and on the subcontinent. It’s interesting to see that neither Africa nor the Americas are engaged in it yet. President Trump would do very well to extricate the USA from involvement in either the Ukrainian war or the Israeli wars, but unfortunately, he has no shortage of advisors encouraging him to entangle the USA in both.

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India Evicts Pakistanis

It’s always fascinating to hear Westerners talk about the absolute impossibility of restoring their demographics to pre-invasion levels while Easterners blithely engage in ethnic cleansings of far-greater proportions in places like Israel and India that never take more than a few months to accomplish.

Pakistani citizens in India must leave the country before their visas get revoked on April 27, the Ministry of External Affairs ordered on Thursday following the Pahalgam terror attack. India suspended visa services to Pakistani citizens with immediate effect. New Delhi said that all valid visas issued by India to Pakistani citizens will stand revoked with effect from April 27.

On Wednesday, India said it was suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with immediate effect until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” stops its support for cross-border terrorism.

Imagine the outrage if the USA did something similar with regards to the citizens of any of the various nations that are now residing in the USA, or even if the UK were to repatriate all of its Pakistanis.

UPDATE: Pakistan has retaliated for this inhuman crime of forcing Pakistanis to live in Pakistan among other Pakistanis.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced the following:

– Pakistani airspace is closed to all Indian and Indian-operated airlines, effective immediately.

– The Wagah border crossing will be shut down, and ceremonial duties suspended.

– Pakistan suspends all SAARC visas issued to Indian nationals, and all Indians currently in Pakistan with an SAARC visa are instructed to leave within 48 hours.

– The number of diplomats at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad will be reduced to 30, and military attachés have been declared persona non grata.

– Pakistan exercises the right to temporarily suspend all bilateral agreements with India, including the 1972 Simla agreement.

– Pakistan states that any attempt at diverting the waters from rivers in the Indus will be seen as an act of war, and will be responded to by force.

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Is Japan Next?

The God-Emperor appears to have turned his sights upon the trade deficit with Japan and the massive expense of maintaining the US military there.

President Donald Trump said Japan is not required to protect the United States militarily and makes “a fortune” from it economically, as he fired off an impromptu broadside at a key ally.

It came as Japan’s trade minister is arranging a trip to Washington during which he will reportedly demand an exemption from imminent U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum.

“We have a great relationship with Japan. But we have an interesting deal with Japan that we have to protect them, but they don’t have to protect us,” Trump said Thursday.

“And by the way, they make a fortune with us economically,” he said. “I actually ask, who makes these deals?”

In response, Japanese government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said Friday that Japan trusts Washington to keep its obligation to the two countries’ security treaty.

Around 54,000 U.S. military personnel are stationed in Japan, mostly in the Okinawa region east of Taiwan.

The key observation that President Trump appears to have made is that imperialism is not, in the long term, profitable to the imperialist nation. Over time, it increasingly benefits the foreigners who are attracted to the imperial center of power, to the exclusion of the nationals for whose benefit the empire ostensibly exists.

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The Japanese Know

Japanese corporations are preparing for the Chinese takeover of Taiwan:

Over half of major Japanese firms said they are prepared or are making preparations for a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan amid Beijing’s growing military assertiveness, a Kyodo News survey showed Saturday. Of the 114 companies surveyed between late November and mid-December last year, 53 percent said they had concrete measures in place for a potential Taiwan contingency, including drafting manuals, planning evacuations, and stockpiling inventory. Another 12 percent said they did not have plans but saw the need for consideration, according to the survey, which covered a range of industries and included companies such as Toyota Motor Corp and ANA Holdings Inc.

There are also reports of China building large Mulberry docks of the sort that the US utilized in the invasion of Normandy. Which means I’d better provide my promised analysis of the latest US military simulations before the actual results are in.

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Martial Law in South Korea

The global supply of K-Pop may be in jeopardy now that President Yoon has declared emergency martial law in South Korea:

South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol sensationally declared emergency martial law today, accusing his political opposition of subverting parliament and railing against ‘pro-North Korea, anti-state forces’ in his country. The shocking late-night address triggered chaos on the streets in Seoul where hordes of angry citizens clashed with riot cops and security forces outside the National Assembly.

South Korea’s military proclaimed that under martial law, parliament and other political gatherings that could cause ‘social confusion’ would be suspended and anyone found to violate the regulations could be arrested without a warrant.

In his address Yoon vowed ‘to protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces, to eradicate the despicable pro-North Korean anti-state forces plundering the happiness of our people and to protect the constitutional order. With no regard for the livelihoods of the people, the opposition party has paralysed governance solely for the sake of impeachments, special investigations, and shielding their leader from justice… Through this martial law, I will rebuild and protect the free Republic of Korea, which is falling into the depths of national ruin,’ he said.

But the speech sparked an immediate outpouring of anger as disgruntled citizens marched on the capital’s parliament building.

Since taking office in 2022, Yoon had struggled to push his agendas against an opposition-controlled parliament, raising suspicions the sudden implementation of martial law was a political ploy to exercise greater power. His popularity has also declined as of late amid various scandals in his inner circle, with the opposition seeking to impeach cabinet members over failure to investigate Yoon’s wife on corruption and influence-peddling allegations.

I’m assuming that Yoon is a Clown World puppet, especially in light of how he is illegally ignoring the Parliament’s vote to override his declaration of martial law, but I don’t know enough about Korean politics to have any idea what’s going on there. That being said, it appears that North Korea is being used as a stalking horse to justify some sort of shenanigans in response to the recent election of President Trump.

The move comes as a complete shock in the Western-aligned Asian nation of more than 50 million which despite escalating tensions with its foe to the North is not fighting an active war and has not suffered attacks on its soil. 

Indeed…

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I May Have Been Wrong

About a month ago, in the leadup to the LDP leadership contest, I theorized that if Shigeru Ishida was chosen, it might signify Japan beginning to move away from Clown World.

There are some hints that Japan may be starting to break with Clown World. If Shigeru Ishida succeeds Fumio Kishida as Prime Minister, it would possibly signal a shift toward China.

And while Ishida did manage to win the party leadership, his call for an Asian equivalent of NATO would appear to suggest that he’s not any better than the obvious Clown Worlders. Of course, we must keep in mind that the Japanese often keep their thoughts to themselves, and that an Asian NATO including China would be a very different creature than an alliance formed to oppose it.

In brief comments made to lawmakers before the run-off, Ishiba called for a fairer and kinder Japan and tears welled in his eyes after the final results were read out.

“I will do my utmost to believe in the people, to speak the truth with courage and sincerity, and to make this country a safe and secure place where everyone can live with a smile on their face once again,” he said in a short speech.

Ishiba’s campaign focused heavily on security issues, and he has indicated he will push for more oversight over the United States’s use of its bases in Japan.

“He is seen as a defence expert. He has proposed the establishment of an Asian-style NATO. And he is likely to continue with a more assertive Japan on the international stage,” said Al Jazeera’s McBride.

Following the result, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Beijing wants to improve ties with Japan, because “the long-term, sound and steady development of China-Japan relations serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples.”

Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said, “It’s the only appropriate choice.”

China certainly doesn’t appear to object to Ishida. So this will remain something on which the astute observer should keep an eye.

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So Much for “Self Defense”

The Japanese Self Defense Force sent one of its warships through the Taiwan Strait off the coast of China:

A Japanese warship cruised through the Taiwan Strait for the first time to assert its freedom of navigation, local media said Thursday, just a week after a Chinese aircraft carrier sailed between two Japanese islands near Taiwan. Washington and its allies are increasingly crossing the 180-kilometer Taiwan Strait to reinforce its status as an international waterway, angering Beijing.

The Sazanami destroyer made the passage on Wednesday at the same time as navy vessels from Australia and New Zealand, several Japanese media outlets said. The three nations planned to conduct military drills in the South China Sea, the reports said. There was no immediate confirmation from the defense ministry.

Last week, China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier sailed between two Japanese islands near Taiwan for the first time, accompanied by two destroyers. Tokyo said the ships entered its contiguous zone — an area up to 24 nautical miles from the Japanese coast — and called the incident “totally unacceptable”, while China said it had complied with international law. It followed the first confirmed incursion into Japanese airspace by a Chinese surveillance aircraft in August.

On Thursday, the Yomiuri Shimbun daily cited unnamed government sources as saying Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had instructed the Taiwan Strait journey over concern that doing nothing following China’s intrusion into Japanese territory could encourage Beijing to take more assertive actions.

That’s an aggressive action by a naval warship, not a defensive action. Japan appears to be choosing very poorly, although given that it is now under both military and financial occupation, it may not have much choice in the matter.

My guess is that Clown World is trying to warn China not to make its move on unification when the US-Israeli alliance attacks Lebanon, Syria, and possibly Iran.

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Clown vs Clown

Now that the upcoming Japanese leadership struggle has begun, I previously observed that Shinjiro Koizumi was clearly a clown. Now it’s apparent that another leading candidate is as well:

A senior US State Department official has said that it is “too early” to talk about building a NATO-style bloc in Asia, after Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba called on Washington to discuss the matter in more depth.

Ishiba, who is a leading candidate to succeed Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, called last week for the creation of an “Asian version of NATO” by “uniting” its various security arrangements in the region into a formal defense pact. “At least we should deepen our discussions on this topic,” he said.

Speaking at a conference in Washington, DC on Tuesday, Assistant US Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific Daniel Kritenbrink shot down Ishiba’s suggestion.

“It’s too early to talk about collective security in that context, and [the creation of] more formal institutions,” Kritenbrink said, according to Japan’s Nikkei newspaper. “What we’re focused on is investing in the region’s existing formal architecture and continuing to build this network of formal and informal relationships. And then we’ll see where that goes.”

One would think that after 70 years of US military occupation, signing up to play the role of Ukraine to China’s Russia would be the last thing that any Japanese politician would support. And yet, here we are. Clown World already set up an Asian NATO called SEATO, which collapsed in 1977, but now that China is posing a serious challenge, they’re having the Japanese take the lead on reviving it.

The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) was an international organization for collective defense in Southeast Asia created by the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty, or Manila Pact, signed in September 1954 in Manila, Philippines. The formal institution of SEATO was established on 19 February 1955 at a meeting of treaty partners in Bangkok, Thailand. The organization’s headquarters were also in Bangkok. Eight members joined the organization. Primarily created to block further communist gains in Southeast Asia, SEATO is generally considered a failure because internal conflict and dispute hindered general use of the SEATO military; however, SEATO-funded cultural and educational programs left long-standing effects in Southeast Asia. SEATO was dissolved on 30 June 1977 after many members lost interest and withdrew.

It may well be that none of the leadership candidates are free of clown control, as I’m skeptical of both the female candidates, and particularly the young Digital minister. Which suggests that if Japan is going to break free and join the sovereign nations in the next ten years, it won’t be through the LDP.

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Clown World’s Candidate

I’ve been paying closer attention – well, any attention is closer attention – to the LDP leadership contest this time around because it’s clear that there is a Japanese faction that wants to break from US control and align with the sovereign nations. However, it’s now evident that the leading candidate is not aligned with that faction.

Japan’s former Environment Minister and leading prime ministerial candidate Shinjiro Koizumi said he would respect the central bank’s independence in setting monetary policy if he is chosen to lead the country, according to a television program on Wednesday.

“I will respect the Bank of Japan’s independence,” Koizumi was quoted as saying in the BS 11 program, adding that he would focus on ensuring smooth dialogue and communication between the government and the central bank.

He ranked as the most favored candidate to become the next LDP leader in a poll taken by the Nikkei newspaper on Aug 21-22, followed by former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

If you don’t see the connection, read Richard Werner’s Princes of the Yen. An independent central bank is always reliable evidence of a nation’s submission to Clown World.

Sooner or later, the Japanese will decide the decline of US naval power is sufficient to go their own way, at which time it will be a very, very bad time to be a gaijin in Japan, if the last time the Japanese decided to break with foreign influences is any guide.

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