War for Oil

Through detailed discussion over new security legislatures in the Diet, true intention of Shinzo Abe administration is eventually revealed. It is getting clear that Abe is willing to use military force without hesitation to secure petroleum transported from Persian Gulf. In other words, Japan is changing its legal structure to wage a war for oil. Well, one may remember Japan seven decades ago, which started war against United States to secure petroleum in Indonesia.

A legislator with Democratic Party of Japan, Yu-ichi Goto, directly referred to the possibility of war for oil in the discussion in Special Committee in the House of Representatives on Thursday. “Isn’t this a legislation to wage a war for seeking oil? It is very close to the situation of Pacific War,” told Goto, based on the notion that Japanese Imperial Navy advanced to South China Sea to take petroleum, while United States was dealing with sudden attack in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

As usual, Abe answered to Goto with unpersuasive rhetoric. “The condition for deploying Self-defense Force would not be cleared simply with blockade of the import of petroleum. There can be no war for oil,” told Abe.

However, the reason why Abe requires new legislature to send JSDF to Hormuz Strait is not for contributing to international effort to maintain security in the region, but because for protecting Japanese people’s life, liberty or pursuit of happiness. Minister of Defense, Gen Nakatani, explained that he would send Japanese troops to the strait, if important consequences, such as freezing to death, could be assumed by the blockade of energy supply. Freezing to death in Twenty-first century Japan?

Waging a war is an only option in their mind for the leaders of Abe administration. According to the government, Japan depends on petroleum from Middle East for eighty percent of all. A normal political leader would be looking for alternative sources, if current source might be exhausted. But, this administration is lazy in securing alternative region for providing with oil.

Reasonable choice must be developing renewable energy, as long as increasing nuclear energy is unrealistic after severe accident in Fukushima. But, this administration heavily relying on the old establishment apparently hates renewable energy.

War is an only answer for them. By paving a way to unleash Self-defense Force, Abe believes that he can regain his family’s honor to the people, which was lost in the movement against renewing Japan-U.S. Security Treaty in the time of his grandfather was sharply accused. The world must immediately respond to it.