The Wikileaks website on Friday posted some reports by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), showing that the country has for years been intercepting phone calls between Japanese officials on sensitive issues.
Since plenty of countries, including France and Germany, have been reported as being spied on by the NSA, it's no surprise for Japan to be another target. What's surprising is that Japan, a country which usually disputes every detail in its diplomatic policy, unexpectedly keeps silent on this issue.
According to U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Mark Toner, the Japanese government has not lodged any formal or informal protests after the report. By contrast, when German Chancellor Angela Merkel was informed of U.S. surveillance, she called the U.S. president Barack Obama directly to protest, thousands of Germans also rallied calling for end of government spying.
What's more, sadly for Japan, "one report from intercepts of senior Japanese government officials could have been shared with Australia, Canada, Britain and New Zealand, the United States' four intelligence partners," Wikileaks said.
Under such conditions, however, there are even some voices inside the Japanese government which expressed understanding about U.S. espionage.
To observers, Japan's tolerance betrayed that it has fallen into self-abuse when trailing after and depending on the U.S.
Other recent news could help prove the judgment: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration pushing security bills that could see its troops sent abroad recklessly, through the lower house of parliament despite strong opposition, and in doing so realizing the prime minister's promise to the U.S. during his visit in April, but outraging public opinion and compromising Japan's democracy.
The Tokyo High Court last Thursday ordered the government to suspend nighttime and early morning flights by the Self-Defense Forces aircraft at the Atsugi military base near Tokyo, due to noise, but dismissing the plaintiffs' call to halt flights of U.S. flights there.
Obviously, in Japan's political ecosystem, the best way to be patriotic is to serve the U.S. interests. Abe even wrote in his book "the resolve to protect our country" that military alliance is an "alliance of blood."
"Abe's political target is to send young people who can shed blood for the U.S," Tokyo University professor Tetsuya Takahashi asserted.
In order to realize his political ambition, Abe will spare no efforts to cater to its U.S. allies but will ignore Japan's future and Japanese people's interests. This is a rare situation for countries all over the world.
Indeed, the NSA could completely stop spying on Japan, because as a close ally, Japan is willing to sacrifice more than the U.S. demands.
