Imperial inclinations
I'm offering this as a hypothesis or "conspiracy theory." Further evidence would be desirable.
Background
One thing that caught my eye recently, was Alistair Crooke's comment about the apparent retrenchment in Trump foreign policy suggesting a pullback from the empire's periphery, to a focus on the western hemisphere. Alistair in his analysis made an analogy to the latter day Roman Empire. This reminded me of a recent Richard Wolff video in which he compared the potential US retrenchment or reorientation to that of Germany after its defeat in WWI, as a result of which it lost its overseas colonies. This, wartime reparations, the depression afterwards, led to social dislocation and the emergence of the Nazis. The latter's lebensraum focus was on the continent, lands nearby, ostensibly more amenable to conquest. Adam Tooze in his work, Wages of Destruction, characterized the German effort to become a great power again, as a now or never effort. If German military conquest of Europe wasn't successful, it wouldn't ever become a continental power like the US, or Russia, and would lose its position on the world stage.
Current US foreign policy has encouraged the reemergence of Japanese military power, in conjunction with South Korea, to offset China's military and economic weight in East Asia. A more powerful Japan would allow the US to focus on its renewed expansionist priorities in the western hemisphere. The Japanese have their own geo-political objectives in East Asia which are actually not that far removed from its prior imperial experience which ended in August 1945. In any case, there are elites in both South Korea and Taiwan who are sympathetic to the "pan-Asian" ideology of Japan which provided the ideological window dressing for its exploitation of its colonies in Taiwan, Korea and elsewhere, which lasted to the end of WWII.
Pro-Japanese politics of the far right in South Korea
My focus is on the Korean experience which is now manifest in the continuing insurrection effort in South Korea. The left in South Korea regards the Yoon administration, and the right in general, but particularly, the "new right" as overly sympathetic to the interests of Japan, particularly their geopolitical, and military interests. The right in Korea, including powerful chaebol, historically have had close ties to the Japanese Empire. Many of the administrators and military personnel of South Korea after liberation in 1945 were literally former collaborators with Japan in its exploitation and abuse of Koreans. The ROK Army officer corps during the Syngman Rhee dictatorship, and the Park Chung-hee dictatorship were the most obvious examples of this. These elements have always been hostile to democratic efforts to determine who exactly was responsible for leaving bodies in unmarked mass graves across South Korea in the years between 1948 and 1980.
This pro-Japanese anti-democratic tradition politically and socially in South Korea has still persisted since the so called democratization but remained below the surface till now, because of strong Korean popular resentment, against a condescending and unapologetic Japan and the South Korean elites whose families had supported their brutal colonial regime in Korea and the subsequent brutal dictatorships. Although some Japanese leaders tried to make positive gestures in this regard, discriminatory treatment of Zainichi (Korean residents) in Japan, and disregard for Japan's historical crimes became even worse during the Abe period. A renewed effort to scrub Japan's imperial history took place in the Abe era.
The Insurrection
There is little question that Yoon, is a product of the pro-Japanese faction. He has done everything he could to facilitate Biden's "great accomplishment," the Tri-lateral Partnership, among the US, Japan, and South Korea. Without Yoon's obsequious foreign policy toward Japan in particular, willing to play third fiddle in the alliance, such an "alliance" would not be possible. Yoon's administration has also been rewriting history, and attempting to erase and otherwise disappear the Korean independence movement from history. Yoon has more than once stated that in the event of a war on the peninsula, he could envision the presence of Japanese forces in South Korea.
Which brings me to my point, I saw a video recently which mentioned some events associated with Yoon's December 3, 2024, attempt to impose martial law in South Korea. I had missed this report when it was published in some online South Korean media on December 10. These observations have not been given much weight, but are worth mentioning. The December 3 coup attempt by Yoon, and his cadre of new right generals took place 1000 days from his March 9, 2022 election victory. The counter-intelligence command general who participated in the coup effort to disband and dissolve the National Assembly, disable media, arrest political, religious, social and civic leaders, and even go so far as to plan to provoke war with North Korea, has said that a two week military exercise was carried out in March 2024. Apparently, this was regarded as preparation for martial law. This military exercise was called Operation Loyal 8000. A democratic party executive council member, Kim Byung-ju, a member of the National Assembly, said he has interviewed the former commander of the Counter-intelligence Command, Yeo In-hyung, and has a report on the exercise. Kim is a retired 4 star General, and former deputy commander of the Combined Forces Command with the US Armed Forces in Korea.
This report has coincided more or less with press reports and statements that the First Lady Kim Gon-hee, knew nothing about the plans for a coup by Yoon, his generals and other supporters. (Also, that Yoon's coup attempt via martial law, was merely a warning to "state enemies" in the legislature and elsewhere). Early in Yoon's administration, there were numerous reports related to the couple's shamanistic/mystical inclinations. One of the most relevant in this regard was the mystic "Gosa" Cheon Gong. Cheon the leader of a cult, has a youtube channel which Yoon and the First Lady, allegedly watched according to at least one witness; Cheon predicted that Yoon would unify Korea in 2025. Cheon has publicly stated he provided advice to the president. But I digress. The point is the numbers. 1000 and 8000. What import?
What are the lyrics of Japan’s national anthem in English?
May your reign
Continue for a thousand, eight thousand generations,
Until the tiny pebbles
Grow into massive boulders
Lush with mossWhat are the lyrics in Japanese?
君が代は
千代に八千代に
細石の
巌と為りて
苔の生すまで
This is one translation anyway. I can't read Japanese language. I do see the Kanji characters. This is a working hypothesis. Kim Byung-chu is usually a reliable source. Perhaps it's just conjecture. Another source has contended there is a tie between the South Korea Retired Generals and Admirals Association and the Sasakawa foundation. As far as I could tell, Representative Kim was focused on the unusual nature of the exercise and the timing rather than the numerology. Earlier I had seen reports that approximately 120 active and retired flag officers may be sympathetic to the coup attempt based on their social media presence and then the quick removal of chat messages when the martial law attempt faltered. Anyway I found this 1000/8000 connection interesting. It is a conspiracy theory. Coup attempts are conspiracies, right?
Here's a little more on the shamanist proclivities of Roh Sang-won, one the principals in the martial law conspiracy:
무속인 비단 아씨 “김용현 생년월일 가져온 노상원” [영상]
수십 차례 찾아가 “배신할 군인 점괘 물어” Feb 4
https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/politics/politics_general/1180657.html
“When I told him that he didn’t seem like a typical soldier, he said, ‘He’s going to be the Minister (of Defense) in the future.’ I thought he had been planning something for a while.”
Lee Seon-jin, a shaman from Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, who is known to have been visited dozens of times by former Defense Intelligence Command chief Noh Sang-won (indicted and detained) before the December 3 martial law, appeared at the National Assembly on the 4th.
Noh's namu.wiki bio reports he's something of a self styled shaman, even while he was on active duty. He is otherwise depicted there as a brilliant psychopath, who was protected and advanced to his rank, by his senior (seonbae) commanders because he was a fellow military academy graduate, in spite of his abrasive personality. Despite his 2018 conviction for sexual assault and subsequent prison term he was still apparently close to the former Defense Minister, Kim Yong-hyun, also a military academy graduate, former general, and former commander of the presidential security service, close to Yoon.
https://namu.wiki/w/%EB%85%B8%EC%83%81%EC%9B%90
노상원
See Yoon's conspiracy theory that malign foreign dictatorships are behind "election fraud" in the last general election that returned a substantial majority of opposition party members to the National Assembly rendering it the National Assembly dictatorship which presented a state emergency that justified his martial law order as an alert to the people.
LOL. "Yoon admits he ordered troops to election commission, but says ‘nothing even happened.'" https://t.co/e2idJ7Jy9s
— Tim Shorrock (@TimothyS) February 5, 2025
Also, I posted early this am, on the UPI disinformation about the Yoon/far right insurrection, and how the author is associated with the far right Sky Daily, which routinely publishes fake news.
https://caucus99percent.com/comment/631627#comment-631627
Also relevant in this regard:
Here's where Trump and Biden align: militarism. The former president thought forcing Japan to increase military spending was one of his greatest accomplishments.
"Trump to prod Japan PM to increase defense spending on Feb. 7." https://t.co/PfKw2Uji8I
— Tim Shorrock (@TimothyS) February 6, 2025
Comments
Interesting background
.
.
What is certain, US vassals are being encouraged to up their
military spending, especially EU states. This is an advantage to
weapons manufacturers in the US. The imperial ambitions in
countries like Japan, Germany and France are obvious and
dangerous. Not without ambitions, the UK is weakened.
Canada seems frozen and the US is spread thin. I don't see
Korea as being a major threat. Perhaps the changes underway
will cool their jets?
Cheers.
question everything
the immediate threat from the "insurrection" in SK
Is that some sort of national security emergency would be provoked to go back into a martial law mode. The problem is not just domestic in South Korea, but that an emerging "limited conflict" would suck the US into a "Korean war" that nobody needs. When there is a threat like that the historical pattern would be the potential for a simultaneous war with China over Taiwan. The US has made nuclear threats against China in the past in this situation.
I agree with the Strategic Culture analysis and VJ's article. Appreciate the thoughtful posts and links here. A couple of US experts on China's military I used to follow regularly, believe a US war with China, would be very disadvantageous to the US and large early US conventional losses (politically unacceptable losses at home) would result in the US using nuclear weapons first.
語必忠信 行必正直
Agree uncle sam is a bit trigger happy
.
lacking any diplomatic skills
everyone looks like a 'threat'
requiring military response
unfortunately, if a nuclear exchange
is the chosen option, the US will not
survive. We have made too many
powerful enemies.
question everything
Thanks for the follow up
.
....and the developing evidence of a new urgency, pushing for chaos and war against China. South Korea remains a key foothold in the US offensive strategy. In my view, this is a war that will feature civilian targets and vital infrastructure to undercut Eastern Civilization. South Korea will be overtaken by war before it has a chance to express military neutrality. I suppose it's too late to order US warships out of South Korean ports
The recent wipe-out of Western technology investments and global foot-dragging on future investments in US Treasuries is forcing the US Coup government to transition into war footing. That along with US military prodding by the Rand Corporation for an immediate strike.
_______________
See: "A Dangerous Idea Takes Root in Washington" by Vijay Prashad
As China surges ahead in critical technologies, Washington debates not how to compete, but how to stop China’s rise – now through war. (China Academy, February 6, 2025.)
Carry a flame and share the light.
.
I thought of you when I read this article
https://strategic-culture.su/news/2025/02/04/confucius-deepseek-and-why-...
It talks about the difference between China and America when it comes to punishing the oligarchs’ crimes. Baby food in China was made with melamine in it that killed 6 babies. People went to prison and some were executed.
Merck created Vioxx which killed well over 100,000 people and it knew that people were dying from it. No one from Merck went to prison.
The banks crashed the global economy. No one went to prison.
But it’s the difference between China’s military equipment and America’s that I found most interesting. They have much more advanced weapons and such than us even though we outspend them by huge amounts. China would be defending its country on its doorstep while we would have to have supply lines stretching 6,000 miles. There’s no way China would allow us to build up for war like we did for Iraq.
It’s absolutely batshit insane how anyone here thinks we can beat China in a war.
It’s long, but you can skip to the middle to see their military stuff.
Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.
Thanks for the article, Snoopydawg.
I read military-related articles all day long, but I rarely write about military matters. At least not at C99. People here have lived a lifetime wrapped in the 'security' of military superiority: All Yang, no Yin; all aggression; no receptivity. It's a fall-back position that people will not surrender easily, even as military aggression constantly fails them and makes their lives much harder.
The rise of Yin (soft power) is a hard one to swallow. To most Americans, the superiority of soft power is simply unthinkable. I only mention soft power in the most elliptical ways. From the Chinese I learned that Yin is more powerful than Yan in high-level strategy because Yin is soft and receptive, like a feather pillow, and it envelops Yang. When Sun Tzu is referred to in the West, it is a gesture of intellectual conceit; but real cognitive understanding of Sun Tzu's doctrine is very rare.
You get it. You see the discord in the real world, but you have never been taught the doctrine behind it. You had to learn it yourself. Most US military leaders are brittle with brain damaged caused by the rigid filters in their mind: They are blinded by the light, they cannot learn. And so goes the United States.
Regarding stiff punishments that are issued in China, do note: the most serious crimes are those that directly harm large numbers of ordinary people. Because the government is the "People's" republic, and it is actively represented by more than a million ordinary people who are elected by every small neighborhood in China — this has made government corruption a Capital crime in China. Punishments for such crimes include loss of all material wealth for the family of the offender, long prison sentences, and/or death.
XI Jinping's own father, a high ranking Party member, was punished for such a crime, and his family was plunged into poverty. Xi, a teenager at the time, dropped out of school and went to work for a nearby village. He lived in a cave owned by the village, and sent his earnings home to his family. Xi regularly visits this village and the cave, where he began working for the People. He continued his education at night. He moved up through the Party, from neighborhood, to village, to town, to city, to district, to university in Beijing. This is possible because the People's Party is a meritocracy, monitored by a large standing committee. XI Jinping's story is the opposite of nepotism, as the lying Western propaganda portrays it.
However, the political mood of countries go through political cycles, just as people do. The severity of punishments can change when people start to believe in reform. We are all sinners, after all. Recently, Xi Jinping placed a moratorium on capital punishment for certain crimes in China. Killing fellow Chinese citizens falls out of favor when the people's needs are being met; when they are living happy lives filled with hope and social mobility. Conversely, when people are living in a savage insecure environment, where injustice trickles down from those at the top of society, capital punishment and other savage remedies become acceptable to the People below. We are living through savage times, insecurity, and desperation in the West. China's government does not have ruling oligarchs.
US foreign policy reflects the savagery that is present in US society. Donald Trump is a nihilistic token of their frustration.
[Edit = typos and clarity in the last two paragraphs.]
Carry a flame and share the light.
.
Keeping oligarchs in their place
.
within society is not a priority in the US
as much as it is enforced in China. May
be one of the reasons the US is falling
behind the Chinese in global market share?
Spreading the wealth is productive compared
to the western hoarding practice.
question everything
Thank you for this most interesting article.
I can't comment on events in Asia, except to say that the Japanese are known to be among the world's best engineers. It would not surprise me to learn that they have some game changing, ultimate weapon hidden somewhere. Not, I would think, at Fukushima. I would be looking for some Pacific island away from the usual shipping channels. I recently saw reports of a find of valuable "rare earth" minerals on the seabed offshore of Japan. Which country plans to proceed with mining and exploitation without reference to what their Chinese neighbors might think, or so the article stated. That would seem to imply that the Japanese govt. thinks it has no need to fear Chinese military might.
I don't think that Asia has anything to fear from the USA. We have now received orders from our Zionist in Chief that we are to spill out our life's blood in the sands of Gaza, all for the noble goal of Mediterranean beachfront condos for dual citizens fleeing the hurricanes in Florida and the California wildfires. And a pair of Nobel Peace Prizes for Mr. T-Rump and his bestie Benny.
Mary Bennett
Yes, I think the main threat here
...if the US were to step back it's military footprint somewhat in South Korea and Japan, is that they would go for nuclear weapons. This is the whole issue in South Korea with Yoon pushing for the presence of US strategic platforms, like nuclear subs, strategic bombers and the like to be present on a more or less regular basis to show the nuclear deterrent against North Korea. Elbridge Colby talks about this quite a bit. Will the US go to nuclear war, risking say LA, San Francisco, etc., to respond to a nuclear attack from North Korea, just to defend South Korea, or some uninhabited islands in the East China Sea that are claimed by Japan?
I don't think I've heard of the Japanese publicly advocating for nuclear weapons; there are obvious additional domestic ramifications and constitutional limits that make that difficult for their government figures to advocate. When I had this discussion with a friend once, she suggested that Japan could arm up pretty fast, if they had too. So the risk there is nuclear proliferation. This is the cost of the US not getting the deal done with North Korea in Hanoi, when it had a chance. There are rumors that Trump might try to negotiate with Kim Jong-eun again, but they are not going to disarm after the events we've seen the last couple of decades. Libya, Iran, Iraq, Syria, etc.
As far as seabed exploitation goes, there are competing territorial claims to the EEZs in the East China Sea between China and Japan. This is similar in nature to the conflicting claims to the economic zones in the South China Sea among China and the other states in that region, with the Philippines currently on the front burner.
語必忠信 行必正直