tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714063.post5748063478033054675..comments2023-10-09T00:45:55.603+09:00Comments on Shisaku: The Morimoto AppointmentMTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04626942240117432624noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714063.post-65746192688520859382012-06-06T22:52:09.256+09:002012-06-06T22:52:09.256+09:00"they've always put a politician on top.&..."they've always put a politician on top."<br /><br />Sure, but before 2006, this person didn't even have the full authority as head of a ministry. He was a coordinator of the special interests from other ministries that dominated decision making in the JDA. Article 66 of the constitution, added at the insistence of the allies after Japanese changes to the American draft of Article 9, pertains specifically to Cabinet, whereas I'm talking about restrictions on the staff of the agency from holding positions in the SDF. And there were times when the JDA bureaucracy has clearly won out over the politically appointed director-general. Nakasone who, as JDA chief wanted to raise the defence budget vs. Kubo Takuya, the bureaucrat who outlined the modest "basic (kibanteki) defence" concept that organized much of Japan's planning from the 70s until late 2010.Brycenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714063.post-50301534147071202742012-06-06T14:41:20.585+09:002012-06-06T14:41:20.585+09:00Actually, the Japanese term is 文民. They made it up...Actually, the Japanese term is 文民. They made it up after WWII so they can write Article 66 of their constitution, and it was chosen specifically to avoid including 文官 (civilian bureaucrat). This new Morimoto is a former SDF officer, which makes him a hot enough potato, then he was a Foreign Ministry bureaucrat and then a professor.<br /><br />While it is true that the JDA is often accused of being a 文官統制 (bureaucrat control) system, there is nevertheless a politician (though generally a weak one) at top, they've always put a politician on top. As for this guy, he's technically a civilian, but given his former experience and the fact he is not elected is quite close to being a de facto 文官. If civilian control is your thing, that might cause a few jitters.arkhangelskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15247250672432027166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714063.post-859626132029973802012-06-06T10:21:16.526+09:002012-06-06T10:21:16.526+09:00Dear Mr. Mizokami -
Please elaborate: what is &q...Dear Mr. Mizokami - <br /><br />Please elaborate: what is "THIS"?MTChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04626942240117432624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714063.post-62163957053556098042012-06-06T06:40:17.858+09:002012-06-06T06:40:17.858+09:00"He will win the applause of the American thi..."He will win the applause of the American think-tank-political-appointee merry-go-round ridership, who will be thrilled by Morimoto's heretofore unshakable support of the Japan-U.S. alliance and his hardline security stances, ignoring Morimoto's rather weak bureaucratic and non-existent political support."<br /><br />THIS.Kyle Mizokamihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10681137396914935337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714063.post-15118223101700518622012-06-05T18:06:09.559+09:002012-06-05T18:06:09.559+09:00"Luckily for Morimoto and Prime Minister Noda..."Luckily for Morimoto and Prime Minister Noda..."<br /><br />As you note, one would think there is no "luck" involved. As a non think-tank person, and thus, allowed some time to think these days, I would probably also agree that the restrictions on Morimoto's abilities to creatively handle the portfolio are greater than one might think. I'd also add, though, that Morimoto hasn't been terribly creative in his public role in the first place. His comments, at least the ones that I have read, have amounted to short-term analysis of standing government decisions. His book on Japan's participation in the Iraq War, from what I remember, was highly descriptive. I'd be happy to be proven quite wrong, but he seems to me to be the type of person that a minimalist-conservative-on-security PM like Noda would be happy to have around as a defense minister. <br /><br />Anon: ""shibirian" must mean something other than civilian as shibirian appears to be interpreted as elected politician"<br /><br />Actually, I think it is quite the opposite. While I appreciate the criticism that Morimoto lacks legitimacy as he has not been put in place by at least a local contingent of voters, in fact, postwar Japan has historically had some pretty weird views about civilian control in general, even when the term is rendered in Japanese. Since the formation of the JDA there has been an obsession with (and strict law pertaining to) manning the agency/ministry with "civilians", that is, bureaucrats with no elected mandate. <br /><br />Traditionally, though, what has been more troubling is the lack of legislative oversight of the activities of the SDF and JDA/MOD. Because "military" issues were contentious in the postwar, the government just avoided talking about them altogether in the Diet, which led to a situation where defense issues often only appeared in the context of scandals that flared from time to time. While this has improved in the last two decades, at the moment a lot of Diet members who focus on security are either boosters for the forces or are critics who have an unrealistic understanding of what the forces do. Japan needs a stronger and more regular committee in the Diet--that is, more elected politicians--to both scrutinize the workings of the SDF and the MOD and to train a contingent of Diet members who are familiar with security issue and who can scrutinize the workings of the SDF/MOD. <br /><br />Actually, scrutiny has become more urgent with the creation of a ministry. The switch from an agency housed in the PMO has meant that the bureaucrats that do work on defense issues are not seconded from, and therefore loyal to, other ministries, as was previously the case. Therefore, the MOD is not as restrained by its predecessor by competing ministerial interests, and will be able to take its own interests into account when formulating budgets and outlining missions. There will also be more pressure to have more uniformed advisors on hand, or at least those with a past military background.<br /><br />That's all well and good if one believes that the interests of a ministry are to do the work that it is in theory charges with--in this case the defense of the nation. But we know that the system doesn't quite always work that way, meaning legislative oversight, an important component of civilian control elsewhere, needs to be tightened.Brycenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6714063.post-38386843766497967632012-06-05T14:52:55.034+09:002012-06-05T14:52:55.034+09:00From some of the comments, "shibirian" m...From some of the comments, "shibirian" must mean something other than civilian as shibirian appears to be interpreted as elected politician, rather than a real civilian who is a not-military citizen.<br /><br />The F35 is going to take down many more political lives and on an international scale as Lockeed the company did in the early 70's (or was it late 60's). People who are alert to potential dangers should at least move their positions further back in the delivery queue to avoid catastrophic product failure. Let the Americans and Canadians deal with the overpriced item first.<br /><br />YYAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com