Jesus Christ! An 8.9 Earthquake struck near Japan, 10m Tsunami followed

[Splash!]

Sorry but you don't seem to know what you are talking about in regards to Japan. As part of the treaty they signed to end WWII, they gave up the right to have a military. So now they have a defense force that numbers around 235,000. They do maintain a protective alliance with the US, but that's more because they want a relationship with the US, and the U [S wants to maintain its presence in Southeast Asia.

I don't see how that contradicts what I said. I wasn't blaming them for their lack of military spending (more than aware of the situation they were in after WWII), just stating that heavy spending wasn't there. Their defensive policy clearly outlines moderation, even in the build up of defensive capabilities. Also, it isn't a simply matter of good relations with the US, what other choice do they really have if they can't have their own military? It is obvious they felt that setting up a medium sized defense force wouldn't be enough to protect their nation in the long term.

The US couldn't jump in during the early hours because it takes time to mobilize and what with the aftershocks and tsunami, what did you expect them to do exactly? Military power can't stop a tsunami.

The earliest stages are the most critical when it comes to damage control (both with regards to the nuclear crisis and rescue operations). Also, it doesn't take a whole lot of time to mobilize if your forces are right there....

"Military power can't stop a tsunami" -> And just who said that it can? But it can definitely help in the immediate aftermath of one. Clearly something can be done early on. I am sure the Japanese weren't just standing around going "Oh My!".

[Animeniax]

I don't see how that contradicts what I said. I wasn't blaming them for their lack of military spending (more than aware of the situation they were in after WWII), just stating that heavy spending wasn't there. Their defensive policy clearly outlines moderation, even in the build up of defensive capabilities. Also, it isn't a simply matter of good relations with the US, what other choice do they really have if they can't have their own military? It is obvious they felt that setting up a medium sized defense force wouldn't be enough to protect their nation in the long term.



The earliest stages are the most critical when it comes to damage control (both with regards to the nuclear crisis and rescue operations). Also, it doesn't take a whole lot of time to mobilize if your forces are right there....

"Military power can't stop a tsunami" -> And just who said that it can? But it can definitely help in the immediate aftermath of one. Clearly something can be done early on. I am sure the Japanese weren't just standing around going "Oh My!".

It's the exact opposite actually. Since they couldn't have a military and the US wanted to stay, they let the US take care of military matters. Then they went ahead (much later) and created the JDF, which is actually a hotly debated topic in Japan, considering their overwhelming pacifist mentality. They labeled it a defense force to get around the pesky prohibition in the new constitution.

The US bases are located in Okinawa (island far south of Japan), Yokosuka (near Tokyo), and the closest in Misawa just north of the quake epicenter. The early stages after a tragedy indeed are most critical, but when exactly is the event over when you're dealing with an earthquake, aftershocks, and giant tsunami? If the US had mobilized sooner and entered the region, they would only have added to the chaos and loss of life.