前回は、ここのところ巷でよく聞くMMTについて話ました。
次回は、ここのところというよりも、戦後ずーっと議論が戦わされていると言っても過言ではない国防について話しましょう。

技術革新やらグローバリズムやら、国や国防の概念もちょっとずつ変わってきてるのでしょうか？肌感覚で国防をもう一度一緒に考えてみませんか？

TOPIC 1 Flea Market!

My shopping style has changed since last year, and I started to shop from home more often than before. I had never used online flea market before, but now I became a heavy user of these apps.

1. Do you like to use flea market/auction apps often?

2. What is your favorite flea market/auction apps, and why?

3. What do you usually buy?

4. What was your best buy?

5. Do you make your own rules when you use flea market/ auction apps? What are your concerns?

TOPIC 2 National Security

North Korea currently has fired two ballistic missiles into Sea of Japan on Thursday, 26, March; the first test after the Joe Biden administration took over the power in the U.S. Pyongyang is banned from testing ballistic missiles under UN Council resolutions. In the meanwhile though, they don’t intend to communicate with the current president of the U.S at all. The Biden administration once stated the U.S. did not consider it a provocation when the two non-ballistic missiles were fired into the Yellow Sea couple days prior to thesemissiles, but now they has launched ballistic missiles this time: they are challenging the new president of the U.S. more than ever.

Finally our Prime Minister, Yoshihide Suga, made a statement saying
“Japan lodges its serious protest and strongly condemns”.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/north-korea-launched-two-ballistic-missiles-u-s-japanese-officials-n1262007

The security around Japan seems now became unstable again.

1. Do you think the threat of North Korea, or China will increase/decrease under the Joe Biden Administration especially post COVID-19?

2. What is your opinion about Japanese Self-Defense-Force? Do youthink it conflicts with the Japanese Constitution number 9? Is SDF strong enough to protect our country? Are they necessary?

3. Do you think the defense expenditures of our country is too high/low?

Japan spent 46.6 billion US $ in 2018 (less than 1% of its GDP). The Trump administration claimed Japan should increase the budget at least up to 2% of its GDP.

4. The U.S and China is now have “the space force”. The style and even the locations of wars may change in the future, while we Japanesedon’t even have any internet platform like google nor resources like oils. Nuclear power sounds way too horrible and dangerous to invest on. It seems it’s already too late and is impossible to catch up.
Someone said rebuilding SDF into the worlds greatest rescue troop would work, instead of keeping them as a military force.

Do you agree with the idea?

What is the best way Japan should take?