Germany and Japan are rebuilding their militaries, and yes, they see the irony
It took eighty years and a collective "are we sure the US is still doing this?" for history's most famous pacifist converts to decide they need to buy some very serious weapons.
So, after World War II, Germany and Japan basically agreed to sit on the sidelines, focus on their economies, and let the United States handle the whole "global police" thing. It was a pretty sweet deal. Until recently.
Between Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Xi Jinping flexing China's muscles, and Donald Trump dropping hints that NATO might be on a paid subscription plan, both countries realized they might actually have to defend themselves.
Now, they're not reviving the Axis—they are actually teaming up with former adversaries like Britain and Canada. But their military budgets are suddenly skyrocketing to eye-watering levels. Germany's new Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, bypassed borrowing limits to fund a massive buildup, while Japan’s Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, is actively exporting warships to Australia.
Of course, not everyone is thrilled. Many Japanese citizens are protesting to protect their pacifist constitution, and Germans are wondering how to recruit troops when there is no draft. Meanwhile, in European defense towns, the boom is creating weird local economies where shipyards pay so well that local restaurants and hospitals can't find staff because everyone left to build submarines.
Decades of Pax Americana might have just ended because the world's two most famous reformed pacifists realized nobody is coming to save them.
Source: Asia Today
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