[kinetics]

The last time Japan "grew up," it sneak bombed Pearl Harbor, ravaged Northeast and Southeast Asia, and invented the kamikaze (the predecessor of the modern suicide bomber).

[monkeywrench]

They have to arm up, or the chicoms will eventually squeeze them all, and they know it.

[Neville72]

Yep and a one time half of the United States fought to keep the right to own other human beings.

Times change. I don't worry about the Japanese at all. They're a damn good ally.

[Basilides]

Which is why I would want them shootin' with us...not at us.

[phoenix0468]

...and invented the kamikaze (the predecessor of the modern suicide bomber).

Um, that's not entirely true. "The history of suicide attacks stretches back at least to the 11th century, when the Assassins, the disciples of the Persian master Alamut, conducted suicide raids on neighboring fortresses."

That quote is from http://www.apologeticsindex.org/s37.html but there are more references you can find to the practice if you were to google it.

The first "suicide bomber" in the modern middle east was a thirteen year old boy from a small village in Iran who suicide bombed a company of Iraqi soldiers. He is now considered a National hero. His act is considered by many to be the beginning of the new breed of suicide bombers, not the Kamikaze of Japan.