Opinions of Monday, 1 June 2026

Columnist: Rockson Adofo

Japan and Germany must militarily guiltlessly up their defence capabilities

Sanae Takaichi is the Prime Minister of Japan Sanae Takaichi is the Prime Minister of Japan

Without any ability to restrain the modern-day bully tiger-countries that feel they are endowed with the capability of having their way in everything as and when they want, the writer sees it just right for Japan and Germany to go with the flow. They should not continue to linger in remorsefulness for their past that compels them to stagnate, awash in guilt, hence failing to upgrade their military capabilities.

There is a nice Ghanaian Akan proverb that goes, “If all people are turning into animals, you must also turn into an animal so that they don’t turn to devour you”.

Now that some countries feel so powerful as to infringe on the rights and territorial sovereignty of other countries deemed weak, why must Japan and Germany continue to stay without upping their military capabilities because of their World War II past, where they assaulted or waged war on weaker Europe and China?



There is time for everything,g as said in the bible in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. It is about time they shrugged off that sense of guilt, considering it done and dusted, ed to get along with the flow.



Russia has invaded, and continues to attack Ukraine, its comparatively smaller and weaker neighbouring sovereign nation, since 24 February 2022. China is continuously expanding its naval capabilities, a strategy to project power across regional and global waters, claiming ownership of all the smaller islands within such waters. Crazy though.



Is China not aiming to take Taiwan by force, if possible, using its military might? It is expanding its nuclear and missile arsenals that can overwhelm and decimate Japan within the twinkle of an eye.

With all these practically observable scenarios taking place, why should smaller but much brainier Japan stay unconcerned, with arms folded around the chest,t doing nothing?

Once Taiwan is taken, Japan could become a target for China to pay them in their own coin for the atrocities they visited upon them during World War II and probably previously.

Now that American President Donald Trump is threatening to pull America out of NATO and sees that organization and Europe as not worth associating with, where is the defence shield for Japan when it is attacked by China?

Japan is small, but God has given it the brain of technological know-how to withstand mighty predator China. They should exercise that brain and whatever comes with it to be able to defend, but not offend, the roaring tiger nation(s) seeking a country to devour.

The United States of America and Israel have attacked Iran, an autocratic nation that subjugates its own citizens, killing dissenters within the nation and ruling the people with iron hands. Hamas in Gaza attacked Israel. However, Israel, a smaller but powerful nation, has been paying Gaza back in her own coin tenfold, taking their territory and killing their people.

No country that can produce military hardware that can guarantee their territorial integrity and sovereignty, must stay with arms folded in their lap, doing nothing but expecting another country to defend them when attacked. That will never happen.

Germany has got the brain,s so it had better start producing weapons that can ensure their successful defence when attacked by any rogue country seeking to expand their territory, as they, Germany, once sought to expand their dominion over the world under Adolf Hitler.

There may be peace in the world when every country sees others as capable and able to defend themselves to avoid unnecessary assaults and intended assaults on others.

Japan and Germany must join the race or else, Russia, China, or America will surprise them one day. They will either attack or fail to defend them, respectively.

The world has gone crazy.

While the world is getting dangerous, the lazy African countries and governments are neck-deep in corruption and acts that will ruin their future without taking positive steps to save their lands and citizens. Shame!