Power-drunk Abe sleepwalking into US' arms

The approval of two security bills by Japan's upper house in the small hours of Saturday marked a historic shift in the country's defense-only security policy. The ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito Party, which have majority in parliament, railroaded the bills through both houses ignoring the unusually large rallies against the bills and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe himself.

Japan's lower house passed the bills on July 16.

By changing the core of Japan's defense policy, the Abe administration has succeeded in breaking with the country's post-World War II policies. Major features of the legislation are seen by many experts and lawyers as violating Japan's pacifist Constitution, especially the "no war" Article 9. But Abe's right-wing supporters have ignored everything.