8/9/2019 Doc VIC101 Conflict Theory Notes on Japan and Iraq
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VIC101 Conflict Theory - Can Democracy be exported? Iraq vs.
apan
!oint 1" #istory of apan and Iraq
apan"
- After the Opium wars in the 19th century and the Perry
expedition in 1854 Japan sought to modernize
itsef to a!oid the fate of many other asian nations "i#e#$
%hina$&ietnam'
- during the (ei)i restoration Japan had adopted a new
constitution after they had sponsored many
missions to *estern %apitas to copy *estern education$ +an,ing$
education$ go!ernment etc…
- owe!er this western constitution was hed +ac, +y the +eief
that the emperor was“sacred and
in!ioa+e” +ut it was sti more progressi!e than some
.uropean constitutions at the time
- /he need to modernize came from the Japanese peope not from an
outside force
- /he idea of +eing dominated +y the *est i,e so many other
Asian nations spurred the Japanese to
transform from a feuda society to an industriaized empire in ess
than 0 years
- /he desire was +orn from within the society not externa
- 2y the eary 3th century Japan was seen as an eua trading
partner and was respected as a miitaryand commercia power
- irst asian nation to +e treated as an eua +y *estern powers
such as 2ritain and the 6nited 7tates
- ew constitution esta+ished a system of poitica parties
and unti the truy democratic constitution in
1953 it functioned essentiay as a pariamentary system with
!oting rights +eing esta+ished and
suffrage for a maes o!er 35 was achie!ed in 1935# &oting was
no onger granted to )ust the weathy
- a+our unions were formed and images of i+eraist
democracy were forming despite the country +ecoming fascist in
the :s
- .ducation was granted to +oth sexes and +y the 3s enroment 95;
of +oth +oy and girs were enroed
in Japanese pu+ic schoo
- Japan was no stranger to democracy and i+era ideas of +ig
go!ernment and poitica parties- After Japan surrendered and
concuded the **
8/9/2019 Doc VIC101 Conflict Theory Notes on Japan and Iraq
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- *ith %hina +ecoming communist as we as some 7outh .ast Asian
countries$ Japan was America’sony hope to not +e competey shut out
of Asia +y the communists
- A genuine !ested in interest in propping up Japan to fight the
communists in Asia$ as Japan was seen as
ast +astion of %apitaism in Asia
Iraq"
- ussia was at it wea,est at this point and coud not contest the
6nited 7tates as it had done pre!iousy
- o rea pressure from anyone as the 6nited 7tates was the
uncontested word power at this time
- o rea worry a+out the (idde .ast other than monetary
interests$ as the +atte of ideoogies was o!er
