Shintaro Ishihara and the Insight article you cite are full of errors. First, Ishihara derides the U.S. Army as “incompetent”: ridiculous. He seems to think democracies make for bad armies: well, don’t tell Tojo. Second, while Japan becoming a “normal country” is a developemnt we should welcome (and is by the Bushies), South Korea already has a big army. I also doubt whether Australia and the countries of Indo-China can field armies much larger than what they have already. Finally, where is China going to fight a land war? Taiwan and Japan are islands. Attack their North Korea allies? I think India can take care of itself. Post-modern war is one thing, but really, do we have to gear our policy to refuting such outrageous candards?