Due to another user’s request, I have decided to compile threads on fascism, profascism, Japanese Imperialism, & neofascism here for your convenience. This compilation is, of course, incomplete, & its structure is subject to eventual change, but I hope that it suffices.

Origins

Economics

Culture

Foreign policy

Atrocities

Profascism

Legacy

Neofascism


Feel free to suggest any resources that you have in mind or how I could structure this thread better. Lastly, if you have any questions on fascism, profascism, parafascism (e.g. Japanese Imperialism), protofascism, or neofascism, you are welcome to ask me here or in private.

  • loathesome dongeater
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    65 months ago

    Is Japan still imperialist today? I’m aware for its colonial past to some extent. But WW2 shuffled the hierarchy and turned Japan into an American vassal state. So is it still imperialist today like some European countries are?

    • Anarcho-BolshevikOPM
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      85 months ago

      Not in a classic sense (apart from maybe the occupation of Okinawa). Rather, Japan is neoimperialist; it prefers soft power and pretensions to independence over the naked conquest that the Empire of Japan committed (and would be difficult to reproduce today).

      Stevens (1990) argues that Japan is seen to assert a form of neo-imperialism over East Asia and other regions by locking developing states into a relationship of direct economic subordination and into new regional frameworks geared to reinforce Japanese dominance. Critical theory has viewed Japan as asserting its potential hegemony not only through economic ties but also more subtly through creating ideological parameters and international institutions (Cox 1987).

      (Source.)

      Japan’s military expansion fits in with Washington’s aggression aimed at China, the DPRK and Russia. U.S. strategists’ goal is to use the U.S. alliance with Japan, South Korea and Australia, just as it uses the U.S.-led NATO alliance in Europe.

      […]

      A chain of 150 islands called the Ryukyu Archipelago, of which the largest island is Okinawa, 400 miles from the Japanese mainland, is in reality a colony of Japan. Its population of 1.74 million people suffers from Tokyo’s rule and from the occupation by U.S. military bases. Okinawa is geographically closer to Taiwan than it is to the main islands of Japan.

      Upgrading and strengthening Japanese ground units on Okinawa is part of the new National Security Strategy (NSS). Other islands, which are part of the chain southwest of Japan, will be further militarized.

      Upgrading of Japan’s 15th Brigade on these islands for future electronic warfare, cyber warfare and joint operations of the ground, maritime and air forces are clearly a sign of plans to intervene in the Taiwan Straits.

      In recent years, Japan has deployed anti-ship and air-defense missiles on its southwest islands of Amami Oshima, Okinawa Main Island, Miyako Island and a missile base on Ishigaki Island, the island closest to Taiwan.

      (Source.)

    • voight [he/him, any]
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      5 months ago

      Vassal states relative to the US,

      Europe (EU & uk I don’t mean like peripheral europe), SK, Japan, Aus are crucial neocolonialist bastard states

      Dependency theory:

      Nike shoe company literally has a map of imperialism with big arrows showing the rankings one sec

    • ☭ 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗘𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 ☭A
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      15 months ago

      if country A participates in country B’s imperialist project (e.g. joining an invasion), wouldn’t that make country A an imperialist power (albeit a lesser one) as well?

      • loathesome dongeater
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        35 months ago

        I don’t doubt it but elucidating their role in the imperialist bloc is helpful. Just like class structure the demarcations are not always clear cut and assessing reality will help refine my mental model of imperialism. As another example, South Korea is also an American vassal state and a nexus for American aggression against DPRK. Could it be classified as imperialism especially considering the history of the barbaric Japanese colonisation, the subsequent liberation followed by the reinstatement of the colonial and comprador actors by the invading Americans? I don’t know tbh but it is worth exploring.

        • ☭ 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗘𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 ☭A
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          35 months ago

          of course; I’m just wondering whether it makes sense to call countries imperialist if they don’t engage in imperialism independently (in which case more or less all of Europe would be imperialist)