The Japanese may not be the first people to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty. But being the sole nation bombed to submission by atomic weapons, it has been a staunch upholder of anti-nuclear sentiments ever since.
The Diet ratified the treaty in 1976. Yet, it didn't stop the country from harnessing the power of atomic energy for peaceful means. Even under the watchful eyes of the West, power stations running on fission were constructed across the islands. In a leap of several decades, the Japanese were able to refine the technology that it now rivals the nations who actually discovered this energy source.
Defeated in the last war, Japan's old enemies have never forgotten its past crimes. Lands to the west have armed themselves with missiles tipped with deadly weaponry. In a press of a button, they can deliver a punishing strike to the heartland of Nippon.
Yet despite this threat, Japan chooses not to race with its neighbors. Relying on the Americans for protection, atomic energy was left in the hands of civilians.
Its primary function remains to light the houses of its people .
While there are currently no known plans in Japan to produce weapons of mass destruction, it has been argued that the country is merely a "screwdriver's turn" from having its own arsenal. It has the means to produce nuclear weapons within six months - if necessary. It has the money to convert its plutonium reserves into warheads. Its solid rocket boosters and delivery vehicles, which places satellites into orbit could be used to rain destruction to its enemies.
The country is armed and ready.
What's keeping Japan from becoming a nuclear state is the fact that it doesn't need to become one. With its technical superiority and strong economic backing, countries have long considered this nation nuclear in its own right.
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| torrent one: ministry of sound: chilled acoustic |
I'm sure Baabaa still remembers the day I told him that I have no idea how Wi-Fi works. He was chuckling of course, who wouldn't be. I might be the last person to give up dial-up for a faster Internet connection.
I also remember that a few years back, a colleague used my credit card to pay for her Rapidshare account. She offered to share the spoils, but I declined. I was still using Blast Prepaid then.
Several years have passed, I contemplated on switching to Sun Broadband. A friend even recommended it for its fast surfing speed, but the Techie Lola peddling that BayanDSL on TV kept me from closing the deal.
Apparently, the advertisement worked for me.
And the rest is history. Though belated my evolution was, waiting has got me a very good deal. Complaints with my connection are minimal and I could even download torrent files in a matter of hours. However at night, when I watch video clips on YouTube instead of my regular serving of cartoons on cable, there are times when I still resent the years I let technology slip away. High-speed Internet was already available five years ago but I strayed off course.
When this regret threatens to cloud the present, I try to recall Japan's "nuclear" ambitions and see its relevance to my life. The mere fact I am able to contemplate setting up a wireless network at home - in just a month after having my broadband installed is already a proof of my adaptability. I haven't even started talking yet about my Google lessons.
You see, I might be years late from the race, but when I decide to catch up, expect me to accomplish multiple breakthroughs at a time.