What Prime Minister Aso Really Meant by an “Arc of Freedom and Prosperity”

Anyone who has read Taro Aso’s speech as Foreign Minister will realize that it is very far from the confrontational “League of Democracies” that John McCain has been pushing. In March, I issued a warning of sorts. Now, Prime Minister Aso’s inaugural speech reinforces my point. Here’s a translation of the salient points:

To create stability and prosperity in our region and grow together with our neighbors China, South Korea and Russia, as well as the nations of Asia and the Pacific—this is point two.
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We shall not spare our assistance, so that the irreplaceable values that we believe in will take root in youthful democracies.

The McCain administration, I’m sure, will be disappointed to hear all this, Can’t you guys see Russia on a clear day too? And I’m not talking about your … “Northern Territories”?