Comicomment | Out of control: A suicidal militarist drive?

In a dangerous policy shift, the Japanese government officially eased its arms export rules last week, allowing the sale of lethal weapons.

In recent years, Japan has been drastically readjusting its security policy, increasing defense spending, developing offensive weapons, expanding military deployments and relaxing restrictions on arms exports.

Underpinning the military push is a continuous campaign to reshape historical memory. Japan's right-wing forces seem to believe that stepping on the gas will let them break through the boundaries of peace. What they fail to realize is that this train, accelerating toward the brink of losing control, will only be swept along by the specter of self-destructive militarism and hurtle into an abyss of no return.

The international community must remain highly vigilant and firmly oppose any reckless moves toward neo-militarism. Japan should seriously reflect on its history of militarist aggression and to hit the brakes before it is too late. The lessons of history have long been flashing red—any train that insists on charging ahead will ultimately derail and plunge into the abyss.