There was an interesting new post at Democracy Digest

Japan and South Korea should lead the charge for democracy in Asia, argues Hudson Institute analyst John Lee. But recent developments cast doubt on that prospect.

In a rational world, South Korea and Japan ought to be the best of friends, argues Bard College professor Ian Buruma. Their cultures and languages are closely linked. Their economies are deeply entangled. And as the only liberal democracies in East Asia (along with Taiwan), they have to contend with the threat of North Korean belligerence and Chinese domination, he writes for The New York Times:

In a purely rational world, Japan would lead a democratic alliance with South Korea, Taiwan and much of Southeast Asia to balance the might of China. In a world fueled by historical passions, America’s retreat will almost certainly drive South Korea even closer to China, while Japan, possibly with a revised Constitution — and perhaps even, down the road, its own nuclear arms — might pull back behind its sea walls, hoping to be left alone by untrustworthy alien powers.

See full story here.