Published in Asia Times, GRMF’s Advisor Grant Newsham writes that all too often Western observers see Japan as “different,” citing the nation’s juicy organized crime and underworld Yakuza as examples but conveniently overlooking the mafia, Enron, sub-prime lending fiasco and various Washington-related scandals that comprise the “dirty” but human side of the United States. Given the perceived “difference,” Newsham argues that Japan uses this perception to bolster the country’ss prior excuses for not adequately developing its defense forces and that with the rise of China, the time has come for both Japan and the U.S. to jettison this “difference” excuse.