Read the US Trade with Japan report.
I raised the argument to a supporter of the Status Quo that as an Apology for winning WWII, to Japan, we Gave them our manufacturing base.
He rationalized it by saying it was a good idea since by doing it, we Bought Peace for 70 years because Japan demilitarized.
There is no reason the US should be assuming any portion of Japan's Defense Costs.
They are well capable of paying it themselves.
The argument that they demilitarized in trade for our consumer manufacturing base is prima facia ridiculous.
Let's look at WWII Germany for perspective.
Hitler's machine produced tanks. Who built them?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_PorscheWhat companies produced American tanks?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M18_HellcatBuick built over 2500 M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyers and Chrysler built the Sherman.
What company supplied Browning .50 caliber machine guns for us in WWII?
(from the sidebar under Production History)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M2_Browning"General Motors Corporation (Frigidaire, AC Spark Plug, Saginaw Steering, and Brown-Lipe-Chappin Divisions)"
A Refrigerator maker
Back to Japan
Look at all the cars, trucks, and heavy construction equipment Japan makes and exports.
IF, they wanted to re Militarize, they already have the Consumer segment Manufacturing Facilities to do so in a matter of months. It's just a simple matter of re-tooling the assembly plants We helped them acquire, and support with our money by buying their output, while being blocked at turn after turn from exporting Our products into their country.
Porsche 911, Boxster, or Tiger Tank?
Mitsubishi cars and bulldozers, or Mitsubishi Zero?
Free Trade? The current model is costing us far more than import tariffs going Both ways would.
How much money has the Marshal Plan screwed us for, playing at being the world's police force, since 1945?
Reagan put the quietus to the argument that we had to spend our money to defend the world from the Soviet Union by hardening an Export Ban on Dual Use Technology from Europe to Russia. That's all it took. Collapse. Boom.
Totalitarian Regimes can't support themselves without Western Capital.