Sunday May 27, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Panetta, in Yokota speech, says U.S. committed to being Pacific power

Politics Oct. 25, 2011 - 06:25AM JST ( 15 )

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15 Comments

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OkinawamikeOct. 25, 2011 - 09:14AM JST

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta arrived in Japan on Monday hoping to persuade Tokyo to relocate a military base which Washington says is vital to its role as a Pacific power.

Come on Leon, tell it like it is. Replace Pacific with World.
-1

ben4shortOct. 25, 2011 - 10:11AM JST

Right on, Okinawamike. In fact, the entire sentence should read: "to pursuade Tokyo to relocate a military base which Washington says is vital to its role as a self-serving, imperialistic, arrogant world-dominating Superpower" (and the root of all terrorism).
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voiceofokinawaOct. 25, 2011 - 12:00PM JST

Panetta to reassure Japan that "the U.S. remains engaged in the region" and therefor will move ahead with the planned relocation of Futenma to Henoko despite strong local opposition? He must have forgotten the divine principle of democracy on which the United States of America was founded as a republic. Does he want to destroy that very principle?

It's quite possible that he will, judging from his flip-flopping of sides. According to the October 23 New York Times, he was a "cold war dove who opposed Ronald Reagan’s contra war in Nicaragua in the 1980s and George Bush’s Persian Gulf war of 1991" but who has now "become a war on terror hawk, authorizing more drone strikes in Pakistan than George W. Bush."

It's tragic if he understood East Asia with a similar war-on-terror mindset. He must know the relocated facility of Futenma will never work for war-on-terror purposes at all. So why move ahead with this nonstarter?
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notasapOct. 25, 2011 - 12:55PM JST

Oh boo hoo! Don’t like the big bad USA being in Japan or being a world power…tough! Get used to it boys, we are going to be a power for a very long time. In fact, I’ll go ahead and tell you that our being here has little to do with the war on terror, whatever that is, and everything to do with China. Japan makes for a nice permanently docked aircraft carrier. And you know why we will be here for a long long time, because the Japanese people support government after government that wants us here. Why? Because they know how bad China would treat Japan if the US was not here to stop them. The USA is so far from weak, bankrupt or reaching a point of falling it is funny that so many anti-Americans mistake such for our current problems. Our current issues are all very much solvable and you can all go to sleep a bit sounder tonight knowing that here are Japanese and American forces patrolling the skies of Japan and the Sea of Japan.
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SerranoOct. 25, 2011 - 01:13PM JST

"an overcrowded urban area of Okinawa"

Whose fault is that? It wasn't overcrowded when Futenma was established.
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voiceofokinawaOct. 25, 2011 - 06:17PM JST

To notasap:

Yes, we don't like what you describe as "the big bad USA being in Japan." You are one of those bad hawkish Americans who don't represent the more compassionate, more humane America. True, we don't like being kept under such abominable state of affairs almost to the degree of occupation or pseudo-occupation by "the big bad U.S.A." No doubt, Okinawa is today "the big bad USA's" military colony.

There are 33 U.S. bases and installations in Okinawa, plus 19 water areas for exclusive use by the U.S. military, some directly connected with installations on land. Besides, there are 20 designated air spaces for the same purpose

You say, the U.S. is "going to be a power for a very long time" because "Japan makes for a nice permanently docked aircraft carrier." To paraphrase what you say, the U.S. intends to keep occupying Japan (Okinawa) indefinitely because Japan is an invincible aircraft carrier for the U.S. that guards against rising China.

And you blatantly say, "Get used to it." To paraphrase again, what you want to say is that Okinawa must shoulder these burdens forever. This is a hawkish mind's typical hubris that must be crushed to the nail.
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Ranger_Miffy2Oct. 25, 2011 - 06:59PM JST

"Panetta says US committed to being Pacific power". Sure we are. Next...crickets.
-3

PsyopsOct. 25, 2011 - 10:39PM JST

33 bases seems a bit excessive but look at it this way, thats a much cheaper price than us keeping the whole island instead. Japan is lucky we gave it back to them in the 70s. IMO we should have kept it all and not waste our time being generous to a defeated opponent.
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voiceofokinawaOct. 25, 2011 - 11:21PM JST

To Psyops:

So you believe in colonialism where the law of the jungle dominates the world and where the weak fall prey to the strong. In other words, you want the U.S. to be an imperialist nation -- an empire like the Roman Empire or the Mongol Empire. Colonialism is a thing of the past, you know.
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Aaron OkoroOct. 26, 2011 - 07:42AM JST

@Voiceofokinawa

I think the point Psyops was trying to make is that the U.S isn't an imperialistic nation, and Okinawa is proof of that. If the U.S was an imperialistic power Korea, Japan including Okinawa would be the 51st & 52nd states of the U.S. However, that is not the case but the U.S does maintain troops in those nations for mutual defense, and mutual interest at the behest of these foreign governments. And if the U.S is no longer welcome by the central governments of said nations we simply leave as was the case in the Phillipines. It is really that simple.
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OssanAmericaOct. 26, 2011 - 07:47AM JST

The US presence in Japan and South Korea is nothing like China's presence in Tibet.
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voiceofokinawaOct. 26, 2011 - 12:10PM JST

Old-time colonialism was motivated by greed for land and its rich natural resources. Colonial powers of yesteryear invaded foreign territories out of such greed, stealing the resources there in the broad daylight. The law of the wild was the only yardstick which was taken for granted in the colonial era.

That type of colonialism has gone into history now. But Psyops says: "IMO we should have kept it all (the whole island of Okinawa) and not waste our time being generous to a defeated opponent." This is a mode of thinking based solely on old-time colonialism.

Now, Asron Okoro says, "[T]he U.S. isn't an imperialistic nation, and Okinawa is proof of that," adding that if the U.S. was an imperialistic power, then Japan including Okinawa would be its 51st state. This is a moot question that must be clarified because there are many critics who sarcastically argue that Japan is indeed the U.S.'s 51 state and Okinawa its military colony.

If Japan's political leaders act off the track laid down by Washington, they are certain to face trouble incurred by Washington and often lose their political life.

So Aaron Okoro's following statement is completely false: "And if the U.S is no longer welcome by the central governments of said nations we simply leave as was the case in the Phillippines. It is really that simple." Look what happened to Yukio Hatoyama, former Prime Minister of Japan, who simply suggested that Futenma be relocated outside Okinawa and who also tried to approach China with an emphasis on friendship rather than containment.
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Photoman333Oct. 26, 2011 - 08:21PM JST

voiceofokinawa: If Japan's political leaders act off the track laid down by Washington, they are certain to face trouble incurred by Washington and often lose their political life.

Don't kid yourself. The mood in the US is quickly swinging towards pulling armed forces home. And you can be sure that will be especialy true in places where we're not wanted. The OccupyWallStreet movement is growing exponentially and now has a lot of supporters in the US military. So sit tight - you'll be happy with the outcome as time goes on.
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realdollOct. 26, 2011 - 09:17PM JST

Not only is the mood swinging but Rep Ron Paul has gotten more donations from military officers than all other candidates combined this year... and three years ago when he ran for President. Also we're broke, how will we stay in Okinawa? Borrow money from the Chinese?
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PT24881Oct. 26, 2011 - 09:43PM JST

@notasap

Admittedly, the US, judging from current status, is a " superpower " that would last for "very very long time" as per your point provided one keeps persuading the world that the mandatory superpower is legitimized by behavior of a genuine world leader, demonstrating a good example sharing the value of democracy & justice & bringing peace to the world..just turn on your TV, news about US troops, arm sales, aircraft carriers, military bases,military exercises... related to this so-called Superpower imply nothing more than a super military power than a genuine superpower respected by the mankind. I had a dream !