10 Comments

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  thepro at 10:41 AM JST - 21st May

  Schieffer loves sticking his nose into other countries business. He did it in Australia, and now he does it in Japan.

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  Sarge at 02:55 PM JST - 21st May

  "Schieffer loves sticking his nose into other countries' business"

  Yeah, he should just keep quiet and let the country to which he is ambassador continue to underfund their defense.

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  NeoJamal at 10:50 PM JST - 21st May

  Just what can Japan expect in return from the United States in defense for the increased spending? more C-130 flights from Yokota to nations that remotely pose a threat to Japan?

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  Maruku at 11:19 PM JST - 21st May

  Wonder how much of a proponent he'd be if the Japanese bought kit from BAE or from the French ... my guess is that then spending would be bad and Japan was preparing for some post WW2 revival of the military, as opposed to being responsible and a team player. Puleeze! Lobby elsewhere for Boeing and Co.

  And who is this guy anyway, trying to convince a country that was nuked to hawk-up their pacifist constitution? The US no longer has the moral authority to be able to pull off this bullying and insinuation with their friends. Have another function, drink wine, and do whatever it is that embassy types do, but leave the bargaining to the people in charge.

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  Maruku at 11:31 PM JST - 21st May

  Also interesting how this comes at a time when relations with china are beginning to thaw ...

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  mareo2 at 12:01 AM JST - 22nd May

  Thinking on how expensive is payig the US bases on J, what he say make sense. Just dont send J troops to Irak or Afganistan, send americans from the bases on J.

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  Papawhale at 12:16 AM JST - 22nd May

  The USA has bases in 133 countries around the world...do you think that's enough? Their "defense" budget is more than all others combined and is paid for by borrowing from China, Japan, Holland, etc. What it is is a bloated beast of profiteers and it wants Japan to expand and join those pigs at the trough. Enough!

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  KitsuneYoukai at 04:56 AM JST - 22nd May

  I think that getting Japan to strengthen it's defense is good idea. Perhaps one day the US will decide to pull out completely then what? China is still a communist country edging for more land and who knows what else. And if that changes there is still the way it is managing to spread their influence to gain power economically and building of their military. So, with all of Asia basically against Japan (still) they should begin to consider future possibilities and plan for it.

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  DontWhine at 10:26 AM JST - 24th May

  Never type in a hurry -- or at least spell check it.

  Here is the corrected version.

  "Have another function, drink wine, and do whatever it is that embassy types do, but leave the bargaining to the people in charge."

  Strangely the Ambassador is in charge... at least to the extent that s/he is the personal representative of the US President to the country in which s/he is stationed.

  If you haven't already, I encourage you to read the full transcript at http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/e/p/tp-20080520-72.html. It includes the question and answers following the speech.

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  Rekishika at 03:26 PM JST - 24th May

  Hmmmm, I suppose the best advice I could come up with when it comes to an enlightened self-interested urge by the honourable ambassador would be to carefully examine the idea to it's own merits... Japan is following her own course when it comes to defence. One can have criticism, that there could be some more participation in UN-sanctioned peacekeeping missions, that perhaps sometimes real threats (I wouldn't feel entirely comfortable living inside missile range of North Korea) may be a bit overlooked, that deep inside some of the high-and-mighty circles the passions and prejudices that got you into the last war remain a threat to the course taken. But that's the way it is, it's trying to find a balance of being peaceful without making the mistake to think that just because you're not a threat (anymore) no one will attack you...

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