U.S. base issue continues haunting Hatoyama cabinet in Diet

Saturday 31st October, 05:34 AM JST

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sfjp330 at 10:16 AM JST - 31st October

This might be a deliberate tactic to gauge public and US reaction before reaching a decision, a method often used by the long-ruling LDP in the past. Even if not implemented, the disputes reflected the new government’s pledge to have politicians, not bureaucrats, take the lead on policies. The important thing is that disagreements are managed, that there is a process for resolving disputes and formulating policies that all can accept once the prime minister makes his decision.
mindovermatter at 10:43 AM JST - 31st October

Confused? Maybe this is on purpose. I don't think Hatoyama is confused, he must have read Sun Tsu's book.. he is patient and letting the US side wonder, a game of poker.

The U.S. doesn't care.... They already signed a deal.

He may think he's playing a poker hand, If indeed he does think this, the only ones he fooling and confusing is his party and his own people...
smithinjapan at 10:56 AM JST - 31st October

alphawolf: I give credit to Hatomaya for being smart on an intellectual level, but you give him TOO MUCH credit if you think he's smart on a decision making level. The guy has been making bold statements about relationships with the US and then when the US simply says 'no' about something they quickly falter and succumb. He shouldn't be making such statements to begin with if he can't follow through -- which he clearly can't. Pathat is bang on in saying that Hatoyama is weak. I don't like the LDP, and think they bring up a lot of rubbish to try and make the DPJ look bad, but they are correct here in pointing out inconsistancies and a lack of concise plans.
Sarge at 11:24 AM JST - 31st October

"The U.S. doesn't care... They already signed a deal."

Yeah, but that was with the LDP. So heck, they can go ahead and sign a new deal with the DPJ moving Futenma out of Okinawa or Japan, and then when the next Republican administration comes in in 2013, they can renegotiate it again.
alphawolf at 11:24 AM JST - 31st October

Nope, I never gave him credit on the decision making level..I don't know much about him. But I am giving Mr Gates no credit for the "red faced pissed off look" he exposed or the taunts of "get it done before my president arrives in Nov" or the "there will be consequences" demands.. The US has backed out of agreements of prior administrations and the Japanese can do the same.. can they not??

What I am saying though is that the Japanese I have met who are educated in the states, feel more confident at dealing with Americans than ones that graduated from a university in Japan. Living in the US they might even have developed anti Americanism.. possibly because of some perceived racism. Living in the states and getting a PhD allows them to shed the inferiority complex and become less willing to be one who would deal with a lowly cabinet secetary or a military General... and expect to sit down face to face with the US president as an equal an talk things out a little. Why not..is this asking too much? Hatoyama's backround gives him the confidence (blind or real) to say "I'll make the decision when I am ready to, not when your Leutenants tell me to".. I don't see this as a sign of weakness or inexperience. It is precisely the opposite.. the yes man gets no respect.. the one who might say no isn't taken for granted..aw
alphawolf at 11:26 AM JST - 31st October

It has been over 15 yrs hashing this out, and the LDP hasn't sped things up at all.. what difference is another 6-12 more months?? aw
timorborder at 12:14 PM JST - 31st October

If anything, this whole charade shows just how politically naive the new government of Japan is. Firstly, they have yet to realize the difference between electioneering (telling the electorate what they want to here) and governing (modifying policies in accordance with political realities). Secondly, I don't think this is currently a US-Japan problem. Until such time as the Japanese government sorts out its own affairs, there is little point in the US losing much sleep over this issue.
apecNetworks at 03:39 PM JST - 31st October

In academic terms, what the Hatoyama Cabinet is undergoing is invaluable to see what the LDP was subjected to behind closed doors. The Hatoyama Cabinet doesn't know the high pressure involved w/ US Bases, and the internet is showing clearly that in fact high pressure is involved, openly. Only those closely associated to the negotiations knew the nature of the talks, but the DPJ has very limited knowledge of "secret talks" which has evolve for over 5 decades w/ the LDP. For the LDP, the pressure is old news, but for the Japanese public and Asia observers, this is INVALUABLE insight into US/Japan relations. Democracy in action.
apecNetworks at 04:15 PM JST - 31st October

As a side note, Sec. of Defense Gates should have a Japan Specialist w/ him. To address PM Hatoyama on the bases, who has over 70% approval rating, he might as well just go on NHK and address the nation as he addressed PM Hatoyama.
Newsman at 04:32 PM JST - 31st October

The US has backed out of agreements of prior administrations

I am hardly an expert on the entire 220-year foreign policy of the United States, but my first response would be, "No, they haven't." If anyone can show otherwise -- and by that I mean reporting facts and showing sources, not just Internet bloviating -- I would be indebted to your efforts.

and the Japanese can do the same.. can they not??

In a strictly literal sense, sure, Japan can do whatever it wants anytime it wants to. Of course, there's the little matter of balancing costs and benefits. The key question here is, if a country can repudiate any treaty or international agreement anytime there is a change in administrations, how can that country ever expect to do business with the rest of the world? Japan has had five prime ministers since 2006. If each prime minister had come into office with a different approach to foreign policy, the rest of the world would have forever given up on dealing with Japan; the attitude would likely have been "why bother signing anything with Japan, because you never know what they'll decide next year."

International agreements usually include a mechanism for ending a country's participation in said agreement. If Japan wants to continue having its word accepted in the international arena, it will have to play by the rules and follow whatever the agreements say are the appropriate steps for ending the American presence in Japan.
apecNetworks at 05:03 PM JST - 31st October

To Newsman:

If the US is already prepared for a possible pullout, would a deal w/ the Philippines already be in the cards?
apecNetworks at 05:26 PM JST - 31st October

It should be noted that my posts above is just geopolitical beer talk in a pub while in grad school, but some people locally do get irritated over it.
sharky1 at 09:05 PM JST - 31st October

The deal is....stick with the agreement, or nothing will change in Okinawa...Nothing to be confused about.
rogerbentham at 04:34 AM JST - 1st November

hell, we should have a major base in every japanese city. what's wrong with japan? koizumi knows, he'd support our cowboys and the countrywide base proposal. yee haw!
panzerkampwagen at 11:11 AM JST - 1st November

extremely shaky’’ and ‘‘irresponsible’’ stance on the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma Air Station in Okinawa

What??? I hope the people of Japan wake up from 'colonial' mentality. The Okinawa was japan's soil not US soil, it was a shame that the LDP has been a lapdog just know doing what the master has instructed to do for 60 years! Wake up, the land of okinawa was Japan owned, those yanks has no right to instruct whatsoever. If japan wants to be respected by all asian people, she has to do something! it was a myth that japan needs uncle sam 24/7/365! The world can goes around without the heels of the GIs!