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INTEREST: Hayao Miyazaki Voices Support for Demilitarizing Okinawa

The American presense in Okinawa is not only important for protecting Japan militarily, we are *obligated* to maintain that presence in order to protect Japan. After WWII *we* created their constitution, and *we* told them that they could no longer maintain a military (however much the "Self-defense" Force skirts this), which means we accepted that burden and have carried it ever since. I don't regret us doing so one bit.

Okinawa was conquored a long time ago by the Japanese, IIRC, and while it is considered part of Japan, it's not "as Japanese" as the home islands, as far as I understand it. So expecting things to improve there if the US pulls or even reduces its military bases (and the foreign money they bring to the region) is very unlikely to happen, IMO. This is just political posturing by people who are using the resentment of barbarians on Japanese soil to garner support.

Eventually China is going to come knocking, and when they do, Japan is going to need us there, and I hope that if and when that day comes, we *will* be there, doing what MacArthur intended for us to do.

China's growing power means that now the US lack's the resources to actually enforce it's hegemony in East Asia. Therefore, we have two options:

1. Japan increases it's military expenditures and build's up a powerful military, given the country's large economy this is possible. As to maintain the balance of power in East Asia against Chinese hegemony.

2. Just accept Chinese hegemony and the US removes all the bases in East Asia. China might invade places like Taiwan and Okinawa. I don't think China would want to invade Japan or Korea because that would risk WW3 and nuclear exchange with the US or Russia. Mutual assured destruction kinda guarantees the physical integrity of the world today.

The US doesn't need to enforce a hegemony over all of East Asia, and I suspect over time that we'll end up drawing back in some areas. We just need to make sure we have the power to support Japan and, possibly, Taiwan.

And it'll be a cold day in Hell before the US accepts #2. I don't see that being a serious possibly in the near future.

Regardless, the US isn't going to pull out of Okinawa unless it is somehow forced to do so.

Oh, and I can see a war between the US and China that doesn't devolve into a full-scale nuclear exchange. So while that's certainly a possibility, it's not a very likely outcome the way I look at things.

Is this base located on the island which is in dispute over sovereignty between Japan and China?

Getting Abe out of office will ensure peace in Eastern Asia, the man is a tyrant who wants war with China and Korea knowing all too well Japan will be curbstomped if he does, and makes unsuspecting foreigners pay his stupid 8% consumption tax. That tax needs to go ASAP, it's killing the Japanese economy and he wants to raise it even more next year, he needs some sense slapped into him.

Eventually China is going to come knocking, and when they do, Japan is going to need us there, and I hope that if and when that day comes, we *will* be there, doing what MacArthur intended for us to do.

Oh, and I can see a war between the US and China that doesn't devolve into a full-scale nuclear exchange. So while that's certainly a possibility, it's not a very likely outcome the way I look at things.

I really should stop being surprised at the uniformity of the japanese people. Liberals and conservatives both want the expulsion of the foreign barbarian devils from their sacred homogeneous land, but are taking slightly different paths to try and make it happen. Xenophobia and racial exceptionalism makes for some strange bedfellows.

and makes unsuspecting foreigners pay his stupid 8% consumption tax. That tax needs to go ASAP

joshjoshlol wrote:

I really should stop being surprised at the uniformity of the japanese people. Liberals and conservatives both want the expulsion of the foreign barbarian devils from their sacred homogeneous land, but are taking slightly different paths to try and make it happen. Xenophobia and racial exceptionalism makes for some strange bedfellows.

Your sarcasm kind of indicates you are not aware of the decades long tension between US military personnel and Japanese citizens, especially in Okinawa; everything ranging from US soldiers raping underage girls to drug trafficking. It extends beyond some simple branding of "xenophobia". When it gets to the point the news has to celebrate that US military only committed 32 crimes last year, it should indicate a bigger underlying issue.

If you put 47,000 people on an island some of them are going to commit a crime at some point. I don't even. Kinda ridiculous given that the local crime rate is so much higher.

MarshalBanana wrote:

Is this base located on the island which is in dispute over sovereignty between Japan and China?

No, it's located on the island of Okinawa, the sovereignty of which is not disputed. The islands, actually, you're thinking of is a chain called Senkaku. (Taiwan also claims sovereignty, which geographically makes the most sense of the three.)

I sure as heck wouldn't like it if we had a foreign military strutting around on our soil.

The global economy is to interlinked for old school cold war geopolitics, unless money can be made from the situation.