Trump criticizes post-World War II military pact with Japan

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill


BY BRETT SAMUELS - 06/26/19 08:43 AM EDT

President Trump on Wednesday criticized a post-World War II defense treaty with Japan hours before he departed for the Group of 20 Summit in Osaka, describing the agreement as imbalanced.

In an interview with Fox Business Network, Trump was asked whether he's working on trade deals with Japan, India and other countries in Southeast Asia when he took the opportunity to rail against what he perceived as unfair military pacts.

“Let me start off with a general statement," Trump said. "Almost all countries in this world take tremendous advantage of the United States. It’s unbelievable."

"We have a treaty with Japan. If Japan is attacked we will fight World War III. We will go in and we will protect them and we will fight with our lives and with our treasure," Trump continued.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/450382-trump-criticizes-post-world-war-ii-military-pact-with-japan

[TreasonousBastard]

1. I'm sure he would love to see the Japanese navy back up to full strength...

along with the Wehrmacht.

And both with nukes.

Japan and Germany have spent their postwar years building their economies and social structures, not their military. We could have done the same.

[Zambero]

2. What an ignorant buffoon

A major motivation for the post-WWII treaty with Japan is a strategically-located U.S. military presence in the region as a deterrent, given the rise of the Soviet Union under Stalin. The other was to preclude Japan from re-militarization, as Germany had done years after WWI in the lead-up to its aggressive quest to conquer Europe and beyond under Hitler. Portraying this as "fighting WWIII" if Japan is attacked, overlooks the fact that WWIII has been prevented thus far under this arrangement. This latest bullshit rant is along the lines of Trump's efforts to disparage and destabilize NATO, very much to the delight of his Moscow Master.

[Historic NY]

3. He going to renegotiate the US Constitution next.

[MiniMe]

4. Considering that treaty was signed shortly after we dropped a few nuclear bombs on them, there was a

reason it was written how it was written.

[keithbvadu2]

5. "Happy Memorial Day" to Japanese troops?

“Happy Memorial Day” to Japanese troops?

Did Donald bring up Pearl Harbor during his visit to Japan?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212134070

Donald recognizes the ultimate sacrifice made by the military in WWll by saying “Happy Memorial Day” to Japanese troops.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017542438

https://www.mediaite.com/trump/awkward-trump-wishes-happy-memorial-day-to-members-of-japanese-military/

[Blue_Tires]

6. Does Trump not understand how alliances work?

[MBS]

9. apparently not.

We are in danger every minute this moron is in the White House.

[Progressive Jones]

11. Trump doesn't understand how shoelaces work... nt

[SkyDaddy7]

7. Trump Truly is STUPID!!

WTF!?!?

[Nitram]

8. If he didn't personally agree to it, Trump despises any treaty to which the US is a signatory.

It's one symptom of his psychopathological narcissism.

[TomSlick]

10. Simply amazing!

This buffoon has no sense of history or geopolitics.

God help us.

[Marcuse]

12. Because the 1951 treaty was negotiated out of US weakness.

[soryang]

13. This is similar to his rants about South Korea

It's his idea of a bargaining tactic to get Japan to pay more for US military bases and if possible costs of US military operations in the region. Additionally, it puts more pressure on the ally to purchase additional weapons systems made in the US.