Japanese protest against US base

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News

Thousands of people have protested on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa demanding the removal of a US military base there.

The local mayor called on new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama "to put an end to Okinawa's burden and ordeal".

Japan and the US agreed in 2006 to relocate the Futenma base from an urban area to reclaimed land but the PM's election has rekindled opposition.

The protest comes ahead of this week's visit by US President Barack Obama.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8349083.stm

[harmonicon]

1. good for them

There is no legitimate reason for the US to have a military base in another country. We should close all of them.

[ixion]

2. I agree

that would be great, and save billions.

[C_Lawyer09]

4. Extremely naive

While it isn't neccessary to have 700 plus over 130 countries, maybe not Futenma, you are certainly being naive and a little ridiculous to assert that we as the current uni-polar world power don't need any posts or bases that are strategically located. Emotion based arguments don't make International Relations theory, detente, containment, etc. go away. Have you ever heard of Viktor Bout? Without any forward force capability Bout and those like him will take full advantage of the power vacuum as Bout already did during the aftermath of the break-up of the Soviet Union. I've read Blowback and the two other Chalmers Books that argue against imperialism/overstretch, and I certainly think we need to scale back, but closing all overseas posts and bases is plain stupid.

[nyy1998]

6. Agreed

[izquierdista]

7. Who's naive?

Small minds who only understand force-based relations. Projecting force with military bases all over the world has been a dismal failure. And trying to project force into an area where there is no functioning government, i.e. Somalia and Afghanistan, does nothing of value and wastes money and lives.

There are many countries that have a better living standard than the "WE'RE #1!" USA: Norway, Finland, Canada, and depending on the metric, maybe a couple dozen others. They have their act together and don't need American military bases to protect them from the Soviets or the Klingons.

There are countries that are relatively isolated and have reasonably good workable relations with their few neighbors like Iceland, Ecuador, Tonga, and Sri Lanka. They don't need American military bases sitting like an obese security guard, eating all their donuts. If the U.S. military need a refueling stop, let them do it like all the other tourists without overstaying their welcome.

There are major countries that are not dependent on any others for their needs. They have well developed agriculture, manufacturing, and service and trade sectors. They have been around as civilizations for a lot longer than the U.S. and they will continue, albeit in changing forms after the U.S. empire is over, countries like France, Italy, Germany, China, and others. They don't need to host American bases, and the United States should view them as allies to be treated on an equal footing. If we won't lease them land for a military base, we shouldn't ask it of them.

So where does that leave these bullshit notions of detente, containment, and nation-building? The first principle should be "don't go unless you are invited". Even if you are invited, it should be a more substantial invitation than the Unocal department manager who wants to be the mayor of Kabul. It is impossible to get a blanket invitation from everyone, but if you come bearing gifts instead of weapons, you may get a plurality of acceptance.

The face that America presents to wretched countries that have shitty living conditions and need some kind of help is not a good one. It is either the American military culture, complete with on-base Burger King, or the for-profit corporation, which only sees some type of wealth to be extracted. There's far too little of the 'Doctors without Borders' type, builders of roads and schools, and agricultural agents with advice and seeds. If there were more of the latter, there would be no need for the former.

[jwirr]

14. Well said. It makes me wish I could recommend individual posts.

I am sure that many in the government know this but not enough to do anything about it. When you military becomes part of your jobs systems you are in trouble. Imagine unemployment if we brought them all home. That said I still think we should bring them home an invest the money in our own country.

[harmonicon]

21. +1

[drdtroit]

22. +1 n/t

[poverlay]

27. I would like to see most of them closed. We need a new paradigm. Smaller posts and quick response

type stuff.

That said, I think that after the blood shed during WWII to secure bases in the western Pacific we should be extremely reluctanct to close them.

[psychopomp]

28. I'd say you are

No f'n way should we leave Okinawa. Yeah, it's tough for the Okinawans but they have been getting it from every side for awhile and there is no use in trying to change that. If the Japanese government wants to ease the strain on the Okinawans they can build another base on Kyushu.

The "unsinkable aircraft carrier" known as Japan served its purpose during the Cold War and until the Chinese stop looking aggressive let's keep our presence on the other side of the Pacific.

Japan lost, we won. Those bases are the spoils of war and strategically vital (Guam won't do; just look at a map). They are lucky to have us protecting their asses and they know it.

[patrick t. cakes]

40. +1

[Mudoria]

42. -1

[jorgebob28]

13. Okinawans' Dislike Of The Bases

Another reason Okinawans want bases closed is that they shoulder the overwhelming burden of American military presence in Japan. I think it's around 70-75%. The mainland Japanese are more than happy to locate the bases far away on Okinawa. The bases occupy a lot of arable land on a small island and really the only happy ones are the landowners who collect rent for the land used by the bases. Futenma is right smack in the middle of the island surrounded by towns and villages and along with Kadena AFB create a lot of negative conditions for the locals such as excessive noise (as in not being able to hear teachers in school) to general boorish and criminal behavior by the "occupiers". Another thing Americans don't understand is the the Japanese pay for our services, we don't give anything away out of good will. We are global mecenaries. I was born on Okinawa and went through the US base DOD school system and my Dad was a DOD civilian so I have some direct knowledge of what's going on there. I left after 18 years for college in the US.

Also, to the idiot trying to link whaling to the bases, how about cleaning your own bottom and quit consuming so much of the world's resources or raping the U.S. western public lands for cheap cattle grazing just to get $1.00 McBurgers?

[Bonobo]

38. +1,000

[Andronex]

20. yeah, right...

The world is too uncivilized it needs the empire to create bogus wars for corporate profit.

[Plucketeer]

24. Really???

Which foreign nations should we invite to build installations on our shores??? I mean - think of the monetary boost to our economy with all that foreign currency flowing in! Heck, the Chinese OWN this place, why shouldn't they be allowed military bases here???

[AntiFascist]

26. Wasn't Victor Bout tied to certain figures in the Religious Right?

We'd probably have more luck shutting down the Religious Right.

http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/165/29582.html

[L0oniX]

35. Bull shit. WTF made us the fucking world rulers? Go away!

[Speciesamused]

3. I agree, there is no reason for any American troops

to have a base in any country. Bring all the troops home
all over the world.
The military industrial complex
must be put to an end. Now and forever. Ta.

[Joanne98]

5. They been trying to get rid of us forever.

[DissedByBush]

17. And they'll be crying over their sake when they do

I've seen what happens to small local economies when the military bases leave. It isn't pretty.

I wouldn't mind if we saved the money and left.

[Kablooie]

39. There have been years of rapes and murders of Okinawan women and the people have no legal recourse.

All crimes that American soldiers commit must be prosecuted by the military, not the government so most crimes against Okinawans go unpunished.

If I were Okinawan I'd want them out of there too!

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

8. The funny thing about Okinawa is,

horrible crimes aside, on a day to day basis the ones the locals REALLY hate are the soldiers wives who have nothing better to do than get shitfaced and be obnoxious.

[ensho]

9. good, close the base

nt

[zonkers]

10. Stop slaughtering whales and dolphins and we will remove the base. No we won't but stop it anyway.

[Submariner]

11. I'm 100% behind you on that

that would be a great bargaining chip

[zonkers]

12. I am not suprised prnce namor is pro sea-mammal. The next 50 years better be about "the oceans"

or we are fucked. They hold the key to our extended survival on this planet.

[TheCML]

25. Maybe we will have room to talk.

When we abandon our inhumane factory farming practices.

[yowzayowzayowza]

15. Futenma shoulda been shut down when the NAS closed.

n/t

[ShamelessHussy]

16. Unfortunately, they are stuck with us until we finally go bankrupt or the Chinese take over

which ever comes first... probably bankruptcy, quickly followed by the chinese.

[penndragon69]

18. We need a base in the region.

But NOT in Okinawa.

Relocate the base to a US possession like GUAM.

It may be a little further off but we would still be in the neighborhood
if the ramen hits the fan.

[ShamelessHussy]

19. is there enough room?

they already got a large navy base there... and i could ride my bike across the island in an afternoon :shrug:

[Turbineguy]

23. In general it's never a good thing

to have foreign troops on your soil.

[NutmegYankee]

30. Even we in the USA have foreign troops here

The German air force trains on American soil.

[Arctic Dave]

31. I know of no German base located in the United States.

Or any other countries for that matter.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

32. Luftwaffe Advanced Flight Training Center in New Mexico

It is a permanent deployment of approximately 800 airmen and 30 fighters,

[Arctic Dave]

43. It is their own base or are they a detachment on a US base.

Two totally different animals.

[Turbineguy]

41. Under the NATO agreements

there are German military in the Netherlands and Dutch troops in Germany. I'm guessing it's the same for France.

[Vidar]

29. Good.

[TaffyMoon]

33. Time to go home people...

You've worn out your welcome.

[AsahinaKimi]

34. I agree with moving out of Okinawa...

Cape Kyan Okinawa

[miyazaki]

36. Get the fuck out, and take your Big Macs with you.

The US has been raping Okinawa for 1.5 centuries.

[Bonobo]

37. Yes!

In fact did you know that Commodore Perry stole the fucking BELL from Gokoku-ji! Temple?!?

Okinawa didn't get it back until after WW2.

Perry was a fucking asshole. Basically just ran over Okinawa so he could store coal there.