19 replies to this topic

[sheikhyerbutay]

Thousands in Japan rally against U.S. base on Okinawa

By Minami Funakoshi

Reuters

February 21, 2016

 

TOKYO (Reuters) - Thousands of people surrounded Japan's parliament on Sunday to protest against government plans to relocate a U.S. military base on Okinawa island, local media reported.

Kyodo news agency said some 28,000 protesters had ringed parliament house in central Tokyo, holding hands and shouting: "Don't build the base". Hundreds more held similar protests across the country, it also reported.

Okinawa was the site of Japan's only land battles in World War Two and many residents there resent the fact that it hosts tens of thousands of U.S. troops and military.

The United States and Japan agreed in 1996 to relocate the base, currently in a heavily populated area, to a new site in Henoko, but many residents of the island have rejected the proposal and want the base moved altogether.

Many residents of Okinawa say they associate U.S. bases with noise, pollution and crime.

(Editing by Miral Fahmy)

 

 

What are your thoughts on this?   Seventy-one years since the end of World War 2.   Is the world ready to have Japan in charge of it's own defenses now?

[unowin]

It is very strange to see an attempt to launch a political discussion on forum dedicated to the entertainment industry.

[DomScatterbrain]

I heard local mayor won election because he oppose US base in Okinawa, wasn't it?

[minaeshi]

It is very strange to see an attempt to launch a political discussion on forum dedicated to the entertainment industry.

its posted in a thread called "discussion lounge" where you post recent topics, it's a recent topic that they want to discuss so it works lol. 

there has been a lot more odd things on this part of the forum tbh 

[Zabieru]

Understandable, I know that if I lived on Okinawa I wouldn't be too happy about it. I'm not really familiar with Japan's overall attitude towards our presence there, but if they want the bases gone then I would think it's about time, the war ended 70 years ago. They would need to change their constitution though, probably. With countries like China and North Korea being more aggressive in that area we can't just leave them and at the same time not allow them to have a standing army. 

[sheikhyerbutay]

 

It is very strange to see an attempt to launch a political discussion on forum dedicated to the entertainment industry.

its posted in a thread called "discussion lounge" where you post recent topics, it's a recent topic that they want to discuss so it works lol. 

there has been a lot more odd things on this part of the forum tbh 

 

I agree with you minaeshi.  This is the "Discussion Lounge" and it is a topic about Japan, so it fits.
 

 

Understandable, I know that if I lived on Okinawa I wouldn't be too happy about it. I'm not really familiar with Japan's overall attitude towards our presence there, but if they want the bases gone then I would think it's about time, the war ended 70 years ago. They would need to change their constitution though, probably. With countries like China and North Korea being more aggressive in that area we can't just leave them and at the same time not allow them to have a standing army. 

I know the USA's clout with it's trading partners is the military might to protect them.  I feel, however, it is better for the USA to let Japan take care of itself now.  The US can sell them many billions $$$ in ships and aircraft it no longer uses.  The Japanese have the USA out, the USA gets to re-coup billions of $$$ it has spent on being the free world's policeman.  Japan gets to spend it's money, blood, and treasure doing what so many of it's citizens hated the USA for:  protecting them.

South Korea went through the same type of protests against US military presence about 13 years back.   During the height of the Cold War, the USA built a military base right on the border with North Korea.  This base was literally a sitting duck for destruction had North Korea invaded.  The USA was willing to sacrifice it's own soldiers to protect South Koreans.  As time went by, and the North did not invade, the land around the US military base became prime real estate for development.  (Just like the land around the base in Okinawa)  

South Koreans protested by the thousands to get the US out.  The US said "Okay, fine.  Have it your way.", and they pulled out and re-settled at the original US base at the southern-most tip of the Korean peninsula.  Now if the North invades, it has to smash it's way through the entire nation of South Korea before it can attack most US soldiers.  The US will be blowing the hell out of these invaders as they march south.  South Koreans will be caught in the cross-fire.  

It's kind of funny how the South has reacted to this development.  Silence.  It's like they realized:  "Oh shit!  They took us seriously!"   

[Juandalyn]

Ugh. The already existing US military base on Okinawa is heavily controversial, they should have expected protest.

From what I've heard the problem with these military bases is that they basically have their own laws and some crimes committed by soldiers haven't been solved. It's all really shady.

 

And of course, after 70 years - is there really a need for a military base on Okinawa? Personally I don't think so, especially since Japan doesn't have any conflicts with the US now. If they say they'd use it to monitor North Korea, alright, but Okinawa is pretty far away from the mainland.

 

It's nothing new though. The US also still have many military bases in Germany - honestly, look at this map. Once again, I understand that it was pretty handy in times of the Cold War, but now?

(Then again they usually bring money into the cities around the bases Mönchengladbach, a city close to where I live, has had some problems since the British Army closed their military base because now they're short on tax revenue and they can't find a way to use the territory lol.) 

[sheikhyerbutay]

^ One of my brothers was stationed in Germany for seven years.  I looked for the base he was stationed at on your map, but didn't see the name he used for it.  Just like you described about Monchengladhach, there is a lot of money to be made around military bases. 

My brother made many German friends during his stay there.  He would laugh about the love/hate relationships the locals had for the bases.   Every time the military would go on maneuvers,  they would tear up the country-side with their heavy vehicles.   The farmers would then raise Hell about their land and crops being destroyed.  The military would then pay for the damages.  The farmers actually made more money from the military maneuvers than they did from their crops, so it became kind of a game between the local farmers and the military. 

Brother learned German while there.  He would get a big laugh from listening to the farmers complain about the Americans in English, but then in German they would brag to each how other how much money they made from the latest military maneuvers.    

[Juandalyn]

That's a nice anecdote!

I guess the base your brother was stationed at was already shut down. While I kind of nagged at the many bases I can't deny that they slowly close them all.

[DomScatterbrain]

Japan PM suspends work on US base on Okinawa, agrees to talk

current base:


relocation (and reclamation) plan:

[MocchiMooch]

I just don't get the point.

 

Aside: I hardly support anything my country is involved in anymore, since we have a pedophilic rapist reality TV show star as the frontrunner for the presidential election.

 

But more to the point... Why does the US need to have a military presence in Japan? Why is that at all strategic? Haven't we FAR surpassed any view of Japan as a threat whatsoever? 

 

It's North Korean that I'm more concerned about.

[bloop7676]

^ At this point, the military presence isn't because Japan is considered a threat.  It basically is for what you mentioned - containing any militaristic ambitions from North Korea or China.  The US 7th Fleet operates out of Japan, and is enough of a stabilizing force in the area that I doubt Japan would really want to send them packing even if they had the option.

 

It seems debatable whether so much of the military presence should be in Okinawa in particular, but with the current situation, I think some presence in Japan in general is probably a good idea.  As someone mentioned before, Japan would have to amend its constitution to allow for a full military of its own if they wanted to take over what the US is doing right now, and that would be a highly questionable thing to do.  Even if that happened, building up something comparable to the 7th Fleet would be ridiculously costly, and not really something you'd want to do in bad economic times; it would likely also have the undesirable effect of starting a regional arms race.  Probably it's better to leave things the way they are for now.

[celestia414]

What I am confused about is that their plan isn't to add an extra base, it's to relocate the old one away from a populated area. It seems like they should be in favor of that.

[Moondoggie]

What I am confused about is that their plan isn't to add an extra base, it's to relocate the old one away from a populated area. It seems like they should be in favor of that.

I don't think they are in favour of having ANY base there. A lot of people don't have much faith in the Americans intentions in protecting them and want more ability to defend themselves. In many ways I think local opinion is that it's an occupation rather than a strategic alliance that they have any choice in.

[sheikhyerbutay]

 

What I am confused about is that their plan isn't to add an extra base, it's to relocate the old one away from a populated area. It seems like they should be in favor of that.

I don't think they are in favour of having ANY base there. A lot of people don't have much faith in the Americans intentions in protecting them and want more ability to defend themselves. In many ways I think local opinion is that it's an occupation rather than a strategic alliance that they have any choice in.

 

Ah, and that is the whole point of my posting this in the first place.  The original intent of the air-field was occupation and pacification.  Now it is protection,,,,,,,, aaannnddd occupation, and greasing the wheels of corporate free trade.   Pacification is no longer needed.

It is time (IMHO) for the USA to turn over military issues back to Japan.  Japan has more than enough sons and daughters to enlist into their own self-protection.  This is just in time for Japan to confront China about China's occupation of a group of islands long owned by Japan.  The free-world is sitting quietly watching this happen without doing much (except hollow words).  China is not backing down.  It has re-gained it's strength and now threatens it's neighbors.  North Korea is a proxy of China.  It threatens war continuously.  Now Japan is being robbed of an island chain with mineral riches long owned by them.  A Chinese military take-over of Taiwan will be next.  

[sheikhyerbutay]

Now all US military personnel (18,000 +) are forbidden from drinking and pretty much restricted to base.


http://www.mcclatchy...le82055572.html

[Reddosukai]

Why do not let put foreign bases in the United States if they are allies?

[sheikhyerbutay]

Good question.

[Wlerin]

Because masses of people together (even if they would all be intelligent and reasonable on their own) are always dumb. They become attached to causes and lose sight of the reasons for them.

[sheikhyerbutay]

Here is a related news article about the Senkaku Islands I have mentioned previously. 


https://www.bloomber...-japan-on-alert