Japanese Govt Weary of Billions Spent Subsidizing US Forces
Submitted by LatinsforPaul on Mon, 02/08/2010 - 11:34
Japanese Govt Weary of Billions Spent Subsidizing US Forces
By Jason Ditz On
When the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) took office last year, they ended nearly a half century of unbroken rule by the Liberal Democratic Party, and also broke the unwritten rule of Japanese politics: not to question America.
The DPJ instantly started a clash with the US over deals made by the previous government on US military bases. The US, unused to being questioned on its policy in Japan, has flat out refused to negotiate going forward.
But while it is unclear how much the DPJ can really do about the base deals, it is proving increasingly reluctant to accept the “kindness budget,” a euphemism for the annual outlay (currently at about $2 billion) of Japanese government funds to subsidize the US forces in Okinawa.
With US bases eating up a good chunk of Okinawa and the US demanding $6 billion in “relocation costs” from Japan to move 8,000 of those troops to Guam, the DPJ is increasingly seeing these expenses, particularly during the economic crisis, as something they can do without.
Continue reading: http://news.antiwar.com/2010/02/07/japanese-govt-weary-of-bi...
»
- Login to post comments
I always thought the US
I always thought the US taxpayer was paying to protect Japan.
Well at any rate, I agree with the Japanese who think it is time for US forces to go home. We have a border at home that needs protecting.
Title should read 'Japanese Govt Wary of...' not 'Weary of'
Common mistake.
http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/wary.html
Maybe they should have
Maybe they should have thought of that several billion dollars ago...
The Article Doesn't Mention The History of Okinawa,,,
,,,,or the rest of Japan.
http://rca.open.ed.jp/web_e/history/story/hisindex5.html
After Japan lost WW II the Japanese islands were split up, with some of the northern islands still under Russian rule, to this day.
The U.S. was awarded Okinawa after the war, and it was treated like a U.S. territory, until 1972, when Okinawa officially became a part of Japan.
The Japanese might spend billions of dollars but I doubt very much that it's all spent in Okinawa, since the U.S. still has several bases on some of the other Japanese islands.
Personally, I agree with Ron Paul, close down our bases around the world and bring the troops home to protect the home borders.
beesting
America took away from Japan its ability to defend itself and
now requires repayment for having done so--
poorly done, 'land of the free'--
poorly done--
*sad*
it's hard to be awake; it's easier to dream--
Imperial America Is Finished
No doubt the same neocons who claimed the world needed a policeman (and you know who they had in mind for the job) will now transfer their allegiance to some sort of "multilateral force."
World government is on its way.
_____________________________
"Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it." -- Joseph Goebbels
Hidden benefit
The real reason Japan should pay the US to keep troops stationed there is to expose their inbred genes to our black soldiers thereby enriching their little island. There can be no price tag put on such a gift!
If you read nothing else, read this: A Contract Between Americans
Speaking of gene pool...
Can you please get out of mine?
Is a Darwin Award for you too much to ask for?
Racist
Diversity is strength!
Why do you want a weak Japan?
Are you a racist?
If you read nothing else, read this: A Contract Between Americans
You sound like a politician.
You sound like a politician.
Mods, this is not good--
comment
amen--
in poor taste and insulting--
it's hard to be awake; it's easier to dream--
Japan is not allowed to have a military of their own
due to the fact that the U.S. had a hand in writing the Japanese Constitution after Japan surrendered in WWII. This is what I was told by a friend who was working in Japan in 2008.
The Japanese people were concerned about the threat from N. Korea, and felt they needed the protection we offer since they don't have the ability to protect themselves.
I think that after 65 years of friendly commerce with Japan, we should trust them to form their own destiny.
The US & Japan had a nice partnership for 50 years
It was mutually beneficial.
Japan was poor and weak after the war. America needed a bulkwark to protect against the threat of Communist China, and its potential spread elsewhere in Asia.
Look at a map. Japan forms a perfect shield. In exchange for opening our markets, we got to put our bases in Japan, and keep an eye on China. Japan paid the bills.
China is becoming less and less of a threat. As a singular export market, the US is less important. Japan is tired of paying the bills, and there is less of a perceived need to protect against China as during the cold war.
If we pulled out of Japan, Japan would need to rearm itself in a big way against China.
Thanks for the article.
If you would change that to
If you would change that to "the governments of the U.S. and Japan had a nice partnership" I might agree.
This nonsense should have ended decades ago.
_____________________________
"Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it." -- Joseph Goebbels
Japan is on the financial ropes.
JAL is $30B in the hole and now bankrupt.
Toyota is having mega problems with recalls and consumer confidence.
Japan has a huge debt and has never fully recovered from their last crash.
They need money.