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Vince
Joined: 05 May 2003
Posts: 559
Location: U.S.
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 Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 1:32 pm Post subject: "Recovery, US troops priority of new Japan leader" |
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From: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hlQO-kyvIEyrc0I90V5l0LFN7JTwD9AEGI1G5
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| Hatoyama's Democrats have said they want to re-examine Tokyo's relations with Washington and bring to Japan a more independent stance that, while keeping U.S. relations as a cornerstone of their global policy, also places more emphasis on relations with Japan's Asian neighbors...The two governments are also working out the contentious details of an arrangement to move some 8,000 Marines off of the southern Japan island of Okinawa to the tiny U.S. territory of Guam by 2014. |
This has been a long time coming. WWII is in the past chronologically and culturally, so I think it's time for Japan to get its own military in order and be done with the burden of hosting the US military. I've also felt Japan would be ultimately better off identifying itself politically as an Asian country instead of an honorary Western country. The question is, do we think it'll happen? If so, are there any drawbacks to the larger picture? |
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Cool Teacher
Joined: 18 May 2009
Posts: 930
Location: Here, There and Everywhere! :D
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| Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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What does it mean to say 'politically Asian'?  I think closer friendshit with South korea, China and Taiwan would be good but the variety of political systems in Asia is wide. Being like China, Burma, North Korea would be bad for Japan. |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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| OK... even if it does happen, that's 8000 Marines. How many are actually in Okinawa, because, according to Wikipedia, there are 14,424 in the country? What about the Army, Navy and Air Force troops that are in Okinawa, too? What about the US military in the rest of the country? |
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Vince
Joined: 05 May 2003
Posts: 559
Location: U.S.
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| Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 3:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Cool Teacher wrote: |
| What does it mean to say 'politically Asian'? |
Maybe I should have said geopolitically Asian. My point is that Japan seems to be more interested in its ties with the Western powers than with its civilizational neighbors. I don't think that always works out in Japan's best interest, and it seems Hatoyama agrees. Of course, it's not a "one or the other" prospect, but just leaning more toward the Asian side. This doesn't mean that Japan needs to be "like" the more difficult Asian countries, but just take a more active role in the region. |
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Vince
Joined: 05 May 2003
Posts: 559
Location: U.S.
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| Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 3:31 pm Post subject: |
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| GambateBingBangBOOM wrote: |
| OK... even if it does happen, that's 8000 Marines. How many are actually in Okinawa, because, according to Wikipedia, there are 14,424 in the country? What about the Army, Navy and Air Force troops that are in Okinawa, too? What about the US military in the rest of the country? |
I don't think it's meant to be a complete removal of US forces, but a significant reduction. If this is phase 1 of an eventual elimination, the largest contingent on Okinawa is the most logical choice. |
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