Saturday, December 11, 2004
Rising sun
For most of my adult life I have assumed that the remilitarization of Japan would destabilize the western Pacific. Now I'm not so sure. Since September 11 the United States has focused on the world between Casablanca and Jakarta, broadly defined, and Cairo to Islamabad more narrowly defined. We could use the help in East Asia, even if it means living with more assertiveness from Tokyo. The Japanese, for their part, seem to understand that American security guarantees are not as credible as they once were, for lack of resources more than for lack of fighting spirit.
2 Comments:
By 
a guy in pajamas, at
Mon Dec 13, 06:30:00 AM:
Why did you assume a remilitarized Japan would destabilize the western Pacific?
Of course, if by "remilitarized" you mean militarily imperialist, I can see that. But Japan is a liberal democracy. I would trust a fully armed Japan long, long before I would trust China or N. Korea.
By fester, at
Mon Dec 13, 08:27:00 AM:
WRT Japanese troops training on American soil, that happens fairly routinely for Japanese Air Self Defense Forces, as there is an active exchange program between the F-15 wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska and the F-15J units of the JASDF. I also think that the Japanese also participate in Red Flag as an allied contigent. I also know that Japanese MSDF ships routinely participate in RIMPAC exercises that tend to be based out of either Pearl Harbor, Bremerton WA, or San Diego. I am not sure about the ground forces though. So you are right on that it is a non-issue with any significant number of American vets on where the Japanese train.
