Posted on 04/05/2016 6:06:04 PM PDT by AmericanInTokyo
Just pay for the cost. That’s all Trump is asking
Er, yes. Making Japan pay for some of its defense is a terrible thing to consider. The US Defense gravy train must continue. It’s important that, for example, US Beef farmers pay for Japan’s defense while being locked out of Japanese markets. The entire world will collapse unless all these moocher nations keep getting all that free US protection.
“Red Chinese commentary, OTOH, while angry about Donald Trump comments, seems welcoming of the possible fissure in US-Japan Alliance tactical relations were Trump somehow elected.”
This reaction on the part of China will give the Donald even more negotiating power with Japan. Go Trump. It’s about time we stop being saps.
Don’t we actually pay Japan to keep our bases there?? Yes we do...
Dear Shinzo,
Blow the dust off your checkbook.
Love,
America.
” The entire world will collapse unless all these moocher nations keep getting all that free US protection.”
You need to add a SARC tag! Time for the US Gravy Train to come to the station and shut down!
Before Obama the US averaged over 4% GDP per year in defense spending.
Today we are at 3.5%.
And Japan has averaged less than 1% over the last 20 years.
I'd sure like to hear a cogent case on why we should allow that to continue, versus giving them an ultimatum: Get to 3% in five years or we cut you loose.
Completely.
And the same ultimatum to every treat ally in the world.
No matter what.
The Japanese are FREELOADERS on stupid US largess.
No More!
Well we got to make up our minds what we want to do with Japan. A subsidized vassal or something that we expect to be making a profit?
There won’t be any problem with US and Japan’s relationship as long as Japan helps foot the bill for it’s defense. Given our trade deficit with Japan, that is not asking so much.
This was the US way of buying world influence. We can hardly blame Japan for saying “yes, gracious Master” to something like this.
What are we even buying from Japan any more? It’s like super luxury products.
We have all these allies who never do anything for us. All they do is take our money and use our military when they can. I fail to see how the US gets anything out of all these alliances.
The US purchased world influence, at a time when the USSR loomed larger.
It may be time to readjust strategy, but just to pretend we did not purpose what we purposed is a lie.
Dang, you are right. Sarcasm has become nearly impossible to detect any more.
Yes, it's how we bought post-war influence.
But the USA is MOST influential when the entire world knows we'll seek OUR interests above all others, and unilaterally if necessary.
Right now our allies see us as patsies and bullies. Making them pay their own way is likely to reverse that dynamic.
As for blaming Japan: Hell yes we can, and reasonably so.
From about 1965 onward, 20 years after the war, they have been CAPABLE of defending themselves against all comers.
They chose to rely on Uncle Sugar...and have been hating him ever since.
You posted this crap, how about sticking around to defend it.
We should not abandon Japan. It’s a country with a large, friendly population, not much in the way of natural resources and geographically near large, powerful enemies—a great ally.
And just what did Japan do to force us?
No, we chose. We can’t treat Japan as a pet and then ask why it isn’t a hunting dog.
Our trade deficits are not the fault of Japan. They’re caused by our own local, government-supported, socialist NIMBYs and their evil local regulations against building and manufacturing.
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