Earth Day was a big event this year. Sting sang on the Mall here in Washington. The citizens of Qatar turned off their power for an hour. The U.S. Navy rolled out its new biodiesel-fueled Green Hornet fighter jet.
Okay, maybe the Earth was not so impressed with all the events held in its honor.
But one place where the original spirit of Earth Day prevailed was Okinawa. This past Sunday, 10 percent of all Okinawans gathered to protest the building of another U.S. military base on their island. The proposed base construction would further damage Okinawa's fragile ecosystem and serve as a death sentence for the Japanese dugong, a cousin of the manatee. To save the dugong and assert their right of self-determination, nearly 100,000 people crammed into the town of Yomitan, which is near the largest U.S. military facility in the region, Kadena Air Force Base. They demanded what 90 percent of their fellow Okinawans support: no new U.S. bases.
So far, the Listener-in-Chief has not paid any attention to the democratic wishes of Okinawans, or the rest of Japan for that matter. The Obama administration has put enormous pressure on Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to abide by a 2006 agreement that would close the Futenma air base (a good thing) and open a new base in another part of Okinawa (a bad thing). Hatoyama ran on a platform that opposed base relocation within Okinawa.
On Saturday, just before the mass rally, The Washington Post published an unusual article claiming that Japan had decided to settle the base dispute by agreeing to U.S. conditions. This was, the Post writer observed in an editorial aside, "the first significant good news in a relationship that has been marked by strain, mistrust and befuddlement on both sides."
Good news? For whom?
Good news for nobody, it turns out. The Japanese government immediately denied the report."It must never happen that we accept the existing plan," Hatoyama told reporters in articles published the following day. The proposed relocation site, he continued, would be a "blasphemy against nature."
So, what's up with the Obama administration and its hardball approach to Hatoyama? The president granted the Japanese prime minister a mere 10 minutes of private face-time at the recent nuclear summit, and "Japanese officials were so taken aback by the toughness of Obama's tone that they did not draw up a written record of the words exchanged between the two leaders." Washington has refused to budge from its position on the base. It has gone so far as to leak material to the press (the most likely source of the misinformation in the Post story). The United States has shown greater flexibility in dealing with North Korea, an adversary, than with Japan, an ally for more than six decades.
The uncomfortable truth may be that the Obama administration wants a regime change in Tokyo. It doesn't matter that Hatoyama is the Japanese version of Obama: a new face with a message of change. It doesn't matter that Hatoyama's rebellion is but a tiny squeak: the renegotiation of the 2006 agreement, the closure of the refueling mission for the Afghan War, a plea for greater equality in alliance relations. What matters is the emergence of a Japan that can say no.
Let's be clear: this is not anti-Americanism. There are few voices in Japan that call for an end to the U.S.-Japan alliance. The Hatoyama government sensibly wants to focus a little more on regional relations, particularly with China, and reduce the heavy burden on the Japanese economy of laying out billions of dollars every year to support U.S. military bases.
Hatoyama's approval ratings have plummeted during this face-off with the United States. Washington has pushed the prime minister up against the wall and, frankly, made him look weak and indecisive. The hardball strategy from Washington was clearly designed at first to change the opinion of the Japanese government. Now it seems as though Washington wants to change the Japanese government altogether. Some lawmakers in Hatoyama's government are calling on him to resign if he doesn't resolve the base issue by the end-of-May deadline.
Memo to the president: Don't hold your breath.
The popularity of Hatoyama's party may well hover around 25 percent. But the opposition Liberal Democratic Party's popularity has dropped to 14 percent. The era of blind compliance with U.S. wishes is over. A regime change in Tokyo, facilitated by U.S. intransigence, might still be in the offing. But Washington will still have to deal with a new Japanese foreign policy and certain unavoidable trends in the Japanese economy.
Most importantly, however, Washington will have to deal with the Okinawans, who chose Earth Day to demonstrate how democracy can trump government fiat, ploughshares can trump swords, and green can trump camouflage.
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Meddling by any outside govt. in the affairs of another is usually going to cause more problems than it solves. When the interference is construed to counter popular demands of the people, it will lead inevitably to very hard problems, quite possibly creating divisions that will never heal. It isn't right according to our ideals to impose our military hegemony upon other nations if they don't want it, but it also isn't very smart, if we want to maintain real influence with the population in the area. Govts. come & go (including ours), but the attitude, loyalty & beliefs of the people remain. We ought to respect them.
The US government cannot "meddle" in the Japanese government, and your assertion is absolutely absurd. There are 128 million people here who would not allow that. Stop thinking the US has control over everything in the world. They do not.
We are not imposing anything on the Japanese. I live here, and they like western culture, but they are not obsessed with it. As an American, I can say there is very little to be that excited about anyway.
The hardball strategy is about SECURITY and nothing else. Your post is fallacious at best.
We do exert a great deal of pressure on our "allies" in order to make their governments agree with our desires. When that is done against the popular opinion of their citizens, it easily falls into the category of "meddling by any outside govt." We claim to support freedom and democracy in the world, but recent (and some not-so-recent) actions of our government seems to indicate otherwise.
She is clear and concise about what???...Oh you mean the fact that she wanted to talk about a subject just to agree with someone because she likes the way he writes....oh yes...a great job...
I will leave you with the label of the two most uniformed on these boards; hence, ignorant, absurd and fallacious (terminology originally used)...like I told her...do some actual research into the subjects you post on or find another subject...this one is far above both of you...look up the word fallacy because it is the appropriate term to describe the nonsensical statements you both post about the subject...or do you actually have a point to make other than pointing fingers at me for be right???
Maybe what we need now is another war to gain our independence.
All we can do is try to point out the hypocrisy of the situation and hope that they come around. Americans can't keep promoting democracy in the world and then ignoring it when it doesn’t support their will.
In other countries that may be the case...but you have the wrong idea about what is going on here.
I will say this one last time...the military is here in Japan at the behest of the Japanese government and people BECAUSE they have not army of their own (they have a self-defense force of 250,000 and very limited capability). This decision is a result of a CONSTITUTIONAL DECREE by the Japanese government that hey will have NO MILITARY element.
Now follow along here boys and girls...we are here for protection and to prevent the Chinese from encroaching upon the Japanese territorial waters...all fairly normal in today's world...well, except for the fantasy world you live in...you can like it or not, but those are the facts...now go away!
How about we let bygones be bygones?
Ryuji Kawamitsu, 36, decided it best to not attend the rally.
"It’s not that simple issue," he said as he filled his tank at a gas station in Kitanakagusuku.
"I do not have any resentment to military bases," he said, noting many Americans who live outside the bases have proven themselves good neighbors. "Besides, my grandmother always tells me how Americans were kinder to Okinawans than our Japanese soldiers."
And that is just it. What is Okinawa going to do for an economy if the Americans leave? It is Japan's poorest prefecture. It seems that an American departure leaves two possible outcomes: one, somehow getting more economic development money out of Tokyo. Given Japan's national debt, not gonna happen. The Japanese barely consider Okinawans Japanese anyway (gotta love Japanese racism).
The second outcome would be a closer relationship with China. There are already a lot of Chinese influences that run through Okinawan culture. However, just what China can do with Okinawa in a civilian economic way is questionable and I'm not sure that Tokyo will allow a big Chinese presence in the Ryukyus anyway.
When it comes to the “Japanese racism” issue, I think that your information is a little bit out dated. It might have been a problem 50 years ago, but look at where we were 50 years ago in the states. (back of the bus anyone?) In modern Japanese society, many Okinawans go to school and work in mainland Japan and vice versa. In fact, some of my best Okinawan friends are married to Japanese, and some of my Japanese friends are married to Okinawans. (just walk through Tokyo and look at all the Okinawan restaurants and bars)
The real question of racism is why many Americans continue to buy into the WW2 era propaganda when discussing modern Japan.
Please read this: http://www.earthjustice.org/news/press/005/judge_rules_us_defense_department_must_consider_fate_of_okinawan_dugong.html
And this: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=69453
I wonder why the U.S. and Japanese officials won’t seriously consider transferring
the US marine airbase to Tinian. I believe the relocation of the airbase to Tinian is the only possible solution that makes everybody happy.
Why on earth does the US Department of Defense insist on constructing a new airbase on a coral reef which is a habitat of an endangered species?
Do you know why?
However, given the close proximity of Tinian to Guam, it would be possible to move the combat units to Guam while moving the Helicopter support units to Tinian. It might be more difficult and/or expensive, but it would save the environment in Okinawa and uphold the democratic wish of the people.
Personally, that is the outcome that I would like to see.
Please read this: http://www.earthjustice.org/news/press/005/judge_rules_us_defense_department_must_consider_fate_of_okinawan_dugong.html
And this:http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=69453
I wonder why the U.S. and Japanese officials won’t seriously consider transferring
the US marine airbase to Tinian. I believe the relocation of the air base to Tinian is the only possible solution that makes everybody happy.
Why on earth does the US Department of Defense insist on constructing a new airbase on a coral reef which is a habitat of an endangered species?
Do you know why?
I also sent my heartfelt plea to Mr. Obama last week:
Dear Mr. President,
I am a legal U.S. resident, born in Japan, who is happily married to an American citizen and an enthusiastic supporter of yours.
As you know, the US military base in Futenma, Okinawa is a big issue in Japan.
The other day, you were sitting next to Mr. Hatoyama at dinner, and most of the Japanese media have indicated that you expressed an uneasiness or mistrust of him because he has not yet found a solution to this problem.
I don't believe this news. I believe and hope that you understand well that voters in Japan have elected leaders who want the Futenma military base moved off Okinawa. The consensus of opinion is strong and unlikely to waver.
Nevertheless, US officials have pressured Japanese leaders to reneg on their election promises and accept the US military base, even though it is unpopular.
Japanese hearts are wrenched every time we hear news of the horrible crimes (robbery, rapes.....) committed by US soldiers in Okinawa.
The Japanese people are very concerned about environmental issues and the beautiful coral that is dying due to contamination from the bases.
The Japanese people have become infuriated because the crime rate of US marines in Japan is much higher than, say, Camp Pendleton, San Diego, or Norfolk. We can't understand why this should be the case, nor why it remains unchanged.
(to be continued...)
I respectfully ask you to please direct US officials to respect democracy in Japan. If the majority of Japanese people want the Futenma base moved out of Okinawa, I believe that is what should happen. Please hear them.
The re-location of the Futenma base should not be mistaken to imply that there is any damage to, nor any weakening of, Japan-US relations in any way. On the contrary: it would only strengthen our enduring national friendship.
Mr. President, please unburden the people of Okinawa. This issue cuts too deeply to be resolved in any other way.
Thank you,
I am a lawyer in Tokyo. I have a strong interest in the issue of the relocation of the Futenma base and the construction of a new airstrip for the U.S. Marine Corps.
The relocation to Henoko is based on the 1996 Special Actions Committee on Okinawa (SACO) agreement. In 2009, an agreement was concluded under which approximately 8,000 U.S. Marines would be relocated to Guam, conditional on the construction of a replacement base for Futenma on Okinawa.
... http://blog.goo.ne.jp/tokyodo-2005/e/398a9186ac474c5402b79940e68f9d4b
That is all.
Furthermore, Okinawa has a long history of protecting endangered species and being all-around "green". And while you may disagree with some of their fishing policies, it is difficult for anyone in America to talk about environmental damage, given that the U.S. per capita greenhouse gas emission rate is more than twice Japans.
Also, had you done any research at all on Japanese whaling, you would know that a majority of their catch is Minke Whales, which are not an endangered species, and that none of the Japanese Whaling effort is illegal under the International Whaling Commission rules.
As a member of the US Military, I believe that we should PROTECT and ENCOURAGE freedom and democracy around the world, not trample it underfoot when it doesn’t suit our whims.
Thank you John Feffer for giving voice to the frustrations of the Okinawan people, you will always have friends here.
what is the cost?