Air, Water, Safety, and Treaty
The God said to me to listen.
I turned on a radio to hear an American radio show host attacking President Mr. Barack Obama's health care reformation plan. The host used to attack even Mr. John McCain out of choice.
However, I wonder if there has been a conspiracy going on in Tokyo involving some foreign intelligence agency since the last summer, as the pro-U.S. LDP lost power.
A little illogical?
SECTION I: Misunderstanding of Japan-U.S. Security Treaty
There is a big misunderstanding about THE TREATY OF MUTUAL COOPERATION AND SECURITY BETWEEN JAPAN AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA on the Japanese side.
http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/n-america/us/q&a/ref/1.html
This treaty was first signed in 1950 virtually as an essential condition for Japan to regain its sovereignty the Empire of Japan had lost to the allied powers led by General MacArthur when the empire unconditionally surrendered in August 15, 1945.
It was extended in 1960 during the Cold War despite strong objections from Japanese citizens, since the Treaty was then regarded as a symbol of vice of American capitalism. Indeed, around 1960, there were many Japanese who believed that socialism was the guiding principle Japan should take.
But, as time went by, no hot arguments about the significance of the Treaty came to be observed in Japan while Japan was busy to be great economic power by leveraging a friendly relationship with the U.S.
Especially, in 1960's, 1970's, 1980's, and 1990's, there were may Japanese living with harsh memory of the days when the Imperial Military had led the nation and the people to war against China and America before and during WWII. For them, American military existence in Japan was natural. Many veteran Japanese also thought that revival of Japanese militarism could be suppressed with the American military forces stationed in Japan in charge of defending Japan, though Japan has self-defence forces.
Apart from some practical and convenient aspects of the Treaty for the Japanese economy, it is a very biased bilateral treaty. There are 45,000 American soldiers and officers stationed in Japan, deploying in many bases, air fields, and naval ports where American military planes and naval ships almost freely come and go. But Japanese Self-Defence Forces have no military bases in American territory.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Forces_Japan
For the U.S., it is a treaty that allows the U.S. to secure the advantage over Japan as a winner of WWII. The Treaty was designed to allow the U.S. to prevent Japan from growing again to be a military power that would threaten the American security and its interest in the Asia Pacific.
For the U.S., originally it is a treaty where Japan is regarded as a potential enemy.
Accordingly, the U.S. had to station its troops in many Japanese bases, so that the U.S. could mobilize the military power against the Japanese Government if necessary.
American military bases in Japan were also needed as the Cold War got deepened; the Korean War erupted; the Vietnam War continued for so long; and finally the Persian Gulf War happened around 1990. Today, they are all the more needed due to the War on Terror.
In summary, the reasons for the U.S. to maintain its military bases in Japan are:
1. Secure advantage over Japan and hegemony in East Asia as a winner of WWII.
2. Prevent Japan from growing again to be a military power that would threaten the American security and its interest in the Asia Pacific.
3. Prepare for possible war with Russia and China, in the worst case, using the bases in Japan.
4. Operate American forces flexibly and globally from the bases in Japan as needed by the War on Terror and so on.
Yet, the Japanese Government has explained to its people that American troops are stationed in Japan to protect Japan and the Japanese people, while some Japanese think it is better than revival of Japanese militarism to have democratic American troops stationed in Japan. It can be in fact seen by many Japanese voters as a barter of offering military bases in Japan to the U.S. for receiving an American military's promise to defend Japan.
Anyway, the truth of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty can be seen in its Article 5:
ARTICLE V
Each Party recognizes that an armed attack against either Party in the territories under the administration of Japan would be dangerous to its own peace and safety and declares that it would act to meet the common danger in accordance with its constitutional provisions and processes. Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result thereof shall be immediately reported to the Security Council of the United Nations in accordance with the provisions of Article 51 of the Charter. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security.
The American Government can refrain from defending Japan if it thinks that a situation does not pose a danger or constitute danger to the U.S.
Nonetheless, truth is that the potential enemy the U.S. Government originally assumed was Japan. The true enemy of America concerning the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty is Japan.
Japan is a grave enemy of America, so that America must continue to occupy Japan under the name of The Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between Japan and the United States of America.
Conversely, Japan and the Japanese people have taken skillful advantage of the treaty to be the second largest and most advanced economy after WWII. It is so, since the American market has been fully opened to Japanese businesses after WWII as one of major benefits of the Treaty for Japan.
In conclusion, you had better think that the U.S. Government has taken military bases on the Japanese islands while the Japanese people have taken free access to the American market. Yet, the common enemy of the U.S. and Japan is the Japanese militarism that would rather deny democracy since it is rooted in the samurai tradition of 1000 years.
SECTION II: 1960 Great Chilean Earthquake
This earthquake triggered a great tsunami that travelled all the way over the Pacific Ocean to Japan, taking on 140 lives of Japanese residents on Japan proper in May 1960.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Valdivia_earthquake
Accordingly Chile is the remotest natural base to attack Japan as an Act of God.
In other word, a great earthquake in Chile accompanied by a powerful enduring tsunami can be the best warning to Japan.
(To send an alert to New York and London, the God might someday trigger a great earthquake on the Antarctic Continent, so that a great tsunami would rush to the Hudson and the Thames...)
As for the Saturday's earthquake (of February 2010), 600,000 Japanese were advised to evacuate homes in the Pacific coastal areas. Eventually, a tsunami with a height of 1.5 meters (4.5 feet) reached a Japanese port.
Maybe, a warning has been satisfactorily issued to Japan by the God.
SECTION III: WAR ON TERROR ON THE AFGHAN STAGE
Into Iraq, the U.S. troops could move for its invasion and operation from two or three directions through Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, or Turk.
Into bases of the Taliban and AlQaeda around the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the U.S. troops have not enough options.
In that sense, it is a little close to the Vietnam War, though Iran does not play a role of China or the U.S.S.R overtly.
In addition, the population of Pakistan is 180 million, nine times more than Iraq's. The U.S. cannot invade and occupy Pakistan armed with nuclear weapons, while Pakistan can be used as a base secure from U.S. invasion or as a kind of North Vietnam by enemies of America in the region.
Accordingly, it will be very difficult for America troops to subdue the Taliban, AlQaeda, and other Islamic anti-America insurgents in the Afghan War.
Commonsense to apply to this sort of situations is withdrawal.
But, a chance is higher for the case that America and Iran will enter another phase of hostility than the case where commonsense prevails.
Yet, Israel might hold a key to the peace. Conversely, as long as Israel finds merit in the above scenario of indefinite presence of American troops in the middle of the Islamic world, American troops might continue to stay there even till the 22nd century.
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Some Japanese are still missing in Concepcion, Chile.
Mr. Akio Toyoda, Toyota's CEO, is going to China to explain some to Chinese consumers.
The Pro-China ruling party in Taiwan is losing elections.
The Korean President today addressed to the people with forward-looking words, since the Empire of Japan annexed Korea in 1910 after the assassination of Hirobumi Ito, the then most respected veteran statesman of the Empire of Japan, by a Korean terrorist (or otherwise hero) in 1909, when Ito was being saluted by Russian soldiers and generals at a certain station in Manchuria, north of North Korea.
EEE Reporter today heard and saw so many reports from Chile on TV, around Tokyo.
Mar 3:1 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
Mar 3:2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
Mar 3:3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
Mar 3:4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.