NHK has learned that the United States has asked Japan to provide more than 3 trillion yen, or about 18.8 billion dollars, over five years to host US forces stationed in Japan. The requested amount is almost triple the current spending level.
Regarding the latest requests from the US side, the Japanese government has indicated that it is open to considering an additional contribution.But it says it cannot accept an excessive increase in its burden.
Watching conservatives attempt to engage in international diplomacy is like watching a llama lick its asshole. It’s both horrible and fascinating. But mostly horrible.
Is this a way to get USA out of Japan while letting the Japanese government save face?
It’s extortion, and the destruction of the US’s power. That’s with Trump does. Destoys the US, and makes himself rich. Like a mob boss doing a bust out in New York in the 80s.
I don’t know, I feel like successful mob bosses tend to prioritize enriching the organization and keeping their people happy. Unless they wanna end up getting whacked.
The utter destruction of the carefully constructed illusions and facades surrounding decades of heavy-handed US foreign policy and the systematic dismantling of US imperialism and the resulting growing resistance to their international meddling and bullying are the only Trump policies I actually agree with him on. He doesn’t really seem to understand he’s doing it, and it’s coming at a horrible, horrible cost to global security and safety that really is going to inevitably come back to haunt the whole world, but aside from that, it’s much overdue and I love to see it. I wish it could’ve been done for sensible reasons in a methodical way instead of this chaotic and reactionary reckoning from the flailing of a madman, but alas, here we are. Pax Americana was mismanaged until it became a luxury too costly and painful for anyone to afford, least of all the US.
I can’t wait for PAX EUROPAEA
It’s genuinely been a good deal on paper for a few decades - it’s far cheaper than keeping your own equivalent military, which would’ve been prohibited by the Japanese constitution anyway before recent reforms. But the US has obviously proven to be an unreliable and dubious partner in recent years, and the very public and high-profile issues between personnel and locals is well-documented and has lasted decades.
Furthermore, the US is painfully aware of Japan’s economic crisis, and that it is barely managing to keep the yen from crashing while also preventing an interest rate hike that would bankrupt it on loan repayments. This is US abuse of an ally to try to have their cake and eat it too.
But Japanese has/maintains the JSDF, no?
Why are countries paying to host USA?
In some 3rd world countries, gangs divide neighborhoods between them, then they ask shop owners to pay protection money to protect them from gangs.
Same thing applies to countries.
It was the deal after world wat 2. USA protects from Russia and we buy USA goods and services, especially financial services. It’s in essence still a classic imperialism and tribute system. Until USA got greedy and started siding with Russia.
Protection racket
yes the pinnacle of diplomacy: mutually assured destruction.
brought to you by some random violent ape species on some random planet in a middle of no where galaxy thats going to create some ‘super intelligence’ the rest of the universe has just been DYIING to get it hands on. After GTA6 ofc…
It’s not in middle of nowhere, I found a very cool comment right above this post
i mean, thread you linked to is titled ‘Voyager Has Proven … We really do live in the Boonies’
my point is humans think they are the centre of the universe (usually the religious ones), we are not even close to the centre of the galaxy let alone the universe.
The comment I linked shows otherwise ;)
Not being at the centre is very different from being in the middle of nowhere, I think we can agree on that
i do agree that there could potentially be alternatives other than the centre of the universe and middle of nowhere.
Wait till you hear about south korea. Who pays the USA about $1 billion per year for the privilege of losing control of their own military during war.
What the fuck. That’s wild
One country does not pay but gets paid by the USA…
Russia and China, but also Japan is essentially a US client state so this is also tribute (aka a protection racket as the other person said).
At this point, NATO should boot the US out and make a treaty with China so that if they go to war with the US, they will help them and vice versa. It would be a shaky alliance like with the WW2 Allies and the Soviet Union, but the Nazis were a worldwide threat and the US now is as well.
Japan should kick out the occupiers and tell their imperialist corporate overlords to commit sepiku…
hey I found a Japanese nationalist!
Stop paying. It’s all bullshit.
And if Japan doesn’t agree, the US will what exactly?
Withdraw
No, we should go away and leave them alone
