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BoulderDawg
02-01-2010, 11:51 AM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1247281/Thousands-protest-Tokyo-U-S-military-presence-Japan.html

Seemed like about 6,000 Japanese protestors are simply mad as hell.



Some 47,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Japan, with more than half on the southern island of Okinawa.

Residents have complained for years about noise, pollution and crime around the bases.

Hmmmm.......sounds like the military is not wanted......wonder how much the crime rate would go down if they all moved out.

sanjuro_ronin
02-01-2010, 11:55 AM
The should have a vote, a referendum.
People should vote if they want the US to stay or to go and take all those 41K people and all the business and money they put into the economy.
:D
I am sure many would vote for the US to go, until they realize how much that woudl cast them and all the local businesses.
Something tells me more than a few would change their minds.

BoulderDawg
02-01-2010, 11:59 AM
I'd go for that. I don't think the vote would not even be close.

Let's face it, what does the local economy have to lose? Probably the majority of these people live on base and buy all their food and clothes there. The only locals that would be hurting would be the bars, ho houses and drug dealers.

sanjuro_ronin
02-01-2010, 12:03 PM
I think that when it comes to situations like this that a vote is the best way to go.
The people have spoken.

Drake
02-01-2010, 12:07 PM
The should have a vote, a referendum.
People should vote if they want the US to stay or to go and take all those 41K people and all the business and money they put into the economy.
:D
I am sure many would vote for the US to go, until they realize how much that woudl cast them and all the local businesses.
Something tells me more than a few would change their minds.

Exactly. Germans were upset with us until we began to close and consolidate businesses. I recall one mayor who was especially worried, saying how much business they would lose once the soldiers left. A lot of small German businesses suffered terribly from the drawdown. I was there when this was happening, and I remember reading dozens of articles about Germans being put out of business.

What BD fails to understand is that many local nationals work on these bases as well. In fact, it is mostly local nationals running the place. Everything from haircuts to IT was being provided by Germans. Needed to improve or build something? German workers. I can't imagine how many Germans had work due to our presence. Now the Romanians are virtually begging us to move in and set up shop, because they know how much money is involved. Many Americans prefer to shop on the economy, and not at some poorly managed PX. Why would I want to buy X-mas decorations there, when I can visit the awesome German stores? Why eat at the food court and get sick from fried foods, when I can walk downtown and have some of the best food I've ever had?

When we left the caserne at Mainz-Finthen, I remember how our favorite restaurant, the Wackernheimer Hof, had to shutter their doors.

1bad65
02-01-2010, 12:21 PM
Drake, you're wasting your breath. He has no clue how an economy functions.

Sadly, I think Obama is just about as knowledgable on the economy as BD is. :eek:

Drake
02-01-2010, 12:25 PM
Actually, I like President Obama. I think he has some good ideas, but the problem with his approach, in my opinion, is the amount of risk. If it works, that's awesome and people can get back to work. If it fails, then we are stuck with a huge bill that did nothing. It's the risk factor that bugs me.

mawali
02-01-2010, 03:26 PM
I was stationed at MCAS Futenma many years ago and I think the time is up for the US to leave. We are in the age of sovereign nation want to exercise their own authority so let them have it thier way but they had better not cry when push comes to shove and they are being overrun by superior forces.

Why doesn't the US find a country willing to accept it? Seems sensible!

Let the local economy do what it is supposed to do!

Drake
02-01-2010, 04:26 PM
I was stationed at MCAS Futenma many years ago and I think the time is up for the US to leave. We are in the age of sovereign nation want to exercise their own authority so let them have it thier way but they had better not cry when push comes to shove and they are being overrun by superior forces.

Why doesn't the US find a country willing to accept it? Seems sensible!

Let the local economy do what it is supposed to do!

I think the thing is, it's all about the economy now. Germany is at risk of being overrun, and it's no longer strategically located. HOWEVER, there is a TON of money involved, and neither the Germans nor the Americans want to give that up.

1bad65
02-01-2010, 04:50 PM
Actually, I like President Obama. I think he has some good ideas, but the problem with his approach, in my opinion, is the amount of risk. If it works, that's awesome and people can get back to work. If it fails, then we are stuck with a huge bill that did nothing. It's the risk factor that bugs me.

And history isnot on his side. FDR tried this and the result was if failed and we were stuck with a huge debt that accomplished nothing it was designed to do.

Why not play the odds and do what worked in the past, massive tax cuts? People forget that besides the biggest tax increase in history, Clinton did cut taxes. He cut capital gains taxes, which made it more profitable to invest in the stock market. Guess what took off in the 90s......;)

David Jamieson
02-01-2010, 05:01 PM
I see that Japan fails to recognize that it's ass belongs to the US of A.

Ah well. Close ups of protesters usually means there aren't many of them and that they've been scripted.

Sorry Japan.

BoulderDawg
02-01-2010, 05:06 PM
I think 6K people is a pretty good crowd for a local protest. What do you expect? Millions?

IronWeasel
02-01-2010, 05:33 PM
http://www.usposttoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/pearl-harbor-day.jpg

Drake
02-01-2010, 05:58 PM
I think 6K people is a pretty good crowd for a local protest. What do you expect? Millions?

In Japan you can get 6k people from the nearest disco.

dimethylsea
02-01-2010, 06:06 PM
Actually, I like President Obama. I think he has some good ideas, but the problem with his approach, in my opinion, is the amount of risk. If it works, that's awesome and people can get back to work. If it fails, then we are stuck with a huge bill that did nothing. It's the risk factor that bugs me.


If he uses deficit spending on domestic consumption and infrastructure then it will be better than the previous administration.. which was characterized by deficit spending on things that left the country and went boom.

It's not a matter of "is this a great option".. so much as it's "is it better than the previous option".

You know that saying they have in the Middle-East.. I think it goes..
"Servants, do not complain of my whip, rather fear my brother who would use the scorpions in the whip's place!"

Lee Chiang Po
02-01-2010, 06:18 PM
Japan should be used to test out new military weapons and bombs. Or maybe even celebrate the A bomb every year by dropping a couple of them on Japan. Could be the makings of a fine tradition.