Response to ?
Is it time for US Force to leave Japan?
My opnion -- yes.
And do the Okinawans want us there?
Some have said that Okinawans don't really mind that much
about US bases there. So I emailed a couple people about the matter.
I got the following responses:
response #1 (the polite response)
(that those who complain about the US military bases in Okinawa
come mostly from outside) is not true. In fact, Okinawans are really
frustrated by and angry about the indifference the mainland Japanese
show about Okinawans shouldering the burden of the US military bases.
However, the person's mistake is understandable for two reasons. One,
Okinawans are very hospitable and generous people and do not show
their displeasure directly to you. They are almost infinitely
accommodating. But that doesn't mean they are willing to keep the
military bases forever. Two, many Okinawans are economically
dependent on serving the bases and the personnel. They will certainly
not tell their customers to bug off, especially when they have no
alternatives to serving this particular brand of customers. So those
two factors may make Okinawans look "cool" about the bases, but
that's only the surface.
The next time someone says something like what you have heard, ask
that person these questions: Have you made genuine friends with
Okinawans? Have you ever talked with locals about what they really
feel about having the military bases in their own communities? If
Okinawans are really "cool" about having the bases, why do they get
angry about the "incidents" instead of accepting them as part of the
baggage of having the military bases in their own land?
You might want to read "Cocktail Party" by Tatsuhiro Oshiro to
understand the complex psychological landscape of Okinawans about
having to live with the US military
men. Though it's old, but the core hasn't really changed.
---end #1----
response #2 (the less polite one)
I suggest that you read the numerous articles on Okinawa, often by
Okinawans, on the Japan Policy Research Institute web site (see
Okinawa in the Index).
www.jpri.org. I interpret the American
soldier's remarks as saying that even though he's secretly ashamed
of what he is doing in Okinawa, he wants to believe that the
Okinawans are really happy to have him there. This is a typical
American male's fantasy: the people he rapes really want it.
---end #2---
Also, I came across a
A Newsletter on Ryukyuan/Okinawan Studies
for people to enjoy.
Archives of Ryukyuanist Newsletter
http://www.uchinanchu.org/uchinanchu/ryukyuanist.htm
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