Ian Buruma a very notable author in regards to Asian affairs had this to say in the New Yorker about the US military presence in South Korea and Japan:
Ian Buruma
The problem is that the existing order, put in place by the United States after the Second World War, might be exactly what hampers efforts to thicken that web. In a sense, America is experiencing the dilemmas typical of an empire in its twilight years. Imperial powers in the middle of the twentieth century used to argue that they couldn’t withdraw as long as their colonial subjects were not ready to rule themselves. But, as the British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan once explained to a rather baffled William F. Buckley, Jr., the continuance of colonial rule would not make them more ready. If the United States were to give up its policing duties in Asia too quickly, chaos might ensue. The longer its Asian allies remain dependent on U.S. military protection, however, the harder it will be for them to take care of themselves.
The most desirable way to balance the rising power of China would be the creation of a regional defense alliance stretching from South Korea to Burma. Japan, as the leading economic and military power, would be the logical choice to lead such a coalition. This would mean, in an ideal world, that Japan should revise its pacifist constitution after a national debate, led not by a government of chauvinistic revanchists but by a more liberal administration. But we do not live in an ideal world. Abe’s revisionism (he has currently set 2020 as a deadline for the amended constitution) is unlikely to achieve its aims in Japan. Most Japanese are no keener than most Germans to play a major military role once again. And as long as Japanese leaders insist on whitewashing their country’s recent past they will never persuade other countries in the region to trust them.
This is the status quo that dependence on the United States has frozen into place. As much as Abe’s government wishes to remain under the American military umbrella, the American postwar order, including the pacifist constitution, still inflames right-wing resentment. Yet Washington, and especially the Pentagon, which shapes much of U.S. policy in East Asia, has consistently supported conservative governments in Japan, seeing them as an anti-Communist bulwark. Meanwhile, as long as the United States is there to keep the peace, the governments of Japan and South Korea will continue to snipe at each other, instead of strengthening their alliance. [The New Yorker]
You can read much more at the link, but Buruma’s comments are based on a book he reviewed titled “Avoiding War with China: Two Nations, One World” by Amitai Etzioni. This analysis seems pretty accurate, does anyone disagree with it?
Mr Buruma is a well-known and well-respected person. But he, like a great many of our fellow travelers, is greatly mistaken about the answer to China.
Yes, Asian nations could and should band together to face China and avoid being consumned. However, like much of Europe, Asia has been infected with the so-called “liberal” or “progressive” doctrines that make them ripe for plucking by whatever totalitarian regime that comes along. Europe seems destined to at last succumb to Islam (in spite of numerous warnings every year since Roman times). Asia seems singularly set upon becoming jewels in Beijing’s iron crown. Buruma does not appear to recognize the sickness for what it is.
America has not made up its mind yet. But we have many people in positions of power whose first love is not the USA.
Putting Japan in charge of a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere sounds kinda familiar though, doesn’t it? And right after the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, too…
I’m tired of hearing “revisionism” or “whitewashing” of Japanese “ultra right wing” leaders or whatever. Other countries don’t trust Japan? That’s because whenever a Japanese try to refute Chinese propaganda, the UN or “the Allies of WWII” blindly accuse Japan for such things.
Probably what the U.S. should do is to trust Japan little bit more… hopefully as much as Japan trust the U.S.
In reality, many Asian countries, such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Myanmar, are economically heavily influenced by China and they are dominated by so-called “oversea Chinese” ethnic Chinese. Besides, the most of Asian countries are still too weak in terms of economy, political stability and military. (no offense) And South Korea is getting suck into the China’s influence sphere..
Chinese vs. Japanese overlords should not be the only choice. And that ws what my lack of eloquence hid previously.
The problem is that freedom has a very real cost. And it is a high one. Somewhere there are ztatistics that show just how many US servicemen and women died during training accidents. More than many ofoue small wars.
Some countries choose to ignore the personal responsibility side of things and the people end up as serfs or roadkill. Many countries use the cover of another to hide what they are doing; but the money for bread and circuses will eventually run out and in their place will be the gulags and work quotas.
Humans are delightfully innovative. And yet so lazy and predictable.
Denny
6 years ago
Defense contractors make too much money in Northeast Asia to ever leave.
I tend to agree with you. It’s just that the naive Western guy here doesn’t have much to go on but what China and Japan did in the past. And while all History is written through filters, I am not going to ignore it.
Stuff like the EU brings guest-workers and refuvees that drain your country and hand it over to foreigners. Progressive governments neve seem to catch on until the thanks are rolling through Prague.
And China has done a masterful job of building existing nationalistic and racial tensions into pzychoses.
If the US pulls out, it will be China. No one ever worked on helping Asians work together without us, so they really cannot right now.
Mr Buruma is a well-known and well-respected person. But he, like a great many of our fellow travelers, is greatly mistaken about the answer to China.
Yes, Asian nations could and should band together to face China and avoid being consumned. However, like much of Europe, Asia has been infected with the so-called “liberal” or “progressive” doctrines that make them ripe for plucking by whatever totalitarian regime that comes along. Europe seems destined to at last succumb to Islam (in spite of numerous warnings every year since Roman times). Asia seems singularly set upon becoming jewels in Beijing’s iron crown. Buruma does not appear to recognize the sickness for what it is.
America has not made up its mind yet. But we have many people in positions of power whose first love is not the USA.
Putting Japan in charge of a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere sounds kinda familiar though, doesn’t it? And right after the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, too…
While I agree with your point sir, but the “One Road One Belt” seems to be today’s “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere” thingy..
I’m tired of hearing “revisionism” or “whitewashing” of Japanese “ultra right wing” leaders or whatever. Other countries don’t trust Japan? That’s because whenever a Japanese try to refute Chinese propaganda, the UN or “the Allies of WWII” blindly accuse Japan for such things.
Probably what the U.S. should do is to trust Japan little bit more… hopefully as much as Japan trust the U.S.
In reality, many Asian countries, such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Myanmar, are economically heavily influenced by China and they are dominated by so-called “oversea Chinese” ethnic Chinese. Besides, the most of Asian countries are still too weak in terms of economy, political stability and military. (no offense) And South Korea is getting suck into the China’s influence sphere..
Japan is all alone in Asia.
Chinese vs. Japanese overlords should not be the only choice. And that ws what my lack of eloquence hid previously.
The problem is that freedom has a very real cost. And it is a high one. Somewhere there are ztatistics that show just how many US servicemen and women died during training accidents. More than many ofoue small wars.
Some countries choose to ignore the personal responsibility side of things and the people end up as serfs or roadkill. Many countries use the cover of another to hide what they are doing; but the money for bread and circuses will eventually run out and in their place will be the gulags and work quotas.
Humans are delightfully innovative. And yet so lazy and predictable.
Defense contractors make too much money in Northeast Asia to ever leave.
I tend to agree with you. It’s just that the naive Western guy here doesn’t have much to go on but what China and Japan did in the past. And while all History is written through filters, I am not going to ignore it.
Stuff like the EU brings guest-workers and refuvees that drain your country and hand it over to foreigners. Progressive governments neve seem to catch on until the thanks are rolling through Prague.
And China has done a masterful job of building existing nationalistic and racial tensions into pzychoses.
If the US pulls out, it will be China. No one ever worked on helping Asians work together without us, so they really cannot right now.