USNBandit, you make some good points. Not sure why you claim I'm spouting rhetoric. What specific claims of mine are in error?
gaijin, thanks for your comments. And you make a very good point about future competition with Japan in the aerospace business.
I think this is not a question of freeloading. This is really a question of negotiating the best deal for the American people.
I should hope that Japan provides access to their shipyards and aircraft depots. After all, if a battle erupts in the region, the lives of American sailors, soldiers, and airmen are at risk. We are the frontline of defense for Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines.
I agree Japanese pay a lot for new construction of housing, but that's a minor expense compared to the salaries of Japanese nationals we employ there.
When I was in Sasebo in the 1980s, the second biggest employer in the city was the U.S. Navy, second only to SSK, the giant shipyard that builds supertankers. So the repair and maintenance of our ships at their shipyards is good business for them. Not to mention the "tourist" dollars that come into the city when an aircraft carrier (5,000 people) pays a visit every once in a while.
The military role of America in the Far East is a big question for the next president. North Korea's increasingly provocative moves are the biggest threat. And China's build up of its military is another key concern.
Now is the time for Japan to pick up a larger role in its own defense and defense of the region with other nations like the Philippines. Trump has been emphasizing the importance of solving the key problem of North Korea. If he gets elected, I think he'll set the ball in motion to drive real change in our policy there.
Wasn’t faulting you for rhetoric. I was venting because we had to get all the way to your post to find any facts. You and I are of like minds and experience with our Japanese counterparts. I apologize for giving that impression.