Friday, December 27, 2013

Short And Sweet And Sour

If I were Abe Shinzo, with a secure party leadership position, the opposition parties in disarray, an economic revolution winning applause and the leaders of my two most powerful neighbors disrespecting me and my country, and I received a urging from the U.S. Embassy, Tokyo to:
"...find constructive ways to deal with sensitive issues from the past, to improve their relations, and to promote cooperation in advancing our shared goals of regional peace and stability."
My response would be:
"What about your approach to...Iran?"

"Cuba?"

"Oh, and any time the North Koreans offer you anything as regards missiles and nuclear weapons development program, you take it. OK? Put your pride in a hamper, just for once, OK? Because North Koreans are never going to offer us anything. OK?"
I am no admirer of the Prime Minister, his allies or their political and economic programs. However, the U.S. is out of line in criticizing Abe for demonstrating a lack of strategic vision and an inability to confront unresolved historical animosities.

In the the unhelpful pandering to venal domestic voting blocs and interest groups, we are all guilty.

3 comments:

Robert Dujarric said...

However, the U.S. is out of line in criticizing Abe for demonstrating a lack of strategic vision and an inability to confront unresolved historical animosities.

The difference is that US service members won't fight and die defending Iran and North Korea. But since the US and Japan are "class A" allies, what one does affects the security of the other. Also, US "advice" to the DPRK or Iran is seldom followed, but for a LDP PM to be criticized by Washington is a problem.

Happy holidays!

Eamonn (Not Fingleton) said...

It's all well and good for Abe to take stock of his political capital and thumb his nose at the U.S., but one slight problem: right before his visit to Yasukuni he negotiated a deal to move Futenma MCAS to northern Okinawa. Apparently one of his follow on tasks from the deal is to get some kind of revisions to the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement.
Now, maybe some preliminary work on those "revisions" already started with the U.S. side, but if they haven't, does Abe seriously think he's going to get any meaningful concessions with this kind of behavior?

MTC said...

Eamonn (Not Fingleton)-

Promises Prime Minister Abe may have made to Govenor Nakaima regarding revisions to the Status of Forces Agreement should be seen as being at least somewhat insincere. The U.S. Pentagon is highly protective of its service members and its bases -- for good reason -- making the negotiating of revisions to SOFAs next to impossible. The Okinawa Prefectural Government is not staffed by fools: it is no doubt aware that SOFA revision always going to be more an aspiration than a commitment.