Okinawa is Shouldering the Burden of Others

Ota Masahide raises some important questions about the effects U.S. military bases have upon the communities in which they rest. Especially in a remote and relatively limited location such as Okinawa, a large military presence will inevitably transform a community in extreme ways. These transformations are not always positive, and it would seem that such communities should have a serious say regarding whether or not such military establishments exist and to what extent. We are assured by our government that the U.S. is not an imperial power, and this may be so on paper. However, if the people around the world who must live with our military bases have no say in their existence or administration, to what extent is this non-imperial explanation practical? Accepting Ota's analysis, it seems little consolation to the Okinawans that the Japanese government has agreed to allow U.S. bases to exist in their present state. It seems all too easy to deny that our military's actions are imposing when the voices of those who feel they are being imposed upon are so easily silenced, or are quiet to begin with.

I do believe that in many areas around the world security is important, but the burden of supporting our security apparatus should be shared as equally as possible among those who are being protected. This does not seem to be the case with respect to Okinawa. It seems, rather, that they lack the ability to resist pressures from the U.S. and Japanese governments to the extent that it would become worthwhile to transplant some of the burden imposed by bases to others that in turn might offer a stronger political resistance. This is unfortunate and unfair. All of those who think that their security is worth the price should be willing to pay their share of that price.