5 ms·

But he's not aware of the whole story. Japan is paying us money (billions, I think) to keep those bases there. I assume the same goes with other countries. This

by krisdol 10y ago

But he's not aware of the whole story. Japan is paying us money (billions, I think) to keep those bases there. I assume the same goes with other countries. This isn't free protection.

braveo 10y ago
but are they paying us what we expend? I think that's the point being made here. And I don't know the answer to that question, but it's important in this discussion.
- danenania 10y ago
  If you have to pay the same amount either way, why not spend it on your own military? While you may not get quite the same level of firepower, it will be under your control and you won't have to worry about a newly elected president leaving you high and dry.
  - elevenfist 10y ago
    Because it gives both of us a firm ally and makes it far easier for us to coordinate.
MichaelApproved 10y ago
He just plainly thinks it's not enough. Here he is talking about how Japan is "beating the hell out of this country" and "they aren't paying" back in 1988 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEPs17_AkTI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEPs17_AkTI
- TheSpiceIsLife 10y ago
  He, Trump, started receiving intelligence briefings[1] at the same(?) level as Obama just a couple of days ago. So we should start to see him become more aware of the facts. What affect this has on him remains to be seen. 1. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-elections/donald-trump-is-now-set-to-get-the-same-intelligence-briefing-as-president-obama-one-day-after-being-a7408056.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election...
  - hga 10y ago
    What affect this has on him remains to be seen. Perhaps very little, since it's been known for some time they've been doctored to, shall I say, achieve certain domestic political goals. If he wants to start dealing with this stuff sooner rather than later, he needs to get some of his advisers' clearances current again, and have them start digging.
  - tootie 10y ago
    He received his first briefings months ago and promptly conflates them with public news reports and then lied about what he learned. http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/08/trump-didnt-leak-classified-iran-video-hes-just-wrong.html http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/08/trump-didnt-lea...
brianherbert 10y ago
In Korea, the US is paid about $1 billion which is approaching half of the burden to the US.
ern 10y ago
In 1988, Japan loomed large in the American psyche, the same way China does today, if not more so. It was the unstoppable economic juggernaut that was destroying American jobs. I doubt Trump would had the same views of Japan specifically, as he did then. He seems to have transferred his ire to China.
- jrockway 10y ago
  He took out a full-page ad in 1987: https://www.buzzfeed.com/ilanbenmeir/that-time-trump-spent-nearly-100000-on-an-ad-criticizing-us https://www.buzzfeed.com/ilanbenmeir/that-time-trump-spent-n... And read it almost verbatim at the third debate. It was quite interesting how little his views have changed in the intervening years.

by krisdol 10y ago

But he's not aware of the whole story. Japan is paying us money (billions, I think) to keep those bases there. I assume the same goes with other countries. This isn't free protection.

braveo 10y ago

but are they paying us what we expend? I think that's the point being made here. And I don't know the answer to that question, but it's important in this discussion.

danenania 10y ago
If you have to pay the same amount either way, why not spend it on your own military? While you may not get quite the same level of firepower, it will be under your control and you won't have to worry about a newly elected president leaving you high and dry.
- elevenfist 10y ago
  Because it gives both of us a firm ally and makes it far easier for us to coordinate.

MichaelApproved 10y ago

He just plainly thinks it's not enough. Here he is talking about how Japan is "beating the hell out of this country" and "they aren't paying" back in 1988 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEPs17_AkTI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEPs17_AkTI

TheSpiceIsLife 10y ago
He, Trump, started receiving intelligence briefings[1] at the same(?) level as Obama just a couple of days ago. So we should start to see him become more aware of the facts. What affect this has on him remains to be seen. 1. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-elections/donald-trump-is-now-set-to-get-the-same-intelligence-briefing-as-president-obama-one-day-after-being-a7408056.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election...
- hga 10y ago
  What affect this has on him remains to be seen. Perhaps very little, since it's been known for some time they've been doctored to, shall I say, achieve certain domestic political goals. If he wants to start dealing with this stuff sooner rather than later, he needs to get some of his advisers' clearances current again, and have them start digging.
- tootie 10y ago
  He received his first briefings months ago and promptly conflates them with public news reports and then lied about what he learned. http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/08/trump-didnt-leak-classified-iran-video-hes-just-wrong.html http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/08/trump-didnt-lea...

brianherbert 10y ago

In Korea, the US is paid about $1 billion which is approaching half of the burden to the US.

ern 10y ago

In 1988, Japan loomed large in the American psyche, the same way China does today, if not more so. It was the unstoppable economic juggernaut that was destroying American jobs. I doubt Trump would had the same views of Japan specifically, as he did then. He seems to have transferred his ire to China.

jrockway 10y ago
He took out a full-page ad in 1987: https://www.buzzfeed.com/ilanbenmeir/that-time-trump-spent-nearly-100000-on-an-ad-criticizing-us https://www.buzzfeed.com/ilanbenmeir/that-time-trump-spent-n... And read it almost verbatim at the third debate. It was quite interesting how little his views have changed in the intervening years.