Dirk T comments

Imagine if the USA had not returned the Ryukyus in 1972. Taiwanese security would be guaranteed, and the Ryukyus were never more than a vassal state to the Japanese government until they were returned.

In a conflict where China attempts to take Taiwan by force and the conflict is limited to that objective, yes Kyushu and Yamaguchi are safe. The Okinawan islands closest to Taiwan are not.

Safe from direct Chinese attack, yes. But the Japanese economy would be rocked by an attempted invasion.

According to Russian media, "Yalta 2.0" is imminent, with Trump, Putin, and Xi dividing the world into spheres of influence. China would then be free to do what it wants.

An attempted Chinese invasion of Taiwan would devastate the Japanese economy. I hope that there is a plan for that.

Fukushima Dai-ni was once my client. I know the area and the people well. The young TEPCO elites cycled in and out of the area, were contemptuous of it, and were glad to get back to Tokyo. I feel for the local sons and daughters of the fishermen and farmers who lost their livelihoods in the energy industry.

Japan has been "preparing" for war since WW2 ended and they created the SDF.

Yes, yes, militaries are always preparing for war. We all understand that. Should I have said that Japan has been upgrading its war machine recently to make my point?

even the Vatican prepares for war

The Swiss Guard is a formidable force.

How can one miss that the entire world seems to be regressing to an atavistic state: China becoming the regional bully that it was for most of its 5000-year history, Japan becoming more isolationist and militaristic, Russia attempting to restore the glory days of its former empire, Eastern Europe losing democracy, Western Europe becoming more right-wing and aggressive, and the USA not only returning to blatant racism but also becoming more isolationist and focused on its immediate neighbors to secure resources and security. I won't even go into the Middle East.

Sounds like a run-up to WW3.

Look at the USA "necklace " surrounding China for a glimpse of where real concern should be directed.

Would you prefer China to own that "necklace" and so control the Pacific?

An invasion of Taiwan would be devastating to the Japanese economy so Japanese politicians will be willing to spend more on defense.

Japan is already preparing for war.

Japanese politicians, looking at what mass immigration has sparked both in the EU and the USA, must be planning to tighten the reigns even further.

No Senate seats are in the offing.

You are thinking short-term only. There was a time when one could say there were no Senate seats in the offing for Alaska and Hawaii either.

^^^ Trump is an elderly man and won't be with us much longer (thankfully). Don't you think that those who have influence in geopolitics are looking forward to a time when Don & Vlad are dead?

China is now the number one trade partner and source of investment in South America. The Chinese will be more than happy to take all the energy, minerals, and food they can. At the same time, climate change will devastate these vulnerable economies in the decades ahead, knowing massive numbers of climate migrants escaping that desperate situation will head to North America — not China.

MAGAs can't even get Puerto Rico and Washington DC their rightful senators. Greenland isn't going to sell out for fake promises that can't be delivered by the 53 seat MAGA majority in the Senate. Canada even less so.

MAGA doesn't want senators from Puerto Rico or DC and you know why. I am throwing out scenarios. There is nothing bizarre about the USA acquiring Greenland through purchase in the context of its history.

Both Canada and Greenland will need serious help to stand up to Russia's and China’s aggressive ambitions.  Who will come to their aid?

So you think other areas will voluntarily join the US? Maybe Puerto Rice and Washington DC. Trump should start there.

Greenland has only two seats in Denmark’s 179-member parliament. Which is more empowering, that or two seats in the U.S. Senate? A $57 billion buy-out package would make every Greenlander an instant millionaire.

The solution is to halt our adversaries expansion and not to engage in wars of aggression that will damage alliances we do have.

Who has mentioned "wars of aggression?"

While I am not a Trump supporter, we are in hyper-competitive times and both China and Russia are empire-building. Perhaps this is the time to re-open the United States to new member-states to ensure the future. Do we really want a future in which Canada joins the EU, Russia rules the Arctic and China runs Latin America? Because that is the way geopolitics is heading.

Russia would be better off focusing on more useful languages to them.

It is said that China has its sights set on Siberia so Mandarin might be useful as well ...

The cold war peace dividend is now over.

I am still waiting for my dividend ...

Japanese don't often hold back from fat-shaming. It works here, where people still have shame.

Are farm workers no longer needed in Japan? I suspect that they are ...

Sorry, I meant to ask, Are farm workers no longer needed in Australia? I suspect that they are ...

Are farm workers no longer needed in Japan? I suspect that they are ...

Many years ago I went for a working holiday in a country whose name I shall not mention here

You won't hurt the country's collective feelings if you name it. By naming it you not only make your own story more credible and interesting, you might even help someone.

Just wait until their fax machines start exploding!

China is a totalitarian state. Free speech is the first thing to go. If you stood in front of the Nazi headquarters in Berlin and criticized Hitler and you would quickly find yourself in a concentration camp. Likewise, if you criticized Mussolini in Rome or Stalin in Moscow. And what do we think happens to someone in Beijing who publicly and loudly criticizes the CCP?

Japan loves the odd gaijin who makes it in Japan and appears on a TV show. They love the elite gaijin who settles in the country and tells them what a wonderful country they have. These gaijin make them feel good about themselves and their country. But mass immigration with a path to citizenship? Not so much.

Quick to act on the threat of a potential invasion of cheap Chinese-made EV's, but slow to respond to illegal aliens crossing our southern borders at will. Another major milestone for President Biden's horrible legacy.

Is anything more "America First" than these tariffs? Why aren't you celebrating? Perhaps for the same reason that the GOP vetoed their own immigration bill?

Quick to act on the threat of a potential invasion of cheap Chinese-made EV's, but slow to respond to illegal aliens crossing our southern borders at will. Another major milestone for President Biden's horrible legacy.

Is anything more "America First" than these tariffs? Why aren't you celebrating? Perhaps for the same reason that the GOP vetoed their own immigration bill?

The same 1930 tariffs were also a reason that the Empire of Japan invaded Manchuria. We may want to consider that we are already in WW3 and it started the day Russia invaded Ukraine.