Why are there still American troops in Germany and Japan in the aftermath of a war that ended in 1945? Well we can guess why Germany and Japan don’t mind, as Americans quite graciously spend trillions of dollars to deter all of their geopolitical rivals. But that insight raises an even bigger question which I’ll explain shortly.
Germany and Japan were geopolitical rivals of the USA in the 20th Century for various reasons, mostly reasons we inflicted on ourselves.
In 1908 the USA threw its weight around by sending the Great White Fleet to Japan as an intimidation tactic to force them to sign a disadvantageous trade agreement. That’s ordinary imperialism, but may have sucked us down the rabbit hole of getting involved in British and French colonial interests in East Asia. The USA was a fledgling world power that was desperate to be taken seriously and the older, wiser colonialists were quick to take advantage of our insecurity.
During World War I, Germany threatened the solvency of Britain and France, who even back then had a large amount of American credit, which was alarming to our bankers. So of course Wilson invented an excuse to intervene, a terrible reversal of the longstanding policy American neutrality on the European continent.
And the rest is history.
Meanwhile, Russians, Chinese and Koreans were never rivals or enemies of the USA. Never. Not even once. No American ever said “Oh no, I hope the Russians don’t invade us!” Literally never happened. A significant portion of our territory, and the colonists on that territory, came from Russia to begin with.
It’s true that there was the Boxer Rebellion and Russian Civil War, however these were internal (and anti-imperialist) conflicts that the USA foolishly chose to get involved in. But I would not describe either of these tragic episodes as the USA at war with Russia or China. The USA did not paint itself into a corner of being in direct opposition against Russia and China until after World War II.
The soft annexation of Germany and Japan was a disastrous decision, for them, Americans, and the world. And we ended up taking on the longstanding geopolitical interests of these countries, despite them being many degrees of separation from any conceivable benefit to American citizens.
Without Japan as an unsinkable aircraft carrier, it’s unlikely there would have been a Korean War, or for that matter a Vietnam War. Without an American occupation zone in West Germany, there wouldn’t have been a Cold War – and by extent no “containment” strategy that also directly contributed to the wars against Koreans and Vietnamese.
The biggest question of them all is how are American citizens continually duped into wasting so much blood and treasure against “rivals” who are not our rivals at all?
Ian Kummer
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It’s as if the collective West is a horrific 80-year-old half-Ally half-Axis chimaera, spawned when Churchill and Himmler were negotiating the background to Operation Unthinkable in early 1945 behind Roosevelt and Hitler’s backs.
That’s a good way to sum it up, and I think a lot of the blame lies on Truman’s shoulders, and of course Churchill himself.
As a Japanese I am .
I can easily feel the artifice of the US empire trying to grab me.
Todays MSM (main stream media) in Japan totaly going nut.
For a year , almost every morning they shout about Ohtani Shohei(a pro baseballer of MLB).
I want ask these shit MSM to “a japanese sportsman playing at USA ,so what ? what importance there? why should we hear about such non-public concern thing , instead of hear about Neocon-Neolib shitheads prompt in Ukraine war.
Ohtani goes MLB its very OK.
I dont mind individual choice where people work at. but I am really sure MLB is “NOT” japanese baseball league. I thought the Public should be informed about public concern things first. then shitty private sport business is “NOT” public thing. so please tell me why we japanese should inform about such unnecessary thing Every Single Morning instead of crusial Public Problems?”
And if there are a few thing to add for this topic.
In my country Japan, de fact dependency on USA, there are some harmful narrative for make people thinking “allying (or obeying) US empire is not so bad. rather good decision”.
One of them is 「朝鮮特需が日本の復興を助けた」(Big militaly demand at Korean War helps restoring Japanese Economy）
This type narrative is often circulating lower part of our society ,especialy when USA begin conflict.
” Oh , fool boy why do you hate and refuse to support USA . it was good time when America do war against Korea, they spent big money and we got some of them. Same on Vietnum. so when USA make war, its not so bad time for us. Boy you really dont know economy.”
I sometimes clashed with these type people.
It may be universal . There are narrative circulating in satellite countries that make people think that mastery is not so bad.