If Japan is attacked, we will fight World War III. We will go in and protect them with our lives and with our treasure. But if we're attacked, Japan doesn't have to help us. They can watch it on a Sony television.

trump has just offended and insulted the entire population of Japan.

Time ladies and gentleman to react. Close down the american bases.

Shut down all U S consular offices, send the US ambassador packing.

Time to be pro-active Japan.

What a blowhard idiot. The trolls who live in my country sure got their way getting this complete motor mouth jerk into office.

All America has really done for Japan, besides nuke and firebomb several major cities full of civilians flat with all the murder that entails, is not rape and pillage the country afterwards (thanks I guess), prevent the Russians taking over (seriously thanks for that one) but then leave a big old target on Japan's back with its bases remaining here long past the need for them. And those bases run off Japan's tax money. MY money.

Back in 1939 when our best ally Britain was getting slammed by the Germans, a handful of Americans went to help in a private capacity...nine American pilots there were. That's it. Wasn't unit 1941 America herself got in the war. America was also late to WWI. So give it up with this claim of immediate help. America will defend its own bases and that is all Japan can rely on.

And did Captain Bone Spurs just say "we"? I never fault a dodger of American wars of empire...until they start making claims about their war grit. For this statement alone I think he should literally receive corporal punishment. All I have said plus insulting an ally. I would go beyond tar and feathers for this.

Treasure? A quantity of precious metals, gems, or other valuable objects.........

In the unlikely event of Japan needing US military assistance I believe bombs and missiles are the order of the day. Although diamonds and pearls are preferable to weapons of mass destruction

@tkyosam

Im not saying there isn't value in the relationship, the opposite, I don't want other powers in the region to become any more territorially aggressive than they are, for better or worse I would rather Japan be aligned with the west than some of the other options... but as I said, his statement is a over simplification of complex situation and a disturbing reflection of the poor standard of political discourse.

For example;

Japan is restricted because of the rules the US helped put in place.. to change them is not trivial.

The US is mostly here to keep their presence in the pacific.. if they decide they don't want that, or are prepared to give up the tenuous balance here.. then it is what it is.. but it isn't some one sided Japan thieving from the US's goodwill..

These are two of countless and no doubt many other factors I have no idea about..

You can't base complex international relations and agreements on twitter length statements.

This is true, because of Article 9

Article 9 was written and imposed by the United States.

So it's not Japan's fault.

Therefore Trump should complain to his own country.

Yes!!! I'll happily watch it all on my Sony TV!!! Thank you Mr. Trump for the viewing advice!!!

What Donny doesn't understand is that Japan doesn't have its military bases scattered throughout the US in order to have hegemony over the North American hemisphere like the US does here in northeast Asia.

The US uses Japan and its land for strategic purposes. The agreement is that the US will protect Japan in order to be granted this opportunity to use it as a forward military installation.

That's it:

Since when did the USA ever rush in to protect any country simply because it was being attacked and they were being altruistic "friends"? The USA would likely put up some kind of defense but that is to protect their strategic military (self) interests and nothing more. The trade-off for the help in military defense is Japan allowing the USA to take up huge swathes of land to build bases here for their own strategic military interests and not Japan sending their youths overseas to defend America from the fallout of it's religious crusades and greed-based aggression.

Correct: Well if America is willing to pay Japan for military protection then I'm sure it can be arranged and the deal won't be cancelled one week later.

And Japan are paying/invested a huge amount of USD to USA for this military protection. It's a business of USA to earn USD by protecting??? other nation. This is never FOC.

USA will never even smile to Japan without USD.

So, here nothing funny and sure we will watch only in TV, because you don't pay to us(Japan) for the same.

Then what's wrong?

If Japan is attacked, we will fight World War III. We will go in and protect them with our lives and with our treasure. But if we're attacked, Japan doesn't have to help us. They can watch it on a Sony television.

Ok that like saying, if some guy started manhandling my wife Melania, I'd have to go in and protect her, but if I got into a fight Melania doesn't have to jump in. Duh

Anyway, why would any country attack Japan, other than for the fact that we have US military bases here?

Geez dude are you that disconnected?

China would love to claim Japan as their step child and for their misdeeds like mass murder during WW2, as would North Korea. South Korea isnt very happy about past deeds either.

Trump on this topic is right and wrong at the same time. Japan is getting the better part of the deal, that is access to US markets while blocking and protecting their own. Abe knows this. In return the US gets access to their land and bases. Upset this relationship, and Japan must spend billions or trillions of yen on a real military, not a JSDF, draining their GDP. Its also understood that a US presence in Japan keeps a cap on the nationalism that is always under the surface here and going full scale nuclear. Right now, Japanese nationalist (i.e. the LDP) serves the US interest and keeps a conservative China hating populace aligned with their interest. All of this would be upset if Trump pulled out of the agreement. The best he can do is get more access to Japanese markets, while keeping whats been in place for decades.

Is Trump suggesting that the US will start paying Japan for protection?

Anyway, why would any country attack Japan, other than for the fact that we have US military bases here?

Since when did the USA ever rush in to protect any country simply because it was being attacked and they were being altruistic "friends"? The USA would likely put up some kind of defense but that is to protect their strategic military (self) interests and nothing more. The trade-off for the help in military defense is Japan allowing the USA to take up huge swathes of land to build bases here for their own strategic military interests and not Japan sending their youths overseas to defend America from the fallout of it's religious crusades and greed-based aggression.

Explain how this is not true, please. Is Japan going to scramble their naval warships, fighter jets refuelling mid air, and come to our aid? No.

There are no words for the gross misrepresentation and total disregard for the reasons we find ourselves in this current situation... other than sadness that this is what politics has become.