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quote of the day

If the relationship between Japan and South Korea gets much worse, it will threaten to undermine the alliance structure in Northeast Asia. It will present the U.S. with a pretty significant problem.

7 Comments

Sheila Smith, senior fellow for Japan studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, a New York-based think tank.

© Kyodo

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I see Sheila Smith published a book, "Japan Rearmed" in the past.

When I first saw it, I thought it said, "Japan Reamed" which would have been closer to the truth in these matters.

https://www.cfr.org/event/japan-rearmed-sheila-smith

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I don't think the Trump US really cares to be honest. They're putting their efforts into turning inwards, not outwards.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

The stuff happening in Hong Kong, Taiwan looking on nervously, Japan and SouthKorea playing silly buggers. Everyone better start getting their act together and seeing the big picture, sooner rather than later.

This could still be the Asian century, that or they could lead us over a dangerous cliff too.

Still hoping Japan can rise to the challenge.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

American bases in Korea are not going anywhere.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

These days, as opposed to 50 years ago, even small companies rely heavily on close, international markets. This recent spat will be resolved within a few months.

On a range of 1 to 10, the current relationship is about a 4.5. It averages out over time at a 5. Those two speed skaters hugging it out a few years ago ripped it up to a 6.5 at the time.

The "quote of the day" in this case, seems to me at least, a big "if" and kind of unnecessarily alarmist. Never going to happen imo.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

The SJW's jab their fingers at the US when it is actively engaged in Asia (and the region enjoys prosperity and relative peace). But once the US chooses to drift away from Asia, the SJWs jab their fingers again at the US, accusing it of negligence.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I rather think the SJW everywhere will be dancing in the street the day the American military retreats back to its own borders. It's not as if they have not got enough problems at home to fix without meddling in other nations' business.

@ozellis

I agree it's just business as usual and no where near the fine old days of Koreans stabbing themselves in the stomach, setting fire to themselves, tearing piglets in half, hammering pheasants to death and throwing them over the Japanese embassy wall, cutting their own fingers off and all the other crazy stuff.

May be they've worked out that stuff hurts?

(But, having written all that, my favor was the Korean prostitutes protest. Do you remember, the one where they were protesting for the right to prostitute themselves!

Kind of put the whole Comfort Women thing into context;

http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,2072487_2276371,00.html)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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