Kerry skeptical on need for more U.S. forces in Asia

U.S. has been looking for WMD in the wrong part of the world, it's in N. Korea, Duh!

Kerry has credibilty and he has it in spades. He testified before US Congress and the world that he personally took part in raids and torture in Vietnam "in a fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan." He likes China. China likes him.

Well this could be a case of "good cop/bad cop". Some in US government kiss up to China while others talk tough. That's what Japan (and even China) does. It's pretty standard diplomatic protocol.

"Sen Bob Corker, the senior Republican on the panel, expressed concerns about Hagel’s support for an 80% reduction of U.S. nuclear weapons, a major issue for the Tennessee lawmaker and his home state. The Y-12 nuclear facility is located near Oak Ridge, Tenn, and any cuts or delays in modernization to the nuclear arsenal would have an impact on local jobs."

Bob Corker is an unabashed cheerleader for not interfering with market forces and a staunch advocate of less government spending. But of course, in this case it's a different story.

John Kerry is a prime example of what is wrong with the American government today. He is a balloon with good hair; incapable of thought, and full of hot air. (I didn't plan for that to rhyme, I guess I was a poet, and didn't know it). I would prefer China as a predictable adversry than an unpredictable friend. Being that China's long-term goals are certainly not to the benefit of America or Japan, it would be best if Kerry were to support more fully those allies in Asia which have stuck with America for the last 50 years. Interestingly enough, Vietnam has changed a lot since Kerry testified to Congress. America is now Vietnam's largest trading partner, and Vietnam had become quite pro-American and very anti-Chinese. The Chinese are not fools, and any "improved" ties with America will only benefit China (and those corrupt American politicians whom they indirectly support), and not America or America's Asian allies.

I've always liked Kerry.

China has many options, and which they choose will in a large way depend on how they interpret American actions. They can afford a blue-water navy, but I'd dare say they'd prefer to prepare for the rapid graying of their population and to address the atrocious environmental problems they face.

Kerry seems to have adopted an appropriate tone: trust, but verify.

"I'm not convinced that increased military ramp-up is critical yet," Kerry said. "That's something I'd want to look at very carefully."

By including the word "yet" after the word "critical" Kerry leaves plenty of wriggle room for an eventual ramp-up. Taking a more conciliatory tone allows Kerry to get closer to the Chinese. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

@sangetsu03 "Vietnam has changed a lot since Kerry testified"...

That is an interesting comment. Why obfuscate it with uninteresting babbling immediately after the part quoted above?

sangetsu

Exactly! Summed it up in a nutshell.

Interestingly enough, Vietnam has changed a lot since Kerry testified to Congress

The Gulf of Tonkin incident was a staged event:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/world/asia/15vietnam.html

The current chairman of the committee, Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, said Wednesday in an interview that the transcripts were especially revealing to him. In February 1968, when some of the most intense debates of the committee were occurring, Mr. Kerry was on a ship headed for Vietnam. The release of documents, he said, “shows these guys wrestling with the complexity of it when our generation was living it out in a very personal way.” He continued, “You couldn’t have imagined in that room of the Capitol that policy makers were agonizing over it in that way, and having that gut kind of conversation.

Mr Kerry still believes in the justification of the Vietnam War and was an active participant in it.

Yeah, no more troops, just send more money to the two creditors, then you don't need to worry about the devaluation of Yen or Yuan.

It seems that most people here in japan are siding with China. China wants Kerry in office because they know that he will dump Japan and side with China. Japan is going to have to stand on it's own. America is selling out to China.