Defense Secretary Richard Cheney went to Japan seeking an increase in the $2.4 billion a year Japan contributes to our $7 billion cost of stationing troops there and in Okinawa.
When the U.S. began ”protecting” Japan, Japan was flat on its back and we were the most prosperous country in the world. Today, Japan is the most prosperous country. We have a $50 billion-a-year trade deficit with the Japanese and are on our way to being flat on our backs.
Despite the unassailable logic of Japan paying full dollar for U.S. protection, the Japanese answer to Secretary Cheney is predictable: a polite, ”We`ll think about it.”
Our foolish State and Commerce Departments have been receiving polite evasions from the Japanese on trade and defense matters for at least a score of years. Shame on us for not calling their bluff.
