[E-rundbrief] Info 1679 - Selling War and Pentagon Expansion in Asia-Pacific

[Matthias Reichl]

E-Rundbrief - Info 1679 - Bruce K. Gagnon - Global Network Against 
Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space (USA):

Bad Ischl, 5.11.2017

Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit

www.begegnungszentrum.at

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http://space4peace.blogspot.com/2017/11/selling-war-and-pentagon-expansion-in.html

Selling War and Pentagon Expansion in Asia-Pacific

Trump touched down in Hawaii on his way to Asia.  He was met with 
protests there and huge marches are happening across South Korea in 
anticipation of his meeting with the newly elected President Moon in 
Seoul.

Moon is turning out to be a disappointment to peaceniks across Korea 
as he carries water for the US imperial project.  It's a clear sign 
that those supposedly in charge in South Korea are not.  They are at 
the mercy of Washington and the military industrial complex.

China during the last couple of days sent nuclear bombers bumping up 
near the coast of Guam in a certain statement before Trump visits 
Beijing.  Just weeks ago, while speaking at the UN, Trump blasted 
socialism as a failed system - many taking it as a shot across China's 
bow before his visit there.  China has fired back showing the Donald 
that two can play the nuclear 'fire and fury' ball game.

Beijing has repeatedly warned the US that if Washington decides to 
'decapitate' North Korea then China will be forced to come into the 
war to stop the US invasion of the north.

North Korea borders both China and Russia and neither of those nations 
can afford to allow an aggressive US military outpost in the northern 
region of the Korean peninsula.  It's a deal breaker to use Trumpian 
lingo.

Trumps Asia-Pacific sales trip will take him to Japan (to meet with 
the fascist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, grandson of an imperial 
Japanese war criminal), South Korea, China, Vietnam (where the US is 
trying to cut a deal get to permission to use the Cam Ranh Bay Navy 
base), and the Philippines (where the US is once again porting its 
warships at Subic Bay after being kicked out in 1992).

Trump's primary job is to hold the line as anti-American fervor sweeps 
the Asia-Pacific.  US base expansions in Okinawa and South Korea has 
fueled popular resistance to the Obama-Clinton era 'pivot' of 60% of 
American military forces into the region which requires more 
ports-of-call, more airfields and more barracks for US troops.  With 
these base expansions comes environmental degradation, dramatically 
increased noise pollution, GI disrespect and mistreatment of local 
citizens, stealing of lands from farm and fishing communities, 
Pentagon arrogance about its control over host governments and many 
other local grievances.  Washington is not interested in hearing 
about, or seriously negotiating, these deep concerns thus the official 
Pentagon response is more bluster and domination which only fuels the 
fires of domestic rage.

The US military is the loaded gun placed at the head of all 
Asia-Pacific nations - you either comply with Washington's economic 
demands or this instrument of destruction will be used.  The cancerous 
US military occupation of the region has nothing to do with defending 
the American people. The Pentagon defends corporate 'interests' which 
require a submissive region.

The US is in a bind as its imperil project collapses overseas and at 
home.  Trump's 'Make American Great Again' are code words to restore 
the empire's prestige and domination.  But there is no going back - 
like white supremacy at home, those days are long gone.

The US's only option is to close its more than 800 military bases 
around the world and bring its occupation troops home.  Learn to get 
along with others and bury the idea that America is the master race - 
the 'exceptional' nation.

The other option is World War III which would go nuclear in a cold 
hard flash. No one wins that one.

The American people ought to wise up and see the writing on the wall. 
But they'd need a real media to share with them the true feelings of 
the occupied people around the world and we don't have that - ours is 
a subservient media that promotes only corporate interests to US citizens.

Plus the American people would need to care about other people around 
the world - human solidarity has mostly been beaten out of the hearts 
of our citizenry. Even most liberals currently babble the anti-Russian 
recycled red-baiting being fomented by elected Democrats in the 
hardened halls of Washington.

There is no escaping the sad fact that it will be a brutal collapse 
for America and it is surely coming.

Art by W. B. Park

Bruce K. Gagnon
Coordinator
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
PO Box 652
Brunswick, ME 04011
(207) 443-9502
http://www.space4peace.org
http://space4peace.blogspot.com  (blog)

Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth. 
- Henry David Thoreau

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Begegnungszentrum fuer aktive Gewaltlosigkeit
Center for Encounter and active Non-Violence
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