Sunday, November 2, 2008
Should We Stay or Should We Go Now: "The Clash" of Our Time
The question of whether or not we should reduce or remove bases located in Okinawa is a difficult one. The article by Ota paints a depressing picture of the affects of the base on Okinawa. He provides various reason to remove the base, settling on the main point that it imposes on human rights. The sizes of the bases on Okinawa surely seem a bit excessive for the small island and while the number of bases may be acceptable for the region, Ota makes a good point that it is unfair for the people of their single island to be responsible for 50% of them. However, many of his statistics seem generalized and he makes points based on scientific evidence that should be backed up and provided if it is to be believed. His mention of detrimental affects of noise pollution on infants is a simple statement, not a scientific fact, at least until he provides some sort of data to back it up. Also, it fails to provide any analysis of the data in which he provides. There could have been reasons for the drop in jobs for local residents on the bases or for the use of the land for military training exercises. But overall, I can agree that human rights are definitely an issue that should be addressed, even if in a manner that includes keeping the bases in existance.
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I see what you mean regarding Ota's speech and how it rightly paints a complicated picture of the situation on Okinawa. The military bases on the islands are not a simple issue and have greatly effected the human rights of its inhabitants. You stated that his statistics are not analyzed and are too generalized. I disagree, Ota was making a speech when he made these remarks. It is difficult to include these sort of statistics during a speech. I believe he laid out the case for Okinawa well given the opportunity.
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