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« Great piece by Peggy Noonan on the American character | Main | Globalization's great infrastructural buildout: China's grid »
Friday, June 4, 2010 at 12:04 AM
12:04AM

When push comes to shove, US bases remain

DateFriday, June 4, 2010 at 12:04AM

WSJ cover story.

Yes, the NIMBYs have at it, and yes, Hatoyama resigns for breaking campaign promise, but the Marine bases remain.

NorKo drove the reaction this time; in the future China's build-up will be the excuse.  

Point is, America never really has trouble locating new bases when the need arises and only occasionally has trouble holding onto old ones.  When the latter happens, new offers to host inevitably flow.

Why?  All these rising great powers are good for the business of alliance-building and balancing.

There is no surpassing the US Leviathan; there is only triggering regional balancing responses that bolster its presence.

AuthorThomas P.M. Barnett Comment1 Comment | Reference1 Reference |
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Reader Comments (1)

What about Subic Bay? Isn't proximity to Taiwan a big part of the reason why the US is so keen to retain the bases in Okinawa.

June 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterFazal Majid

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