Losing Sleep Over Marine Corps Golf Courses

NO!NO!

Last night I lost sleep because I felt the need to get up and blog about yesterday's protest. (More video coming soon!)

Tonight I'm losing sleep because I wanted to try to find out who owns and operates U.S. military golf courses in Okinawa. From what I know, Japanese tax dollars pay for the utilities at U.S. military bases. Does that mean they are also paying for the maintenance and upkeep of U.S. military golf courses? The U.S. military has golf courses all over the world: http://www.militarygolfcourseguide.com/.

The Taiyo Golf Club, for example, was recently rebuilt by the U.S. Marine Corps. According to the Marine Corps Community Services Okinawa website, "...Taiyo Golf Club, which opened on March 1, 2010 and is already drawing comparisons to the finest U.S. military golf facilities in the Pacific, if not the entire world." In these difficult financial times, how is it possible that our military finds it appropriate to spend so much money on this kind of recreational facility? It's simply irresponsible.

Golf courses are a huge drain on natural resources, requiring tons of water to keep the greens green. When I read this about the history of the above golf course (formerly Awase Meadows), I was really disturbed:

After years of negotiations (the decision to return the land [to Okinawa/Japan] was made in 1996), a conglomeration of landowners collectively decided that the course will be developed into Okinawa's largest shopping mall—a monstrous three-story Jusco. This new facility, which will also house a theater and hospital, will cover almost half of the scenic golf course's property.

And, although watching the last golfers finishing their last round on this venerable course will be a sad day indeed, Okinawa's newest, and possibly the greatest, Marine Corps golf course is just over the horizon.

"The new course will be on the same level, if not better than, many of the current private courses on the island," says Rich Erland, Director of Golf/Golf Course Superintendent at the Awase Meadows Golf Course. This new course, which is currently under construction in Uruma City near the Kurashiki Dam, is slated to be top notch in all departments. Covering approximately 6,800 yards and encompassing 247 acres (compared to Awase Meadows' 5,765 yards and 110 acres), this new course is slated to be completed in early 2009....Although the new course is slated to be light years ahead of Awase Meadows in almost every aspect, one thing will remain the same: the courses mission will be to serve its most beloved customers—the servicemen and women that defend the United States of America.

Instead of restoring the land to its natural habitat, the citizens of Okinawa got a mega-mall and U.S. military golf course doubled in size. This is destroying the environment of Okinawa. More posts to come on U.S. bases and the environment. This is morally, ethically, politically, financially, and environmentally wrong. Just wrong.

Take action through my blog.

U.S. Military Bases｜米軍基地

(日本語の要約下)

U.S. military bases are a focal point for local and global social justice issues. Recently, military spending has also become an important domestic financial issue. Most lawmakers refuse to consider reforming defense spending, even though it accounts for one of the highest shares of the national deficit. Consider some of the financial and political implications of U.S. bases:


Video by RTAmerica.

The issues sparked by foreign bases are examined in this 2007 Alternet article (http://www.alternet.org/story/47998), reprinted from Chalmers Johnson's "Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic"(Metropolitan Books).

Some might object that the above media have a decided political bias. However, the spending debate about bases is beginning to enter into the mainstream. Representatives Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich are both calling for a reduction of foreign bases in Japan on financial grounds: http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/2-congressmen-call-for-pullout-of-u-s-forces-from-japan (Article reposted at http://peacephilosophy.blogspot.com/2011/02/kyodo-news-2-congressmen-us-troops-out.html...initially received it through their Tweet. Thanks Peace Philosophy Center and Twitter!) Although some might argue that Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul are fringe political figures, their attention on this issue indicates a consensus between the the far left and far right on military spending. Despite their rhetoric, classifying either of them as radical or reactionary is also mistaken, as they operate within the narrow line of electability in American national politics.

As the video indicates, foreign military bases are symbols of America's international power and influence. One can easily argue that the use of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Vietnam war, the Iraq war and current base issues are all examples of the USA flexing its military muscles on the world stage to advance its economic agenda. Anyone care to debate this assertion? Post comments! :)

Regardless of one's political allegiances, defense reform needs to be a major issue in the upcoming budget debates. Americans need to put pressure on the Obama administration and congress to take a serious look at our out-of-control military spending policies. See a future post on "efficiency" for more on making defense reform a political reality.

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（本当に下手な日本語で、ごめんなさい。読んで、直していただきたいです！）

米軍基地は国内外社会的正義の問題の焦点です。最近米軍予算は重大な国内財政でもあります。財政赤字の大部分は防衛予算が占めているにもかからわず、ほとんどの議員が米防衛予算の改変を考えていない。米軍基地の財政・政治的影響について考えてみましょう：


Video by RTAmerica.

Alternetよりこの問題の記事が2007に出ってきました。(http://www.alternet.org/story/47998), チャマーズ・ジョンサンより"Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic"(Metropolitan Books)復刻版.

上記のメディアは差別があるというと、二人のアメリカ国会議員は最近沖縄の米軍基地に反対することを言いました：http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/2-congressmen-call-for-pullout-of-u-s-forces-from-japan この記事はカナダのPeace Philosophy Centerのブログで初めて読みました。（実はツィッターで記事のリンクを見ました。）この団体は日本語と英語で米軍基地など日米関係問題平和活動について記事をよく出っています。ありがとう！