watching a documentary on PBS

the US military is planning to dismantle the Marine base on Okinawa and move it to Guam by 2014

The thinking is if we intend to maintain a prescence in the Pacific we need to BE in the Pacific and Guam is an American island

There are Guamanians both for and against it

on one hand it will bring billions of dollars into the Guamanian economy and prosperity to island businesses

on the other hand the population will increase by thousands. and the infrastructure will require millions to rebuild the water system and the electrical systems and waste disposals

some of the Guamanians are concerned that the native Chamorro culture will disapear

any thoughts?

we'll be hearing more of this over the next few years

the new world order people, and the anti military people, and the conspiracy people will pick it up soon

I guess I'm just ahead of the curve

If the population is in that much fear that their people will disappear that quick...I am concerned about inbreeding....

What about us BBQ people? Aren't we a force to be reconded with?

Just a couple of quick facts,
Guam is a US Territory.
Okinawa isnt.

The native Chamorro are only 37.1%,
Filipino 26.3%,
other Pacific islander 11.3%,
white 6.9%,
and other Asian 6.3%.

The two major sources of income for Guam are in order,
Tourism,
The American Military.

I don't see why not!

Do the Guamanians get to vote on it? I would presume they would mostly want the money coming in.

This news report is three days old. It appears maybe Japan is moving away along with the Americans... maybe even to Guam.

Begin Quote:

"Japan's Prime Minister Yuikio Hatoyama has instructed his Defense Minister to "make extra, active efforts to find new locations" for the Futenma Air Base in Okinawa.

The Prime Minister has suggested the possibility of moving the entire Futenma Base here to Guam. However, that is considered highly unlikely.

The Guam military buildup hangs on Hatoyama's decision over the Futenma base relocation. The Prime Minister has said he will not make a final decision until the new year.

Wednesday, Kitazawa will be meeting with Governor Camacho, and the commanders at Naval Station and Andersen Air Force Base.

Guam does not get electoral votes, but they do vote for the Presidential candidates by a straw poll.
They do have representation in the house as well.

Their offical Motto; "Where America's Day Begins"

The US military already controls 29% of the island. Bringing the Marines there will increase their control to an estimated 40%.

I haven't heard anything about the Japs moving there. I don't think Guam would take kindly to the idea as they suffered deeply at Jap hans during a 31 month occupation of their island starting on Dec 8, 1941.
One day after the attack on Pearl.

I hadn't hear about the Japanese part

if they did they would have to lease property since it's American territory

one of the reasons for the move from Okinawa is the public outcry aginst the military presence. Something about the repeated rape cases?

some Guamanians are concerned that that will carry on to their island

It's their territory. We've had an occupation force there since 1945!
About time to leave.

since before that

we got it as a result of the Sapanish American war in 19ohsomething

the Japanese took it in WW2 and we took it back

they have had several referendums to vote on becoming a Commonwealth like Puerto Rico but the Guamanians voted it down. Apparently they like their status


oh wait

you meant Okinawa

never mind

I agree

Guam is an American territory. They do have representation in the US house and have been working towards becoming a Commonwealth.

The Japanese are moving their military base from there too.

Japan Is Said to Delay Decision on U.S. Base
December 14, 2009

TOKYO (AP) — The Japanese government has delayed until next year a decision on whether to pursue changes in an accord on the relocation of a United States military base on the southern island of Okinawa, the Japanese news media reported Tuesday.

The Kyodo news agency said Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama had put off a decision on the future of a Marine Corps air station at Futenma, while the newspaper Asahi Shimbun said the decision had been postponed until May.

Spokesmen for the prime minister’s office, the Foreign Ministry and the Defense Ministry could not confirm the reports. Tensions over the future of the air base have been threatening to strain ties between the United States and Japan.

According to a 2006 agreement between the countries that would reorganize American troops in Japan, Futenma was to be moved to a less crowded part of Okinawa, but Mr. Hatoyama has talked about the possibility of changing the relocation site, or even removing the base from the island.

Okinawa residents complain about noise, pollution and crime caused by the base, and many people want the airfield closed and its operations moved off the island entirely.

The reorganization plan, negotiated and agreed to by the previous conservative Japanese government, was aimed at lightening the load on Okinawa, which is host to more than half of the 47,000 American troops in Japan.

The plan also called for moving 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam by 2014, but the American military says that plan cannot move forward until the Futenma air base’s relocation is finalized.

Mr. Hatoyama has promised that Tokyo would adopt a less subservient relationship with Washington, but he has also emphasized that the security alliance with the United States is the cornerstone of Japan’s diplomacy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/15/world/asia/15japan.html