# Thousands surround Japan's parliament, protest US base plan



## Vikrant (May 24, 2015)

Why? 

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TOKYO: Thousands of demonstrators formed a human chain around Japan's parliament in Tokyo on Sunday, protesting the planned construction of a new US airbase on the southern island of Okinawa.

The protesters, who organisers said numbered about 15,000, surrounded the parliament building holding banners reading "No to Henoko", in the latest rally against the controversial base.

Henoko is a small coastal area on Okinawa where Tokyo and Washington plan to relocate the existing Futenma military facility, currently situated in built-up Ginowan.

"We must stop this construction," said one of the protesters, Akemi Kitajima, 66.

"The government is trying to force the plan no matter how strongly Okinawa says 'no' to it."

Okinawa is home to more than half of the 47,000 US service personnel stationed in Japan as part of a defence alliance, a proportion many islanders say is too high.

The plan to move Futenma, first mooted in 1996, has become the focus of anger among locals, who insist it should be shuttered and a replacement built elsewhere in Japan or overseas.

But both Tokyo and Washington have repeatedly backed the plan, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last month insisting it was "the only solution".

The protestors on Sunday also expressed opposition to Washington's scheduled deployment of CV-22 Osprey aircraft at US Yokota Air Base in Tokyo.

The Osprey is a hybrid aircraft with rotors that allow it to take off like a helicopter and engines that can tilt forward, enabling it to fly like an aeroplane at greater speed than a chopper.

More than two dozen Ospreys have been already deployed at Okinawa's Futenma airbase, prompting safety concerns from local residents.

Today's rally comes a week after 35,000 people on Okinawa, led by the anti-base governor, protested the new US base plan. 

Thousands surround Japan s parliament protest US base plan - The Times of India


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## Mr. H. (May 24, 2015)

Today, we drove past a new restaurant called "Tokyo Japanese Cuisine".

I mused to the Mrs. "why don't you see restaurants named 'Hiroshima Japanese Cuisine' or 'Nagasaki Japanese Cuisine'"?


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## TheOldSchool (May 24, 2015)

I understand the frustration of those people, but don't they recognize the advantage of the U.S. maintaining an interest there?  China's been flexing its muscles pretty hard lately, and those 2 don't exactly have the friendliest of history's...

But then again I wonder what politics are like over there.  Maybe there's a movement to ally with China?  I don't know


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## Vikrant (May 24, 2015)

TheOldSchool said:


> I understand the frustration of those people, but don't they recognize the advantage of the U.S. maintaining an interest there?  China's been flexing its muscles pretty hard lately, and those 2 don't exactly have the friendliest of history's...
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> But then again I wonder what politics are like over there.  Maybe there's a movement to ally with China?  I don't know



I think people in general are averse to the idea of foreign of bases on their soil even if they are there to protect them.


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## TheOldSchool (May 24, 2015)

Vikrant said:


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Well Japan needs to start arming up then.  I know there's a movement there to begin building up their military again, and I couldn't agree more.


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## Mr. H. (May 24, 2015)

There have been numerous rapes over the years by U.S. servicemen. 

Maybe they're still a little sensitive over that "comfort women" thing?


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## Vikrant (May 24, 2015)

TheOldSchool said:


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I completely agree. Chinese at least the leadership is hell bent on seeking revenge and they don't seem to have any grasp of noble concepts like forgive and forget. I think Abe realizes that and is making some effort to bolster Japanese defense. It seems like majority of Japanese folks support Abe.


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## TheOldSchool (May 24, 2015)

Vikrant said:


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Well I want Japan to be safe.  But I also hope Abe isn't like Bush was over here, and tries to instigate things that should be left alone.


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## Pogo (May 24, 2015)

Mr. H. said:


> Today, we drove past a new restaurant called "Tokyo Japanese Cuisine".
> 
> I mused to the Mrs. "why don't you see restaurants named 'Hiroshima Japanese Cuisine' or 'Nagasaki Japanese Cuisine'"?



They tried that, but it bombed.  

Just wasn't much of a market for blackened sushi.


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## Dot Com (May 24, 2015)

I used to live in Japn and if I remember correctly about Okinawa, there have been rapes perpetrated by marines there, one on a quite young girl.


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## Kevin_Kennedy (May 24, 2015)

U.S. Navy sailors convicted in Okinawa rape

Increase in crime, including rapes, and general boorishness.


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## Mr. H. (May 24, 2015)

Dot Com said:


> I used to live in Japn and if I remember correctly about Okinawa, there have been rapes perpetrated by marines there, one on a quite young girl.


Is there an echo in here?


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## SUPERMAN1929 (May 24, 2015)

They're never going to want the US military over there. Why would they?
Lots of young  men who are alcoholics and trouble makers. Lots of money involved in it that business would miss there if they were to leave though.


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## Kevin_Kennedy (May 24, 2015)

Mr. H. said:


> Today, we drove past a new restaurant called "Tokyo Japanese Cuisine".
> 
> I mused to the Mrs. "why don't you see restaurants named 'Hiroshima Japanese Cuisine' or 'Nagasaki Japanese Cuisine'"?


Because mass murder is hilarious.


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## Mr. H. (May 24, 2015)

Kevin_Kennedy said:


> U.S. Navy sailors convicted in Okinawa rape
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> Increase in crime, including rapes, and general boorishness.


Your middle name isn't Karl by any chance.


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## SUPERMAN1929 (May 24, 2015)

Kevin_Kennedy said:


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It's called casualties in war.


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## Kevin_Kennedy (May 24, 2015)

TheOldSchool said:


> I understand the frustration of those people, but don't they recognize the advantage of the U.S. maintaining an interest there?  China's been flexing its muscles pretty hard lately, and those 2 don't exactly have the friendliest of history's...
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> But then again I wonder what politics are like over there.  Maybe there's a movement to ally with China?  I don't know


Yes, but Japan is hardly innocent in stirring up trouble in the region. Regardless, this isn't coming from the ruling party, who have every incentive to keep the U.S. base there, but from the people who have to live with these soldiers next door.


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## Vikrant (May 24, 2015)

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Abe is a very solid dude. He is not a hardliner by any stretch of imagination. He is just tired of threats after threats that Chinese leadership spews out against Japanese people despite Japanese people showing nothing but remorse for what happened during the World War II.


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## Mr. H. (May 24, 2015)

Kevin_Kennedy said:


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Kevin_Kennedy said:


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And war is hell.

We get it, you bleeding heart twit.


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## Kevin_Kennedy (May 24, 2015)

Mr. H. said:


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Oh man, that's witty. I like witty.


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## Kevin_Kennedy (May 24, 2015)

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Only when it's against a country the U.S. doesn't like. If it's against the U.S. or a country the U.S. government likes then it's an atrocity.


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## Mr. H. (May 24, 2015)

Kevin_Kennedy said:


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So, no one else on this planet "didn't like" the Japanese during WWII?


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## SUPERMAN1929 (May 24, 2015)

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Obviously we care more about our own country... You think they gave a fuck when they bombed us in pearl harbor?


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## Mr. H. (May 24, 2015)

Anyone here, besides me, going to fly an American Flag tomorrow?


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## Dot Com (May 24, 2015)

Kevin_Kennedy said:


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young people get drunk and do stupid stuff sometimes criminal. always been that way. The Okinowans don't want that on their doorstep


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## Kevin_Kennedy (May 24, 2015)

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Who said that? But how many times are the horrible things the Japanese did during WWII just chalked up to war being hell or casualties in war? If Japan had had a nuke and dropped it on Detroit it'd be rightly called one of the greatest atrocities ever committed against a civilian population, but because "we" did it it's no big deal.


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## TheOldSchool (May 24, 2015)

Kevin_Kennedy said:


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The Japanese are an important fucking ally for the U.S.  The way the world's going these days, I might put them at #1.  We need them to be strong, and we need them to support an alliance with the U.S.


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## Kevin_Kennedy (May 24, 2015)

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Probably not, but how many official apologies has the U.S. been given from Japanese governments regarding Pearl Harbor? How many apologies have been given over Hiroshima or Nagasaki?


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## Kevin_Kennedy (May 24, 2015)

Dot Com said:


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Exactly, and who can blame them? There's no reason for the U.S. to be there anyways.


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## SUPERMAN1929 (May 24, 2015)

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I don't feel bad when the aggressor gets bitch slapped across the face. Also, I care more about my country that other countries.


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## TheOldSchool (May 24, 2015)

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News flash: EVERYONE does horrific things in war.  Hell Germany committed genocide, and now they are the leading European economy.  Sack up Kevin.


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## Kevin_Kennedy (May 24, 2015)

TheOldSchool said:


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I'm all for friendliness with Japan, but that doesn't mean I'm going to pretend that the Japanese government hasn't been just as aggressive toward China as China has been toward Japan. Leave their issues between them and stay out of it is the best course for the U.S.


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## Mr. H. (May 24, 2015)

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There is no letter S in anyway.


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## SUPERMAN1929 (May 24, 2015)

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I don't know how many apologies have been given and honestly don't care. It doesn't take back things that happened. We're allies now anyways.


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## Kevin_Kennedy (May 24, 2015)

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Not quite that simple. FDR purposefully provoked Japan because he needed an excuse to enter the war. Certainly doesn't excuse Japan, but it's not quite so black and white as them being the aggressor.


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## S.J. (May 24, 2015)

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Why should we apologize for responding to being attacked and having war waged against us, you fucking idiot?


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## Kevin_Kennedy (May 24, 2015)

TheOldSchool said:


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Except Germany and Japan openly admit their crimes. The U.S. has never been good at that. Americans don't want to hear about horrible things done in the past, they just want to be told how awesome they are.


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## TheOldSchool (May 24, 2015)

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China has over a billion people and is one of the great military powers of the world.  Japan barely has an army.  

Japan is one of the world's top economies and one of our closest allies.  We need to maintain that relationship.


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## Kevin_Kennedy (May 24, 2015)

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Anyways Define Anyways at Dictionary.com


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## Kevin_Kennedy (May 24, 2015)

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Oh brother.


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## TheOldSchool (May 24, 2015)

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What horrible things?


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## SUPERMAN1929 (May 24, 2015)

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Fill yourself with hate for your own country. We were the good guys in WWII whether you like it or not. I'm not going to feel bad that our country did what it did. Get over it and move into the future or go to a "better" country.


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## Kevin_Kennedy (May 24, 2015)

TheOldSchool said:


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Absolutely need to maintain that relationship. Need to maintain the relationship with China as well. Japan and China's problems are just that, Japan and China's problems. No need for the U.S. to be involved.


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## Kevin_Kennedy (May 24, 2015)

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And there's the mentality in practice: "We're the awesomest good guys whoever lived." Childish fantasies are no substitute for reality.


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## TheOldSchool (May 24, 2015)

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We need to be involved in preventing any kind of war there.  And since our foreign policy has shifted to the far east I think we'll be able to do that.


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## Vikrant (May 24, 2015)

TheOldSchool said:


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... and now Germany markets itself as a promoter of global peace. Example: Ukraine crisis


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## Kevin_Kennedy (May 24, 2015)

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That's what the U.S. is known for, preventing war. More likely our involvement will just make matters worse, as it's done everywhere we've ever meddled.


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## SUPERMAN1929 (May 24, 2015)

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Your mentality will make our country fail. Why would you try to drag your own country through the dirt? I think we should do what it takes to be winners.


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## Dot Com (May 24, 2015)

FTR- "Okinawans" are distinct from "Japanese" and would be happy as a clam to have their independence back.


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## Kevin_Kennedy (May 24, 2015)

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The country is failing because Americans prefer platitudes to hard truths, and this allows the politicians to do whatever they want so long as they chant "U-S-A!" while they do it.


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## Mr. H. (May 24, 2015)

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Stop playing the coy bitch.


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## TheOldSchool (May 24, 2015)

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Except here we're dealing with 1st world, secular countries with something to lose.  Instead of 3rd world religious lunatics, which we've been obsessed with for no reason for 5 decades.


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## Vikrant (May 24, 2015)

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Japan is very vital to the U.S. interest. Yet, there is far greater obsession among Americans for middle east than Japan or other Asian countries. This I find very strange.


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## S.J. (May 24, 2015)

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Well, why should we?


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## TheOldSchool (May 24, 2015)

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We have the highest population of evangelical Christians in the world.  And for them religion overcomes logic, so they think the "holy" lands of the middle east are their responsibility for whatever reason.  And unfortunately they hold a disproportionate amount of political sway here...


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## Vikrant (May 24, 2015)

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I know  I have been living in the U.S. for over two decades now. 

Going forward, we need to be very smart though because China is a whole different ball game and I mean it. They have a population of one billion people. Right now only 25% Chinese are empowered and we are feeling the heat. Imagine what will happen when 75% Chinese are empowered.


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## TheOldSchool (May 24, 2015)

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I couldn't agree more.  We need to forget the middle east and improve our relationships with Japan and especially India.  And shift our focus to either becoming one of the major powers in the far east or making them our friends.  Or else there's going to be a colossal superpower in Asia (China and the allies it gathers around it), and all we'll be able to do is hope they leave us be.


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## Kevin_Kennedy (May 25, 2015)

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WWI is a great example of dealing with first world modern countries in a way that makes everything worse. The U.S. had no business getting involved, and their involvement led directly to WWII.


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## SUPERMAN1929 (May 25, 2015)

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You're so smart man. You should be president.


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## Kevin_Kennedy (May 25, 2015)

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How dare you?


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## Frankt (May 25, 2015)

Vikrant said:


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## Frankt (May 25, 2015)

Vikrant said:


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Do you REALLY think we are there top protect THEM..???.....Just look at  a map of SE Asia..!!!
I haven't been there for @ 50 years now, bu all I ever saw there, were whores in Village 1, 2, or 3, and a bunch of waterbuffaloes plowing rice paddys..


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## Nutz (May 25, 2015)

Meh...if they don't want a base, let them fend for themselves.


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## Unkotare (May 25, 2015)

TheOldSchool said:


> We have the highest population of evangelical Christians in the world. ...



Link?


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## Unkotare (May 25, 2015)

TheOldSchool said:


> Maybe there's a movement to ally with China?  I don't know



Maybe not.


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## Unkotare (May 25, 2015)

Mr. H. said:


> Today, we drove past a new restaurant called "Tokyo Japanese Cuisine".
> 
> I mused to the Mrs. "why don't you see restaurants named 'Hiroshima Japanese Cuisine' or 'Nagasaki Japanese Cuisine'"?




Food from both those cities is delicious and very famous throughout the country.


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## TheOldSchool (May 25, 2015)

Unkotare said:


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Why can't people use google around here?  Christ.

How Many Americans are Evangelical Christians Born-Again Christians 
Number of Evangelicals worldwide The Lausanne Global Conversation
Evangelicalism - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia


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## SUPERMAN1929 (May 25, 2015)

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Christianity by country - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia


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## TheOldSchool (May 25, 2015)

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Okay?  What about it?


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## Unkotare (May 25, 2015)

World s Biggest Congregation August 10 2012 Religion Ethics NewsWeekly PBS


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## Vikrant (May 28, 2015)

I have to agree with TheOldSchool. I definitely think there is a pro China bias among opinion makers and even certain lawmakers. There have been times when I felt like CNN was a paid advertisement platform for China while watching their China coverage.


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## TheOldSchool (May 28, 2015)

Vikrant said:


> I have to agree with TheOldSchool. I definitely think there is a pro China bias among opinion makers and even certain lawmakers. There have been times when I felt like CNN was a paid advertisement platform for China while watching their China coverage.


All the more reason to maintain old allies in that area and find new ones.


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