Japan and the Global Policeman

As a democratic-minded U.S. citizen I condemn the rape of the Okinawa schoolgirl, for which three U.S. servicemen have been arrested. I believe militarism with its teaching and practice of violence and domination inflames male supremacist attitudes and leads to such brutalities against women. I agree, therefore, with those Japanese who say that the U.S. military presence in their country lies at the root of this sexist crime. I applaud the Japanese peace movement both for demanding that bases be removed and for supporting the popular protests that have expressed this demand. Above all, I must pay tribute to the people of Okinawa who lead this campaign for democratic rights and peace, with their magnificent demonstration of 85,000 on October 21.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website

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