Japan Becomes Largest US Debt-Holder

No worries, didn't take it that way.

I'm baffled by your Bloomberg link in response to my Bloomberg link. They seem to be contradicting one another. In the same paper. Maybe they're examining the debt number different ways? I'm stumped.

I wouldn't be concerned about China's willingness to lend aid during a national disaster. My position is about their willingness to practice foreign policy that would destabilize the Asian sphere.

Wait we get meaningful aid from other countries when there are disasters...?

I will through this out there, what country helped us during Hurricane Katrina? I dont recall any, anyone know otherwise?

A metric asston of them, with total offers of $854 million.

thank you for the link

Wow,China helped us, but Japan did not <.<

O.o?

"The Japanese Foreign Ministry said that it would provide $200,000 to the American Red Cross to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina. Japan also identified needs in affected regions via the U.S. government and provided up to $300,000 in emergency supplies such as tents, blankets and power generators if they received requests from the U.S. for such assistance. One Japanese individual, Takashi Endo, donated USD 1 million from his personal funds to Katrina relief efforts.[13]"

China offered a whole lot more, though.

That sounds like alot until you realize that the total cost of Katrina was over $100 billion.


While like in Haiti our navy pretty much just took over a large portion of what was going on and supply most of the well supplies. And eventually kinda shared responisibility with the UN and haiti itself

my bad, I was reading something else

International response
Main article: International response to Hurricane Katrina



Over seventy countries pledged monetary donations or other assistance. Notably, Cuba and Venezuela (both hostile to US government themselves) were the first countries to offer assistance, pledging over $1 million, several mobile hospitals, water treatment plants, canned food, bottled water, heating oil, 1,100 doctors and 26.4 metric tons of medicine, though this aid was rejected by the U.S. government.[110][111][112][113] Kuwait made the largest single pledge, $500 million; other large donations were made by Qatar and United Arab Emirates (each $100 million), South Korea ($30 million), Australia ($10 million), India, China (both $5 million), New Zealand ($2 million),[114] Pakistan ($1.5 million),[115] and Bangladesh ($1 million).[116]
India sent tarps, blankets and hygiene kits.

Go Canada!

Here is something I found strange


Despite receiving aid from around the world, there was also a heavy dose of criticism from around the world, including accusations of racism that were revealed at the international level across global press. Quotations from the UK Mirror such as "Many things about the United States are wonderful, but it has a vile underbelly which is usually kept well out of sight. Now in New Orleans it has been exposed to the world." were common.[121]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina

Oh, here is more info

Actual funds used

An article in the April 29, 2007 Washington Post claimed that of the $854 million offered by foreign countries, whom the article dubs "allies," to the US Government, only $40 million of the funds had been spent "for disaster victims or reconstruction" as of the date of publication (less than 5%).[49]
Additionally, a large portion of the $854 million in aid offered went uncollected, including over $400 million in oil (almost 50%).[49]

Or even, if things would go badly with N.Korea, who would china help more? US, who has a major debt to them, or N.Korea, geographically and political neighbors?

When they bombed the WTC on september 11th, we had quite a positive response from the world. It was quite inspiring to hear all the responses from other countries.

Wonder why, Jaerik, why China would offer more than Japan..hmmm <scratches head>, Wondering What Kim Jong Il is after???? hmmm???

Lol, the Chinese should first tend to their farmers in the backlands.

And yet we have people in our backlands in need of assistance, but we give more aid to foreign countries then to them. Ever been to Appalachia?

This reminded me of something:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overthrow_of_the_Kingdom_of_Hawaii Most people think hawaii is a state also, but in reality we overthrew it for capitalistic gain lol...

same thing we should do to like mexico i think, annex them and open up tons of businesses since they all want to be americans anyway

Maybe it is time the US starts charging Japan for the military we provide them, or allow Japan to have their own military again and use that money we spent maintaining a defensive military there to pay off the debt.

And now I have been come what I have silently made fun off by talking about political or social issues on a FFXI game forum!

>.<

Japan has their own military. Jaerik posted a link to a wiki page listing the world's largest militaries. Japan is ranked 7th in the world.

Furthermore, the US does not provide them with a military. However, we do sell them a lot of our military technology. Key word being sell in that sentence.

That's North Korea.

Where did Kim Jong Il come from? Perhaps this lends credence to some earlier statements made in this thread...

Not China nor Japan >_>

Ok that says they spend the 7th most on military expenditures, it has nothing to do with how larger their military is.

Their force is more of a national guard then a World Power military.

Either way the US would be able to save money and pay down that debt if Japan payed the US for the expense of being their of if the US left and let Japan set up their own Military (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard).

and to cite wiki ... and incorrectly at that thinking expenditures = size of military ......

Nuh uhhh. He was born on Baekdu Mountain in Japanese occupied Korea

huuum, Sorry but WE didn't beat Japan in WW2 because Canada wasn't even deployed there. All we did was throw them brutally into internment camps.

Truthfully. The US owing Japan 700b and some change is no where as interesting and troublesome as to why China sold the debt in the first place. That is what is most troubling indeed.

I was wrong to say that expenditures = the size of a military. The meaning I was trying to convey was that because Japan spends so much on their military it is foolish to think the US gives them a substantial amount of assistance beyond normal.

How would you like to measure the ability of a military? Active, Reserve, Paramilitary, Funding, Technology? Depending on how you view it we will get different answers.

My point was Japan has a much larger military presence than you let on. They have an Air force, Navy, and Army. Your view that America is some sort of body guard 24/7 for Japan is in error.

Heee. icwutudidthar.

Actually japan is quit small to us americans because it is. Its a little less then 144,000 square miles where as California is just under 164,000. Also 80% of that land mass is forests/mountains. So most americans see Japan as a little country, because compared to them it is.

Technically almost all of america was someone else land and we took it. Only part of america truly legally obtained is Alaska.

Manifest Destiny anyone? Onward..