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「ただ乗り」論争
憲法が施行されて50年を迎え、日本にふさわしい憲法とは何かについて、あらたな論議が展開されている。戦争放棄や日米安保条約撤廃などをうたう平和主義者は最近、米国側の保守的な主張に押され気味。米国の保守派議員らは、日本は日米安保条約による「ただ乗り」で平和を得ているというが…。
The ・free Ride: Argument
By DOUGLAS LUMMIS
There are several ways to respond to this. First, everybody knows that the bases are here to protect U.S. interests, not out of kindness toward Japan. If you want to talk about "riding," it is the U.S. military that is riding on the back of Japan (especially Okinawa), not the reverse. Moreover, this privilege of being ridden on is not "free." The government gives vast sums of the taxpayers' money to the U.S. military to pay for them being here. For the U.S., Japan is probably the cheapest place in the world to station its troops.
And when U.S. congressmen make the "free ride" argument, their real intention is usually to get the Japanese government to pay still more.
However, having said this, the "free ride" argument is not fully answered. Opinion polls indicate that there are people here who support both the Peace Constitution and the Security Treaty. Now, probably some of these people support the Security Treaty not for military protection, but only as a means of reducing friction with the U.S. government. But anyone who both supports the Peace Constitution and is glad to get U.S. military protection is no pacifist but only an opportunist: a perfect "free rider."
During the 1960s and 1970s, "Smash the Security Treaty" was the chief slogan of the antiwar movement. In the 1980s and 1990s one heard this less and less often. As a result the "free ride" argument gained credibility.
So it is welcome news that the antiwar group Concerned Citizens of Japan, led by Makoto Oda and Yuichi Yoshikawa, has started a new anti-Security Treaty movement. Their idea is to promote the replacement of the Security Treaty with a new treaty. To this end, they have written a draft "Treaty of Peace and Friendship Between Japan and the United States." This treaty contains no provision allowing either government to station military forces in the other country, and thus would put Japan-U.S. relations on an equal basis for the first time since World War II (the present Security Treaty is of course an unequal treaty). And it would be a big step toward putting U.S. military forces back where they belong (if they belong anywhere), namely, inside the U.S.
As a first step, the group plans to place a full-page ad in The New York Times this coming December.
If this movement gains support in Japan, the "free ride" argument will be effectively answered.
One of the strongest arguments against supporters of the Japanese Peace Constitution is the "free ride" argument. This argument is especially popular with conservative members of the U.S. Congress. Supporters of the war-renouncing clause of the Constitution are not sincere, the argument goes, because they know they are protected by U.S. forces based here under the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty. It's easy to claim to be a pacifist when you are under a nuclear umbrella. People living under military protection, without having to fight themselves, are getting a "free ride."
There are several ways to respond to this. First, everybody knows that the bases are here to protect U.S. interests, not out of kindness toward Japan. If you want to talk about "riding," it is the U.S. military that is riding on the back of Japan (especially Okinawa), not the reverse. Moreover, this privilege of being ridden on is not "free." The government gives vast sums of the taxpayers' money to the U.S. military to pay for them being here. For the U.S., Japan is probably the cheapest place in the world to station its troops.
And when U.S. congressmen make the "free ride" argument, their real intention is usually to get the Japanese government to pay still more.
However, having said this, the "free ride" argument is not fully answered. Opinion polls indicate that there are people here who support both the Peace Constitution and the Security Treaty. Now, probably some of these people support the Security Treaty not for military protection, but only as a means of reducing friction with the U.S. government. But anyone who both supports the Peace Constitution and is glad to get U.S. military protection is no pacifist but only an opportunist: a perfect "free rider."
During the 1960s and 1970s, "Smash the Security Treaty" was the chief slogan of the antiwar movement. In the 1980s and 1990s one heard this less and less often. As a result the "free ride" argument gained credibility.
So it is welcome news that the antiwar group Concerned Citizens of Japan, led by Makoto Oda and Yuichi Yoshikawa, has started a new anti-Security Treaty movement. Their idea is to promote the replacement of the Security Treaty with a new treaty. To this end, they have written a draft "Treaty of Peace and Friendship Between Japan and the United States." This treaty contains no provision allowing either government to station military forces in the other country, and thus would put Japan-U.S. relations on an equal basis for the first time since World War II (the present Security Treaty is of course an unequal treaty). And it would be a big step toward putting U.S. military forces back where they belong (if they belong anywhere), namely, inside the U.S.
As a first step, the group plans to place a full-page ad in The New York Times this coming December.
If this movement gains support in Japan, the "free ride" argument will be effectively answered.
Shukan ST: May 23, 1997
(C) All rights reserved
- Peace Constitution
- 平和憲法。日本国憲法のこと(前文と第九条を中心に平和主義がうたわれているので)
- conservative members
- 保守派の議員
- Congress
- 米国議会
- war-renouncing clause
- 戦争放棄をうたった条項
- sincere
- 誠実な
- U.S. forces
- 米軍
- Japan-U.S. Security Treaty
- 日米安保条約
- pacifist
- 平和主義者
- under a nuclear umbrella
- 核の傘下
- bases
- 基地
- protect U.S. interests
- 米国の利益を守る
- not out of kindness toward 〜
- 〜 に対する親切心からではなく
- not the reverse
- その逆ではない
- privilege of being ridden on
- 乗ってもらうという特権
- vast sums of the taxpayers' money
- 巨額の税金
- station its troops
- 軍隊を駐屯させる
- real intention
- 本当の意図
- However, having said this
- このようなことを言ってはみたが
- 〜 is not fully answered
- 〜 の完全な答えにはなっていない
- Opinion polls
- 世論調査
- indicate
- 示す
- military protection
- 軍事的に守ってもらうこと
- means of reducing friction with 〜
- 〜 との摩擦を少なくする手段
- opportunist
- 日和見主義者
- Smash 〜
- 〜 撤廃
- chief slogan
- 主要なスローガン
- antiwar movement
- 反戦運動
- gained credibility
- 信頼性を増した
- welcome news
- 喜ばしい出来事
- Concerned Citizens of Japan
- 市民の意見30の会
- Makoto Oda and Yuichi Yoshikawa
- 昭和40年に結成された「ベ平連」で活躍した反戦活動家の小田実氏と吉川勇一氏
- promote the replacement of 〜 with 〜
- 〜 を 〜 に代えることを呼びかける
- To this end
- その目的のために
- draft
- 草案
- "Treaty of Peace and Friendship Between Japan and the United States"
- 日米平和友好条約
- contains no provision allowing 〜
- 〜 を許す条項を含まない
- would put Japan-U.S.relations on an equal basis
- 日米の関係を対等なものにする
- putting 〜 back where they belong
- もともとあるべき場所に戻すこと
- if they belong anywhere
- どこかに所属しているものであれば、の話だが
- namely
- すなわち
- place
- 載せる
- full-page ad
- 1ページ広告
- coming 〜
- きたる 〜
- gains support
- 支持を得る
- 〜 will be effectively answered
- 〜 に対する返答は効果的なものになるだろう
- →「市民の意見30の会」連絡先:
- 〒151東京都渋谷区千駄ヶ谷4-29-12
- 305号