Brad Glosserman's Sept. 16 article, "Back to Earth with the DPJ," reads like a neocolonialist's lament. Although he proclaims that "the sky isn't falling," he well knows that the recent general election could have profound implications for the Japan-U.S. alliance.
Initial indicators include victories of those opposed to relocating the U.S. Futenma Air Station within Okinawa, the likely cancellation of the Maritime Self-Defense Force refueling mission in support of the U.S.-led effort in Afghanistan, and probable cuts in missile defense spending.
More fundamental, however, is that the overwhelming majority of Japanese voters have indicated that they want change. Conservatives in the United States and Japan will reinforce each other in a cacophony of protest. But everything related to the U.S. military realignment in Japan should be re-examined and renegotiated. The master-servant relationship is at long last coming to an end, as well it should.
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