US Forces Japan adopts a patch that incorporates the Rising Sun, seen in U.S.-allied South Korea and some other Asian nations as a symbol of imperial Japan’s occupation and abuses https://t.co/ahIpvQU423

— Josh Smith (@joshjonsmith) May 22, 2024

This is where the Hudson Institute goes for expert views on what the Chinese are thinking:

This sounds like a lunatic talking in 1944 but it's a lunatic talking in 2024. @nikkihaley is one of the biggest idiots to ever emerge in the US political scene. She knows NOTHING. Shit for brains. https://t.co/mrGJBbf7I5

— Tim Shorrock (@TimothyS) May 22, 2024

North Korea slams US subcritical nuclear test...

SEOUL, May 20 (Yonhap) -- North Korea threatened Monday to take powerful deterrent action against what it claims is the U.S. nuclear threat, denouncing Washington for its recent subcritical nuclear test.

The U.S. carried out a subcritical nuclear test in Nevada last week, the third of its kind under President Joe Biden. The U.S. said it was designed to collect "essential data" about its nuclear warheads.

An unnamed spokesman at the North's foreign ministry said North Korea cannot but reconsider the measures necessary for improving its overall nuclear deterrence posture, adding that the U.S. is not qualified to talk about nuclear war threats from others.

North Korea "will not tolerate the creation of strategic imbalance and security vacuum in the Korean peninsula, but firmly defend its security, rights and interests through powerful deterrent action against the evolving nuclear threat from the U.S.," the spokesman was quoted as saying by the Korean Central News Agency, without elaborating.

South Korea says NK threats undermine peace after Lavrov's criticism of joint drills with US, Japan

SEOUL, May 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Thursday that North Korea's nuclear and missile threats are what undermine peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, after Russia's top diplomat denounced Seoul's joint military exercises with the United States and Japan as a source destabilizing the region.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after a ministerial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on Monday that the U.S. and its allies are "aggravating the security situation in the Asia-Pacific with their 'provocative actions,'" referring to the joint military exercises with the South and Japan, according to Russia's TASS news agency.

Lavrov said that North Korea has recently expressed its concern over the joint drills, adding the situation is worsening to the point of "a hot phase."

On Thursday, South Korea's foreign ministry rebutted Lavrov's claims.

More on Rahmbo's visit to the two westernmost islands in the Okinawa Prefecture closest to Taiwan:

Integration of Japan-US forces needs support of local residents

The prefectural government maintains that U.S. military use of civilian airports should be restrained except in emergencies.

Considering China's improved missile capabilities, the U.S. military has adopted a new strategy of "dispersing" forces, including on remote islands, and is considering using civilian airports in addition to SDF bases for dispersing air power.

The ambassador's visit via a U.S. military aircraft might be an attempt to lay the groundwork for such tactical moves.

The central government has started designating and upgrading airports and ports across the nation for “specific use” to ensure smooth utilization by the SDF and the Japan Coast Guard in peacetime and during emergencies.

Yonaguni Airport and New Ishigaki Airport, which were used by the U.S. military aircraft for Emanuel’s tour, have been candidate sites for utilization.

In US foreign policy all must be seen in light of the potential application of military force, iow war. On the other hand, how realistic the prospect of winning such a war may be seems to be irrelevant. What is this potential war about? Ostensibly, a war over a part of China, Taiwan. The fact that Taiwan was a former Japanese colony and then subsequently occupied by the US forces is never discussed. I guess it's irrelevant.

Cyrus Janssen makes some excellent points about the comparative competitive status of the US and China and the alleged effort via tariffs to restore US "competetiveness." In most areas of production, the US doesn't have a realistic chance of "making up the gap." Another example of the unrealistic if not completely fabricated rationalizations of US anti-Chinese policies. It isn't something that China did to the US, it's something US corporate and political elites did to the US.

I visit Cyrus' channel once or twice a week, yet I was taken aback by his ongoing hair restoration project. It detracts somewhat from his presentation. He needs some makeup work there.

I noticed that the youtube algorithm for "Korea news" won't pull up Hankyoreh, which is the best of the standard news sources in South Korea. I couldn't find it there today, just get all the conservative mainstream. I have to type in Hankyoreh to get it. Also, I was looking at Yoon's wikipedia entry and it claimed that former Justice Minister Chu Mi-ae's effort to discipline Yoon while he was still Prosecutor General had failed because it had been overturned on the first judicial review. Wrong. A higher judicial appeal sustained the Disciplinary Board's findings that Yoon had committed professional misconduct and went further and noted that he could have been fired rather than just suspended for two months due to the serious nature of his professional ethical violations.

Yoon vetoed an independent special investigation bill by the National Assembly into alleged presidential office interference in the "independent military investigation" report of the death of Marine Corporal Choi. The Colonel who ran the service investigation was directed by superiors to reverse his findings of command incompetence. Command incompetence probably led to negligent homicide of Corporal Choi while searching to recover remains of civilian disaster victims in a flooding river without appropriate safety gear or precautions. When the colonel conducting the service investigation was asked to change his findings, he refused saying the order was unlawful and was subsequently charged with "mutiny." Another vote will be held on the appointment of a special investigation into unlawful interference in the service investigation by the Yoon administration, this Tuesday in the National Assembly. It doesn't appear likely to override the presidential veto, but is going to be very embarrassing anyway as many see Yoon's vetoes as tantamount to admission of guilt. Some democratic politicians are openly discussing impeaching Yoon, but they have to demonstrate the ability to overcome a veto before they can do that. The same 2/3 vote is required to impeach the president.