trouble in okinawa

Murphy's Law · 02-10-2007, 3:32 AM

i recently have been stationed in okinawa japan. which i must say is a sweet deal being a tropical island and all but unfortunately they (the locals) are a bunch of racist bastards who like to f*** the americans. Problem is getting bikes that you have shipped over here registered. The way they say it costs over $2,000 and means shipping your bike to mainland just to get the damn brakes checked despite the fact that its a brand new honda. So my question is if any of the riders on here are on okinawa and know a way around this sham. I would deffinately love to here it.

rb1 · 02-12-2007, 9:16 AM

Before you go around calling people racists, stop to think how you would feel if some foreign government occupied 20% of your home country with their military personel-- people who didn't think like you, didn't look like you, didn't speak like you, didn't act like you. Now, imagine that some of those foreign military agents kidnapped and raped your sisters and daughters from time to time, for their amusement. Would you be inclined to help those foreigners obtain their toys?

Gigolo Jason · 02-12-2007, 9:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rb1

Before you go around calling people racists, stop to think how you would feel if some foreign government occupied 20% of your home country with their military personel-- people who didn't think like you, didn't look like you, didn't speak like you, didn't act like you. Now, imagine that some of those foreign military agents kidnapped and raped your sisters and daughters from time to time, for their amusement. Would you be inclined to help those foreigners obtain their toys?

Ten bucks says your an American hating, Hillary supporting flaming liberal Jane Fonda esc protester who wants to get out of the middle east ASAP at any cost AND you voted for John Kerry in the last national presidential election cycle.

Who wants to take this bet?

As for the original poster, buy a toys on the island that you can't get here in the states, and send me a 20b while you are at it.

rb1 · 02-12-2007, 9:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gigolo Jason

Ten bucks says your an ... Who wants to take this bet?

I'd take that bet, and I'd win. You know nothing about me.

The point is: many of the residents of Okinawa feel the way I described. That doesn't make them racists. That means they don't like being an occupied country, and they aren't too pleased with the people occupying their land.

How would you like it if Mexico occupied 20% of Texas with their military bases? What if it were China, or Russia, or Syria, etc.?

Gigolo Jason · 02-12-2007, 9:57 AM

Why do we have the base in Okinawa?

Read about why here:

Battle of Okinawa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
-George Santayana

Bonescraper · 02-12-2007, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rb1

How would you like it if Mexico occupied 20% of Texas with their military bases?

Mexico occupies about 90% of Texas, but not with military bases

rb1 · 02-12-2007, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gigolo Jason

Why do we have the base in Okinawa?

How we got there (the why) isn't as important as the effect of being there. I'm not arguing politics, nor foreign policy. I simply described how many on the island feel. You'd probably feel the same way under similar circumstances. Nobody likes to have their country occupied by a foreign military power. Nobody.

Gigolo Jason · 02-12-2007, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rb1

How we got there (the why) isn't as important as the effect of being there. I'm not arguing politics, nor foreign policy. I simply described how many on the island feel. You'd probably feel the same way under similar circumstances. Nobody likes to have their country occupied by a foreign military power. Nobody.

Honestly, I don't give a damn what they think. This isn't a popularity contest to see who is most liked.

Now go spread your hate America politically correct BS somewhere else. Your not helping this guy with his problem.

Proto · 02-12-2007, 10:52 AM

Buy a Japanese market bike. Problem solved. Aparently, the Japanese make quite a decent motorcycle. Or so I'm told.

nedro · 02-12-2007, 11:00 AM

Ya, it's hard shipping an exotic, non DOT approved car to the USA also. And it would cost you alot more than $2000.00.
Proto has the right idea.

*JeepinJeff* · 02-12-2007, 11:14 AM

I think the easiest solution may be to just keep your eyes open for an American on a similar bike and just ask him how he/she did it.

JBAXX · 02-12-2007, 11:15 AM

I live in Southern California. Residents of Mexico make up WELL over 20% of the population here. It has caused a lot of problems ranging from overcrowded schools and jails, uninsured, unlicenced motorists, overwhelmed health care system, etc. If I don't like it, am I racist, or is it ok?

*JeepinJeff* · 02-12-2007, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBAXX

I live in Southern California. Residents of Mexico make up WELL over 20% of the population here. It has caused a lot of problems ranging from overcrowded schools and jails, uninsured, unlicenced motorists, overwhelmed health care system, etc. If I don't like it, am I racist, or is it ok?

As long as you don't like "people" doing things that are illegal, you're fine, it's when you say I don't like "Mexicans" who are doing things that are illegal.

The Mexicans are not to blame per se, it's some people that happen to be from Mexico.

( or something like that )

MACI4LIFE · 02-12-2007, 12:43 PM

buy the bike there if you can. 2000 to ship plus the extras

i don't know how long your stay is but another 2000 to ship back would suck too. I'd probably just finiance the bike there, and sell it if you do happen to leave before the bike is paid off, or just sell it anyways. good luck either way.

Gigolo Jason · 02-12-2007, 2:10 PM

I don't like illegal aliens.

rb1 · 02-12-2007, 2:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gigolo Jason

Now go spread your hate America politically correct BS somewhere else.

Mr. Gigolo, your insistence that I "hate America" is unfounded, uninformed and totally inappropriate. ("Stupid", to use a term you'll better understand.) The same goes for your reference to "politically correct BS". What I said had nothing to do with hating America, nor did it have anything to do with being "politically correct".

In fact, my comment was a caution against hatred. Calling Okinawans "racists" just because they want to charge money to import foreign model bikes into their country is unnecessary hatred. The person who asked the question about a work-around is a guest in their country. He will enjoy a better stay in the country if he drops the attitude.

Unfortunately, I don't expect you, Mr. Gigolo, to understand any of these points. Apparently Rush Limbaugh has filled your head with too many hateful slogans to think clearly about this issue.

As for helping the original poster, I think that (1) he should have researched this matter more thoroughly before importing the bike so the extra cost wouldn't have come as such an unpleasant surprise, and (2) as has been previously suggested, buying a bike locally would probably be simpler and cheaper.

That is all.

Proto · 02-12-2007, 2:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBAXX

I live in Southern California. Residents of Mexico make up WELL over 20% of the population here. It has caused a lot of problems ranging from overcrowded schools and jails, uninsured, unlicenced motorists, overwhelmed health care system, etc. If I don't like it, am I racist, or is it ok?

Do you mean reside in Mexico, but work in the USA or do you mean that Mexicans have emigrated to the USA? It's not clear.

BTW according my Native American friends, there are something like 300 million illegal immigrants in North America right now.

steingar · 02-12-2007, 5:37 PM

Weird thing. Most communities in the US would give their right eye teeth for a military base. Jobs, taxes, families, all good for the local economy. They decide to close military bases, the local politicos go apeshit, want them back. Soldiers get out of line, they go to jail, but most are good law-abiding citizens. What's with the Okinawans? Hey, they lost the war, get over it.

We have a Honda plant not too far away. Lots of Japanese, but we don't care. They are quite insular, but they give locals jobs and we love it. We wouldn't turn ugly just because a Japanese got too rowdy and did crimes, so long as someone locked the dude the hell up.

People bitch about the Mexicans in So Cal because half of them are illegals, sop up social services, and lower salaries for anyone who doesn't have a college education. I don't recall anyone bitching about all the other guys from the Pacific rim. They come in legally, pull their weight, and it's cool. The Nips are just the most racist people on the surface of planet Earth. That's why they don't like having an American base on the island, because it's a bunch of Gaijin, and we're just not good enough for the likes of them.

Proto · 02-12-2007, 5:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steingar

......................................., because it's a bunch of Gaijin, and we're just not good enough for the likes of them.

They might have a point

rb1 · 02-12-2007, 9:30 PM

Steingar,

You make some interesting points, but I think you miss the mark entirely.

1.

Quote:

Originally Posted by steingar

Most communities in the US would give their right eye teeth for a military base.

Do you really believe that they would be equally supportive of a foreign military base? For example, would you be so happy if Iran stationed 30,000 of their troops on a base in your home town, and armed them with tanks, bombs, planes, machine guns, etc.? What if they covered 20% the US with their bases? At what point would you decide they should get the hell out?

2.

Quote:

Originally Posted by steingar

We have a Honda plant not too far away. Lots of Japanese, but we don't care. They are quite insular, but they give locals jobs and we love it. We wouldn't turn ugly just because a Japanese got too rowdy and did crimes, so long as someone locked the dude the hell up.

Would you still love it if the Japanese had occupied and ruled your country from 1945 to 1972 (as the US did Okinawa), and they still are occupying 1/5th of it?

A lot of people in this country seem to think that the whole world must love the US because we're the "good guys", and anyone who doesn't love the US is just being selfish or ungrateful or racist when they don't welcome all of our intrusions into their lives. The truth is that much of the world does not like the US, they have many good (and bad) reasons not to like us, and it's not just because they are "racists".

This thread began with a complaint about having to pay $2000 to register a foreign bike in Okinawa, which is a tiny little island (only 485 square miles, with almost 100 of those square miles occupied by the American military). It's not at all surprising that they don't encourage importing foreign vehicles, and so they charge a hefty fee. And doing so doesn't mean they are racists.

f1_hurricane · 02-12-2007, 11:10 PM

crazy thought, is the (here comes a sterotype but it's neccessary for the scenario) immigrant guy that works at your local DMV racist for charging you for registering your motorcycle? What about your insurance company if owned by immigrants. Are they racist for raising your premiums if you get caught for a ticket? No. It's just business

Mojave954 · 02-13-2007, 8:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rb1

I'd take that bet, and I'd win. You know nothing about me.

The point is: many of the residents of Okinawa feel the way I described. That doesn't make them racists. That means they don't like being an occupied country, and they aren't too pleased with the people occupying their land.

How would you like it if Mexico occupied 20% of Texas with their military bases? What if it were China, or Russia, or Syria, etc.?

Okay, Okinawa is not "OCCUPIED". We are there at the request of the Japanese gov't who graciously renews the contract/lease of the base when it comes due. We are not there by force nor do we have to repel any infiltrators to the base.

AS for the Mexicans alot them are here illegally and freeloading whores who either need to be part of the econimic machine (meaning paying taxes) or GTFO!

If you don't like what your gov't/military is doing, move to France.

Mojave954 · 02-13-2007, 8:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rb1

How we got there (the why) isn't as important as the effect of being there. I'm not arguing politics, nor foreign policy. I simply described how many on the island feel. You'd probably feel the same way under similar circumstances. Nobody likes to have their country occupied by a foreign military power. Nobody.

Your use of OCCUPY is all off here. The USSR OCCUPIED Eastern Germany but not the communist bloc countries. Again, we are there at the request of the GOV'T. Read your history. IN a nutshell Japan can only have a DEFENSIVE force. And with CHINA just acrossed the bay, we are there to aid the JDF in this mission.

My advice to the serviceman overseas

get with the base commander and legal dept and fight this. We did in Spain. We shut the base down. Wouldn't let the indigneous workers on and no one was allowed on the streets passed 6 PM. The town father's were there within the week to get a matter settled. We never had problems with them again.

Again, contact your legal dept. There has to be a way around this.

*sinfuldragon* · 02-13-2007, 8:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mojave954

AS for the Mexicans alot them are here illegally and freeloading whores who either need to be part of the econimic machine (meaning paying taxes) or GTFO!

If you don't like what your gov't/military is doing, move to France.

Right on brother!!!

rb1 · 02-13-2007, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mojave954

If you don't like what your gov't/military is doing, move to France.

So, in your tiny, tiny, little intolerant mind, if anyone disagrees with anything that the US government or its military servants do, they should move to France? That is the most stupid, anti-American bullshit I have ever heard. It is the solemn duty of every US citizen to speak up when he or she disagrees with the government.

HOWEVER...

If you read what I said, and if you were able to comprehend what I said, then you might have noticed that I never said that I agreed with or that I disagreed with anything the US government or its military servants are doing. What I said is that many of the people who call Okinawa their home do not like the US military presense on their island, and that this does not make them racists, because they have a long history of experiences that lead them to dislike the US military presense. How and why that simple statement of fact leads you to think I'm anti-American, or that I should leave the country, is a mystery.

f1_hurricane · 02-13-2007, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rb1

So, in your tiny, tiny, little intolerant mind, if anyone disagrees with anything that the US government or its military servants do, they should move to France? That is the most stupid, anti-American bullshit I have ever heard. It is the solemn duty of every US citizen to speak up when he or she disagrees with the government.

HOWEVER...

If you read what I said, and if y