Race-based disparities
"Futenma is undermining Japanese democracy" (Just Be Cause, May 1) by Debito Arudou:
I would like to comment on the statement that the U.S. military left the Philippines because it had no choice.
I was a child when the military left and was living near the base in Angeles City, Clark Air Base. It is true that the Mount Pinatubo eruption in part affected the status of the two bases. But I remember very well that our Senate then had to vote on whether to retain the bases or not. It was a tight election and I remember political unrest at that time. It took one senator to break the tie and the bases were voted out.