Graduate of University of San Diego Opposed to US Military Redeployment?
I'm in the middle of the last session of my Discourse Analysis class at UCSD, bored yan yayas didide' and taking advantage of the excellent wireless in the Communications building, to google random things.
I googled "Bordallo Video Congress" and came up with a few interesting things which I'll be posting about later and hopefully putting onto Youtube.
I also googled "turn my headphones up" because I want to find the video for the Dave Chapelle sketch about the hot new rapper, Fistacuffs who was shot six times in the ear, and can only rap when all the conditions are perfect.
Then I googled "pentagon friendly Guam base overseas" in hopes of finding this article "Looking for Friendly Overseas Base, Pentagon Finds it Already Has One." This article along with many others are crucial for my dissertation that I'm currently working on. This article along with many others which refer to Guam in less than respectful ways, casually conflates the military base with the rest of the island and refers to it only through the needs and interests of the base. This article though has inspired me to come up with a new tourist label for Guam, "Guam: What the Pentagon Forgets That It Already Has!"
Eventually through my google adventures I stumbled across this article which I had posted on my blog several months ago, Natives of Guam Decry US Expansion Plan, which included statements by me and several members of Famoksaiyan about the impending militarization of Guam. The article, written by Aaron Glantz was a big deal for our struggles because it was circulated on websites such as Anti-war and Buzzflash and picked up by several blogs such as The Western Confucian and de toto como en botica.
When I had originally posted this article on my blog I had found a German translation of it and pasted it as well. This time around though I was able to find a French version! Before I clicked on this version however my eyes caught the "translate" function on google. Unable to speak French and knowing what the basic tone and content of the article was, I decided to see how google would translate the piece. As you'll see from what I've posted below, the translation is hysterical! Sen na'chalek!
Here is my original statement in English:
"Guam has basically no say...So the U.S. has the right to bring in whatever they want, and there is no framework that Guam can make demands or negotiate with the U.S. military. The Pentagon and the United States Congress are the sovereign owners, and they act like that. There is no relationship that says we have to listen to your feedback or we have to listen to your demands."
And my statement translated from French by google:
“Guam does not have anything to say, the United States have the right to bring what they want and no framework envisages of the negotiations with the American army."
People often speak about the impossibility of translation, yet difficult truths nonetheless seem to emerge, as you'll see in the article.
***************
L’île de Guam s’oppose au redéploiement militaire US
SAN FRANCISCO, 13 december 2006 (IPS) - Le projet du Pentagone d’augmenter sa présence militaire sur l’île de Guam, dans le Pacifique, rencontre la résistance des populations autochtones, les Chamorros, et de la diaspora installée aux Etats-Unis.
Selon l’American Enterprise Institue, proche des néo-conservateurs, le Pentagone a déjà déplacé des sous-marins d’attaque et des missiles de croisière sur l’île de Guam, située dans l’archipel des Mariannes. Ce territoire a été cédé aux Etats-Unis à la fin de la guerre hispano-américaine, en 1898.
Le département américain de la Défense a annoncé cette année son intention de rapatrier sur l’île 8.000 Marines et 9.000 de ses militaires basés à Okinawa, au Japon. La construction d’une nouvelle base militaire américaine devrait débuter en 2010, l’arrivée des troupes étant prévue un an plus tard.
Ceux qui s’opposent à ce redéploiement craignent que l’île, dont la population est de 168.000 habitants, ne soit envahie par cette présence militaire. « Guam n’a rien à dire, les Etats-Unis ont le droit d’amener ce qu’ils veulent et aucun cadre ne prévoit des négociations avec l’armée américaine », explique Michael Lujan Bevacqua, diplômé de l’Université de San Diego.
Il note que ce redéploiement intervient après de nombreuses oppositions à la présence militaire américaine en Corée du Sud et à Okinawa, au Japon. Dans ces deux pays, les Etats-Unis opèrent sous des règles strictes, négociées sous la forme d’un accord sur le statut des forces (SOFA), dont l’armée US n’aura pas besoin à Guam.
D’autres, comme Madeline Bardallo, déléguée de l’île Guam au Congrès américain, mais ne disposant pas du droit de vote, soutiennent l’arrivée de ces troupes. « Lorsque les Japonais ont attaqué Pearl Harbour, ils ont envahi l’île par la même occasion. Aujourd’hui, la situation entre la Corée du Nord et du Sud, ou entre la Chine et Taiwan, est incertaine. Nombre d’entre nous se souviennent de cette occupation et ne veulent pas que cela se reproduise », explique-t-elle.
Pour les opposants, une large présence américaine n’est toutefois pas dans l’intérêt des habitants de Guam. « S’il y a confrontation entre les Etats-Unis et la Corée du Nord, les Coréens ne bombarderont pas le continent américain, mais chercheront un endroit proche, facile à atteindre, et ce sera Guam », estime Sabina Perez, membre de l’organisation International Peoples Coalition against military Pollution. (FIN/IPS/2006)
Categoriën: Politics - Asia and pacific - Guam
Auteur: Aaron Glantz.
********
The island of Guam is opposed to the US military redeployment
San Francisco, 13 december 2006 (IPS) - the project of the Pentagon to increase its military presence on the island of Guam, in the Pacific, meets the resistance of the populations autochtones, Chamorros, and of the diaspora installed in the United States.
According to American Enterprise Institutes, near to the néo-conservatives, the Pentagon already moved submarines of attack and cruise missiles on the island of Guam, located in the archipelago of Mariannes. This territory was yielded to the United States at the end of the war Spanish-American, in 1898.
The American department of Defense announced this year its intention to repatriate on the island 8.000 Marines and 9.000 of its soldiers based with Okinawa, in Japan. The construction of a new American military base should begin in 2010, the arrival of the troops being envisaged one year later.
Those which are opposed to this redeployment fear that the island, whose population is of 168.000 inhabitants, is not invaded by this military presence. “Guam does not have anything to say, the United States have the right to bring what they want and no framework envisages of the negotiations with the American army”, explains Michael Lujan Bevacqua, graduate of the University of San Diego.
It notes that this redeployment intervenes after many oppositions to the American military presence in South Korea and Okinawa, in Japan. In these two countries, the United States operates under strict rules, negotiated in the form of an agreement on the statute of the forces (SOFA), which the US army will not need with Guam.
Others, like Madeline Bardallo, deputy of the Guam island to the American Congress, but not having the voting rights, support the arrival of these troops. “When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour, they invaded the island consequently occasion. Today, the situation between the North Korea and of the South, or between China and Taiwan, is dubious. Numbers among us remember this occupation and do not want that that reproduces”, explains it.
For the opponents, a broad American presence is not however in the interest of the inhabitants of Guam. “If there is confrontation between the United States and the North Korea, the Koreans will not bombard the American continent, but will seek a place close, easy to reach, and it will be Guam”, estimates Sabina Perez, member of the organization International Peoples Coalition against military Pollution. (FIN/IPS/2006)
Categoriën: Politics - Asia and pacific - Guam
Author: Aaron Glantz.
I googled "Bordallo Video Congress" and came up with a few interesting things which I'll be posting about later and hopefully putting onto Youtube.
I also googled "turn my headphones up" because I want to find the video for the Dave Chapelle sketch about the hot new rapper, Fistacuffs who was shot six times in the ear, and can only rap when all the conditions are perfect.
Then I googled "pentagon friendly Guam base overseas" in hopes of finding this article "Looking for Friendly Overseas Base, Pentagon Finds it Already Has One." This article along with many others are crucial for my dissertation that I'm currently working on. This article along with many others which refer to Guam in less than respectful ways, casually conflates the military base with the rest of the island and refers to it only through the needs and interests of the base. This article though has inspired me to come up with a new tourist label for Guam, "Guam: What the Pentagon Forgets That It Already Has!"
Eventually through my google adventures I stumbled across this article which I had posted on my blog several months ago, Natives of Guam Decry US Expansion Plan, which included statements by me and several members of Famoksaiyan about the impending militarization of Guam. The article, written by Aaron Glantz was a big deal for our struggles because it was circulated on websites such as Anti-war and Buzzflash and picked up by several blogs such as The Western Confucian and de toto como en botica.
When I had originally posted this article on my blog I had found a German translation of it and pasted it as well. This time around though I was able to find a French version! Before I clicked on this version however my eyes caught the "translate" function on google. Unable to speak French and knowing what the basic tone and content of the article was, I decided to see how google would translate the piece. As you'll see from what I've posted below, the translation is hysterical! Sen na'chalek!
Here is my original statement in English:
"Guam has basically no say...So the U.S. has the right to bring in whatever they want, and there is no framework that Guam can make demands or negotiate with the U.S. military. The Pentagon and the United States Congress are the sovereign owners, and they act like that. There is no relationship that says we have to listen to your feedback or we have to listen to your demands."
And my statement translated from French by google:
“Guam does not have anything to say, the United States have the right to bring what they want and no framework envisages of the negotiations with the American army."
People often speak about the impossibility of translation, yet difficult truths nonetheless seem to emerge, as you'll see in the article.
***************L’île de Guam s’oppose au redéploiement militaire US
SAN FRANCISCO, 13 december 2006 (IPS) - Le projet du Pentagone d’augmenter sa présence militaire sur l’île de Guam, dans le Pacifique, rencontre la résistance des populations autochtones, les Chamorros, et de la diaspora installée aux Etats-Unis.
Selon l’American Enterprise Institue, proche des néo-conservateurs, le Pentagone a déjà déplacé des sous-marins d’attaque et des missiles de croisière sur l’île de Guam, située dans l’archipel des Mariannes. Ce territoire a été cédé aux Etats-Unis à la fin de la guerre hispano-américaine, en 1898.
Le département américain de la Défense a annoncé cette année son intention de rapatrier sur l’île 8.000 Marines et 9.000 de ses militaires basés à Okinawa, au Japon. La construction d’une nouvelle base militaire américaine devrait débuter en 2010, l’arrivée des troupes étant prévue un an plus tard.
Ceux qui s’opposent à ce redéploiement craignent que l’île, dont la population est de 168.000 habitants, ne soit envahie par cette présence militaire. « Guam n’a rien à dire, les Etats-Unis ont le droit d’amener ce qu’ils veulent et aucun cadre ne prévoit des négociations avec l’armée américaine », explique Michael Lujan Bevacqua, diplômé de l’Université de San Diego.
Il note que ce redéploiement intervient après de nombreuses oppositions à la présence militaire américaine en Corée du Sud et à Okinawa, au Japon. Dans ces deux pays, les Etats-Unis opèrent sous des règles strictes, négociées sous la forme d’un accord sur le statut des forces (SOFA), dont l’armée US n’aura pas besoin à Guam.
D’autres, comme Madeline Bardallo, déléguée de l’île Guam au Congrès américain, mais ne disposant pas du droit de vote, soutiennent l’arrivée de ces troupes. « Lorsque les Japonais ont attaqué Pearl Harbour, ils ont envahi l’île par la même occasion. Aujourd’hui, la situation entre la Corée du Nord et du Sud, ou entre la Chine et Taiwan, est incertaine. Nombre d’entre nous se souviennent de cette occupation et ne veulent pas que cela se reproduise », explique-t-elle.
Pour les opposants, une large présence américaine n’est toutefois pas dans l’intérêt des habitants de Guam. « S’il y a confrontation entre les Etats-Unis et la Corée du Nord, les Coréens ne bombarderont pas le continent américain, mais chercheront un endroit proche, facile à atteindre, et ce sera Guam », estime Sabina Perez, membre de l’organisation International Peoples Coalition against military Pollution. (FIN/IPS/2006)
Categoriën: Politics - Asia and pacific - Guam
Auteur: Aaron Glantz.
********
The island of Guam is opposed to the US military redeployment
San Francisco, 13 december 2006 (IPS) - the project of the Pentagon to increase its military presence on the island of Guam, in the Pacific, meets the resistance of the populations autochtones, Chamorros, and of the diaspora installed in the United States.
According to American Enterprise Institutes, near to the néo-conservatives, the Pentagon already moved submarines of attack and cruise missiles on the island of Guam, located in the archipelago of Mariannes. This territory was yielded to the United States at the end of the war Spanish-American, in 1898.
The American department of Defense announced this year its intention to repatriate on the island 8.000 Marines and 9.000 of its soldiers based with Okinawa, in Japan. The construction of a new American military base should begin in 2010, the arrival of the troops being envisaged one year later.
Those which are opposed to this redeployment fear that the island, whose population is of 168.000 inhabitants, is not invaded by this military presence. “Guam does not have anything to say, the United States have the right to bring what they want and no framework envisages of the negotiations with the American army”, explains Michael Lujan Bevacqua, graduate of the University of San Diego.
It notes that this redeployment intervenes after many oppositions to the American military presence in South Korea and Okinawa, in Japan. In these two countries, the United States operates under strict rules, negotiated in the form of an agreement on the statute of the forces (SOFA), which the US army will not need with Guam.
Others, like Madeline Bardallo, deputy of the Guam island to the American Congress, but not having the voting rights, support the arrival of these troops. “When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour, they invaded the island consequently occasion. Today, the situation between the North Korea and of the South, or between China and Taiwan, is dubious. Numbers among us remember this occupation and do not want that that reproduces”, explains it.
For the opponents, a broad American presence is not however in the interest of the inhabitants of Guam. “If there is confrontation between the United States and the North Korea, the Koreans will not bombard the American continent, but will seek a place close, easy to reach, and it will be Guam”, estimates Sabina Perez, member of the organization International Peoples Coalition against military Pollution. (FIN/IPS/2006)
Categoriën: Politics - Asia and pacific - Guam
Author: Aaron Glantz.
Comments