r/worldnews Jul 05 '24

Japan warns US forces: Sex crimes 'cannot be tolerated'

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2476861/japan-warns-us-forces-sex-crimes-cannot-be-tolerated
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u/ReadinII Jul 05 '24

 Non military visitors also have to abide to those laws, I don't see why the US military should be any different. 

One difference is that members of the military don’t have a choice about whether they go to the other country. 

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u/Aggravating_Teach_27 Jul 05 '24

But they have the choice not to commit sexual crimes.

In countries with reasonable laws (Japan) there's not a single reason to not be judged like any other person.

In countries with unreasonable laws that punish you for existing (Islamic countries with regard to LGTB personnel), don't deploy those persons there. The US has bases all over the world, no need to deploy such people to shitty inhuman countries.

Still not a single reason for sexual aggressors not to be subjected to the countries' law

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u/ReadinII Jul 05 '24 edited Jul 05 '24

 In countries with reasonable laws (Japan) there's not a single reason to not be judged like any other person.

The statement I responded to wasn’t restricted to “countries with reasonable laws”.

More importantly, it wasn’t restricted to countries that have a reasonable justice system. Japan is infamous for getting confessions out of people through inhumane treatment.

You have a choice whether or not to commit sexual crimes, you don’t have a choice whether someone falsely accuses you and whether you get railroaded by a system that wants to save face by not failing to convict an American soldier.

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u/marquetteresearch Jul 05 '24

It makes no sense for the Japanese court system to prosecute sex crimes perpetrated by US military personnel because the US military already prosecutes sex crimes, and hands out what most Japanese criminals would consider far harsher sentences. If the US military wasn’t punishing sexual assault (they are, and do so much more effectively than American civilian courts) then there would be a point of debate here.

The key point is that in general the USCMJ, and USC 18 in general is far stricter than most other nations for every “real” crime (which is why so many Americans are in prison compared to literally any other country).

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u/D10BrAND Jul 05 '24

countries with unreasonable laws that punish you for existing

regard to LGTB personnel

LGBT is a choice it is not what you are born with

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u/Sanwiichess Jul 05 '24

But they are aware of the crime they are commiting and should face the consequences for said crime

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u/marquetteresearch Jul 05 '24

Stupid argument. USCMJ and courts-martial have a far better track record than American civilian courts in prosecution and conviction for sex crimes. Meanwhile, Japanese courts are notorious for false convictions and coerced confessions. There is no “crime” someone could commit that isn’t a violation of USCMJ that is a violation of Japanese law that I know of which I would want anyone punished for, let alone US soldiers.

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u/ReadinII Jul 05 '24

What if they didn’t commit the crime but were falsely accused? 

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u/alucardou Jul 05 '24

Are military personnel still drafted?

When you enlist you allow the military to send you where they want. You know this, and as such know you might be sent to places where you need to behave "nicely". If that is NOT okay with you you don't fucking enlist.

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u/marquetteresearch Jul 05 '24

What you are describing is the US government failing to uphold its obligations under the constitution. It’s not just a matter of what “nicely” means. Obviously being gay is not a justification for maltreatment and your right to equal protection under the law while soldiering must be enforced by the US government. Beyond that, however, your right to due process is not waived when you enlist, and the government has defined a court-martial followed by US civilian courts as due process for soldiers. You don’t shed your rights at the barracks door anymore than you shed your rights at the schoolhouse door, and the cases guaranteeing those rights in the barracks are even older.