Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2020 June 28

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June 28

USA involvement in Marshall Island

Why does the US Army have huge bases that have weapons of mass destruction (that point at China) in Marshall Islands and yet it's a sovereign nation? Doesn't it have the power to defend itself against USA or even lobby other nations to remove USA out of it's land since it already has Guam? --RazorTheDJ (talk) 09:17, 28 June 2020 (UTC)09:16, 28 June 2020 (UTC)

In the modern era, sovereign nations more often permit foreign military forces to operate on their soil as part of a strategic alliance with that foreign nation, and as a deterrence against military incursion or politically subversive operations carried out by a third nation that the host nation views as a greater threat to their sovereignty. Furthermore, the host nation tends to obtain significant benefits from the presence of foreign military personnel and their support contractors because of the foreign aid, development and spending that necessarily flows into the nation accompanying the construction of a large military base. Such an arrangement is often exceptionally economically beneficial to the host nation because it can maintain far lower levels of military spending since an incursion from a neighboring nation or a major power would almost certainly cause a war with the hosted nation (and therefore is highly unlikely to happen in the first place). The situation with Marshall Islands–United States relations specifically has some additional factors. In order to comply with the Amended Compact of Free Association that came into force between the two nations in 2004, the United States is entirely responsible for the defense of the Marshall Islands. 199.66.69.67 (talk) 10:38, 28 June 2020 (UTC)

See also Suzerainty.  --Lambiam 12:15, 28 June 2020 (UTC)

RazorTheDJ, you might be interested in Category:Military installations of the United States by country. --ColinFine (talk) 14:45, 28 June 2020 (UTC)

As far as I can tell the is a single installation - with no weapons of mass destruction present. It does have a radar installation that looks for incoming missiles from Asia. Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll which is not on any of our lists or categories of U.S. military bases. Rmhermen (talk) 03:00, 29 June 2020 (UTC)

the musical instrumental in the background

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhz51HZcsfw In the beginning of the video there is a tune played by a Chinese inst'. anyone knows what it is?--Exx8 (talk) 19:34, 28 June 2020 (UTC)

If you mean what is the instrument, I believe it is an Erhu.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 20:17, 28 June 2020 (UTC)

I agree, it sounds like an Erhu. If not, it's a closely related instrument. 199.66.69.67 (talk) 01:36, 29 June 2020 (UTC)

Burmese claims

Did the State of Burma under Ba Maw have territorial claims against British India during WWII? Thank you. --87.16.63.231 (talk) 22:51, 28 June 2020 (UTC)

Yes, Burma. The wikilink points to a government in exile created by an empire with which another empire was at war. Hence, the entirety of Burma was Ba Maw's claim against the United Kingdom. Or, was there some question that didn't come through? DOR (HK) (talk) 12:52, 29 June 2020 (UTC)

Sorry for the confusion. As far as I know, apparently, "The British separated Burma Province from British India in 1937" but I may be wrong. Anyway I meant territories outside of the former Burma Province. What I'm asking is if the Nationalist government, or some radical section of it, of war-time Japanese-puppet State of Burma had any territorial claims west of its border in Indian territory, such as Assam, Nagaland, Manipur. I'm excluding claims to recover areas recently lost to Thailand (Saharat Thai Doem). --195.62.163.162 (talk) 15:58, 29 June 2020 (UTC)

I can't give a detailed answer, but if it is of any help I'd say that contemporary Japanese maps doesn't seem to indicate support for any such moves, see [1], [2], [3] and [4]. Notably Japan supported the Azad Hind government's claim to India, so probably they weren't interested in a Indian/Burmese territorial dispute. --Soman (talk) 21:20, 30 June 2020 (UTC)