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They do not share a border or a continent either but are mightily pizzed at American servicemen committing major crimes on their relatively crime free soil.
Totally different reasoning behind that one.
Your other earlier links provided gave more than enough food for thoughtful analysis.
A gradual reduction of footprint certainly should be studied for it's pro's and con's. I am more than in agreement that any member of the MIC should not be part of any discussion about military presence requirements overseas. They're the ones that got us all into this conundrum.
Our past wars dictated a lot of occupation ideas. Not many which have turned out to keep anyone safe, nor stabilized the world. With the technology we have today, they simply just put a drain on finances.
I understand we've been led to believe over the years by our presidents, even as recent as Bush and Obama (who I might add have had us in war for twelve years). But, the reality doesn't match up to me. America, as young a country as we are, really needs to update and play catch up. We really need a break to refuel, rest and address our internal problems or we won't help anyone out.
US bases in Europe have nothing whatsoever to do with regional issues or European defense. If they disappeared tomorrow, it would cause some local economic hardships and nothing else, as far as Europe is concerned. Those bases exist to extend the reach of the US military in defense of US political interests and for prestige reasons.
This is true. Current US troop levels in NATO aren't going to do much for land defense - the heaviest operational unit is a Stryker brigade, and while they're undoubtedly courageous, tough soldiers, they'd last an afternoon against an armored battalion.
European bases are a very useful stepping stone for Mid-East operations, though. And that's their primary use.
Of course, what IS happening - right now - is France and Germany realizing that the US is getting to be a somewhat unreliable ally, and that it's probably not a great idea to be strategically dependent on US weapons systems. So they'll go back to rolling their own, which they can do quite well - this'll of course cost jobs in the US arms industry, but you get what you ask for.
This is true. Current US troop levels in NATO aren't going to do much for land defense - the heaviest operational unit is a Stryker brigade, and while they're undoubtedly courageous, tough soldiers, they'd last an afternoon against an armored battalion.
European bases are a very useful stepping stone for Mid-East operations, though. And that's their primary use.
Our past wars dictated a lot of occupation ideas. Not many which have turned out to keep anyone safe, nor stabilized the world. With the technology we have today, they simply just put a drain on finances.
I understand we've been led to believe over the years by our presidents, even as recent as Bush and Obama (who I might add have had us in war for twelve years). But, the reality doesn't match up to me. America, as young a country as we are, really needs to update and play catch up. We really need a break to refuel, rest and address our internal problems or we won't help anyone out.
Now that resonates completely with me. If the U.S. has to choose between spending it's wealth on military projectionism versus infrastructure, healthcare, improvements to education and a host of other items intrinsically imperative but now lagging...you'd get no argument from me.
It's in China's interest to take all of the fish from the South China Sea. More importantly they can take all of the oil and gas from the sea bed.
You have a point about profit centers. If the US defends these places, the wealth should be shared with US.
You mean like the vast percentage of our oil which we have received from the middle east for MANY decades?
Most of the places where we have bases were forced upon the host countries at the end of WWII - often we have 99 year leases and the like. Even if the country wants us there, it is usually some dictator (middle east), not "the people".
We also limited Germany and Japan in terms of their militaries. I'm sure both would gladly build a bunch of nukes and missiles and allow us to leave.
Chances are China will eventually make a treaty with Japan, Korea, Phillipines and everyone else in that part of the world and we will be gone anyway.
If the NATO countries were are investing 2% GDP like they agreed to perhaps we could pull all of our troops out.
How much funding are you going to pick up from Latvia and Poland to balance out our withdrawal, a few tenths of a percent won't make a difference at all.
Status:
"“If a thing loves, it is infinite.”"
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Location: Great Britain
27,185 posts, read 13,469,799 times
Reputation: 19508
Quote:
Originally Posted by Goodnight
We will never get a good war off the ground if we close them.
The French miltary leader just quit because of disagreement with Macron's cuts of close to $1B, we are proposing an increase of $56B so our military won't be decimated.
The French don't have any US bases.
In terms oif the UK, the US has -
The NSA Base at Menwith Hill, the lagest US SPy base outside of the US and which is directly linked to Fort Meade in Maryland.
Fylindales which is one of three Ballistic Missile Early Warning Stations linked to NORAD and Cheyenne Mountain in order to give the US advanced warning of nuclear attack.
The warmongers in congress depending on the MIC for revolving door enrichment and campaign funds won't let it happen.
Warmongers are like socialists in that they have no problem with other people paying for it (with others lives and money)
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