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The US chooses to be stupid and spend that much on "defense" - why should the world pay for our stupidity?
The US spends more on defense than the next 20 countries combined.
The US maintains these bases because it suits our interests. I don't think most Europeans would care if we closed them.
They would care.
The US is one of the biggest salary-payers of employees in Germany and Italy near bases.
In an area near an Army base, the works council makes sure that they're employees are taken care of.
The US military is the family business in other countries as well as in the US.
There can be 20-25 Dept Army Civilians (DAC)s in an organization with close to 400 local national employees.
That's only one organization on one base.
Soldiers live off-base.
Rents are paid, utilities paid, etc. etc. etc. by the US government in every community.
The Italians and Germans would care for these reasons.
There's only one small base in the Netherlands, 2 in Belgium.
The US maintains these bases because it suits our interests. I don't think most Europeans would care if we closed them.
There you have it in one. Just imagine the shoe being on the other foot and just one of those nations asking you to leave and you'd be screaming bloody murder!
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