$2,000,000,000,000 defense budget?????

[ebacon]

So you spent time in the only European nation that also has an American-style right wing and you also watch a lot of TV. Great.

Given that, can you empathize with say Europeans outside of England or people from the Middle East? Do you have any experience working day-to-day with people from those regions? If so, why do you think that they will become pirates if we downsize our military just a little?

[piece-itpete]

Being half English I belong to British expatriate forums - there might be 1 out of thousand that comes close to an American right winger. They would laugh at that...

France 24 is my preferred news source. They're the best. I also watch BBC, RT, and a smattering of others.

It's a big bad world. I seriously doubt that say the Portuguese will become pirates.

Ask yourself, why do we have troops all over the world, by invitation, including in Europe?

Pete

[ebacon]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Being half English I belong to British expatriate forums - there might be 1 out of thousand that comes close to an American right winger. They would laugh at that...

France 24 is my preferred news source. They're the best. I also watch BBC, RT, and a smattering of others.

It's a big bad world. I seriously doubt that say the Portuguese will become pirates.

Ask yourself, why do we have troops all over the world, by invitation, including in Europe?

Pete

We have troops all over the world because of agreements that were made after WWII. Japan's constitution was rewritten to forbid it from having a military or waging war. We protect Japan in accordance with a treaty.

The German and Italian constitutions were also rewritten to limit their ability to war.

The US military also provides protection to foreign nations in accordance with the NATO agreement.

Non-NATO nations, mostly in the Arab peninsula region, work with the US military as Major non-NATO Allies. That means they let our military in so we spend money there.

Your assertion that "we have troops all over the world, by invitation, including in Europe" is simply a false assumption. We are in Europe because we won WWII and occupied Europe. Believe that there is a faction of Germans that are pissed about that occupation. We are in the middle east becasue of money. Believe that there is a faction middle-eastern people that are pissed about that occupation.

The notion that the world's citizens are begging to be saved by America is arrogant.

[bobabode]

Originally Posted by ebacon

We have troops all over the world because of agreements that were made after WWII. Japan's constitution was rewritten to forbid it from having a military or waging war. We protect Japan in accordance with a treaty.

The German and Italian constitutions were also rewritten to limit their ability to war.

The US military also provides protection to foreign nations in accordance with the NATO agreement.

Non-NATO nations, mostly in the Arab peninsula region, work with the US military as Major non-NATO Allies. That means they let our military in so we spend money there.

Your assertion that "we have troops all over the world, by invitation, including in Europe" is simply a false assumption. We are in Europe because we won WWII and occupied Europe. Believe that there is a faction of Germans that are pissed about that occupation. We are in the middle east becasue of money. Believe that there is a faction middle-eastern people that are pissed about that occupation.

The notion that the world's citizens are begging to be saved by America is arrogant.

Exactly. That is the problem, arrogance. The brief time that I visited Germany I ran into some of those Germans that are hot under the collar about our vast bases there. Once thety realized that my younger bruder and I were tourists and not military or CIA we were plyed with great bier and we argued about soccer. The damn Italians were winning the Cup at the time,1986.

[JJIII]

Originally Posted by ebacon

We have troops all over the world because of agreements that were made after WWII. Japan's constitution was rewritten to forbid it from having a military or waging war. We protect Japan in accordance with a treaty.

The German and Italian constitutions were also rewritten to limit their ability to war.

The US military also provides protection to foreign nations in accordance with the NATO agreement.

All that sounds like we need to have a robust military.

[ebacon]

Originally Posted by JJIII

All that sounds like we need to have a robust military.

Look into it more.

[piece-itpete]

Not begging. Our troops are a kind of guarenteeor of stability.

The EU has a bigger economy that the US now. Why don't we pull out? Why couldn't they take care of even little Bosnia let alone Libya?

I've always been interested in foreign policy. I read a quote a couple years ago that I think applies now, even though it was discussing England in the mid 1800s - They no longer understood the institutions they themselves had created.

Pete

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Not begging. Our troops are a kind of guarenteeor of stability.

We guaranteed the hell out of stability when we had troops in Saudi Arabia, didn't we? Our military presence around toe world is more a liability than an asset.

The EU has a bigger economy that the US now. Why don't we pull out?

In part because our presence in those countries is a boon to their economies.

Why couldn't they take care of even little Bosnia let alone Libya?

Well, in fact, they did participate in both those countries. That being said, their reluctance to do it without our participation was largely financial.

John

[ebacon]

I don't know, Pete. Why don't we pull out of Germany and Italy? What does your TV say?

And what makes you think that the US single handedly took care of Bosnia? Bosnia was a NATO operation. Do you think that the US is the only member of NATO?

And I don't know WTF you are talking about with Libya. As if Africa is ever stable.

[ebacon]

For the record we are pulling out of Germany and Italy. It's just not on Pete's TEEvee.