http://www.bulatlat.com/main/2009/08/26/video-disrespectful-american-troops-in-philippines-treat-us-like-dogs-says-ex-navy-officer/
Is it time America retreated a little farther back within her own shores?
Isolationism? Intervention(ism)? For and against?
China?
What do you think of US military bases where you live?
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/09/13/09/rebel-threat-vs-us-soldiers-rp-just-propaganda-afp
AntwortenLöschenThe Asian Pacific bases are there supposedly to counter any threat. Carrier based forces are not enough to do that. Which begs the question: Threat from whom? If China turns expansionist, there is not bloody much we can do about it. Similarly North Korea is more China's problem than ours, and anything we did there would require China's OK or risk a world war. China will handle Russia if it becomes a problem, so the question is, do the bases really serve any purpose other than to piss local populations off? There will always be a percentage of the military (hopefully small) that are predators among the local population. Hell, we have the same problem with the domestic bases.
AntwortenLöschenThe bases also cost us a lot of money to maintain.
The downside for the local hosts of these bases is that they do contribute substantially to the local economy, and the host government will need to be prepared to replace that business or the area's surrounding the closed bases will probably see some really tough economic times.
Anyway, I can't see any valid reason for maintaining the bases, aside from the "but what if" aspects of it. Unless someone comes up with some good ones, I would vote to close the Phillippine and the Japanese bases.