Why All the Foreign Bases?

[Echo In Light]

Why All the Foreign Bases?
By Sam Baker

On May 14, 2005 the Associated Press reported Bulgaria's announcement that it would provide three new military bases to the US. General James Jones, the top commander of US and NATO troops in Europe, said that he would propose to the US Congress "four or five Bulgarian military facilities for use by US forces." More recently, the US announced plans for new bases in Romania.

Why does the US need new military bases in Bulgaria and Romania? According to Chalmers Johnson, in his book "The Sorrows of Empire," America already possesses more than 725 overseas bases. This incredible estimate comes from two official sources: The Department of Defense's "Base Structure Report," and "Worldwide Manpower Distribution by Geographical Area." Johnson claims that the figure is actually an underestimate, because many bases are "secret" or otherwise not listed on official books. As an example, Johnson quotes several sources who cite at least six US installations in Israel which are either operating or are under construction...

...But the mystery of American empire is a lesser conundrum to contemplate. The greater mystery is why Americans have never questioned the fact that their republic has become an empire. Americans, as a people, seem to be quite uniquely ignorant in this regard, as every other empire in the annals of recorded human history was known to be an empire by its own citizens. Thus it would seem that Americans have earned quite a historical distinction for themselves, happily munching away on fast food while watching the latest reality TV shows, completely oblivious to the world around them and to their complicity in their own destruction.

Complete:
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig7/baker1.html

[SpiralHawk]

1. "All your base are belong to us."- Republicon homelander Oil & Munitions & Mercenary Cronies

"And all your Constitutional rights, too. Smirk."

- Republicon homelander cronies to Americans

[MiniMe]

2. Meanwhile, they are closing bases in the US

Unreal.

[Lasher]

3. And if they ever close a base it's usually one on US soil.

All those troops in Germany and Japan, for example, six decades after WW II ended. Republicans say we can't afford our Social Programs but never question the price tag of our 50 year presence in South Korea. Enormous expenses are sucking the life's blood our of our economy and pumping up those of other nations.

If I were president you can rest assured there would be major closings of US military bases on foreign soil.

[Thothmes]

6. Did Kennedy, Johnson, Carter or Clinton

Do anything about the bases in Korea.

[Lasher]

22. No, but President Lasher certainly would. n/t

[quadriga]

8. The occupation never ended for Germany and Japan.

[hack89]

21. Not so straight forward

The Japanese pay for everything at US bases in Japan - construction and wages for civilian workers being the big costs. The Japanese consider it cheaper then building their own military large enough to counter the Russian and China. It also keeps them out of the political quicksand of developing their own nuclear weapons.

The Japanese are not occupied by any stretch of the imagination - US forces are not only wanted but considered necessary, both for strategic and domestic reasons. There is no significant movement in Japan to kick America out. The issues in Okinawa have a lot to do with domestic Japanese civil issues as native Okinawans chaff against institutionalized racism by the central government.

[harun]

23. "construction and wages for civilian workers being the big costs"

Puhlease, those costs may be the big costs for them but not for us. The cost for us in training, logistics, supplies, transportation for those bases is not worth it anymore. If it is so cheap let Lockheed Martin pay to keep it open.

[OwnedByFerrets]

4. I have asked this for so very very long...

There can be only one reason for all the bases....the proliferation of the military industrial complex.

[AP]

5. The other explanation is that the US now needs to use the threat of force to achieve interests

that used to be compelling to people and countries around the world than the alternatives.

In WW1 the west got it's way because it had a better system (democracy was better than monarchy). In WW2 the west got it's way because it had a better system (democracy was better than fascism). Now, what's the US offering? I think the thing it's offering is so unappealing that only the threat of force (or force) can achieve it.

[Vilis Veritas]

7. The bases are there to protect Corporate interest...

Is the U.S. becoming the World Police?

[orangerevolution]

10. That question has been asked

for as many years as i can remember.

[OwnedByFerrets]

12. Becoming?? I think that mantle was taken on

by the US long ago. :puke:

[Echo In Light]

13. Yep

[Vilis Veritas]

18. Sorry, I should have stated that it was a rhetorical question.

The U.S. has always protected corporate interest, ever since Personhood was granted...

Corporations = protected persons, We the People = fodder <-- nothing will change until this simple fact changes...IMO

Peace.

[Echo In Light]

19. "Persons" {private tyrannies} required by law to abide shareholders OVER the public trust

[Hugabear]

9. Meanwhile, no foreign bases in the United States

I remember sometime during the 90s, when Germany wanted to lease a stretch of land in the middle of the Arizona desert, so they could build an air force base for training. The very idea of a foreign military operating a base inside the US caused such an outcry that it never happened.

What a fucking double standard. I wonder how many local jobs that base would have created?

[orangerevolution]

15. Foreign Base in the US

furthers the military industrial complex! How is that a good thing?

[Hugabear]

17. It's just another example of our hypocrisy

The US has always held itself above the rest of the world, continually applying a double standard. US military bases in other countries is considered a good thing, and we often point out that our presence in those countries is a great boon to the local economies. Yet when other countries - even our own ALLIES - want to establish a military base in our country, we resort to our typical xenophobia and conspiracy theories, come up with all sorts of reasons why we can't trust our own allies, and how it would be a bad thing.

[Zywiec]

20. There is a German base in Texas and Virginia

I go to the Virginia's beer night during Oktoberfest every year.

I'm sure there are others out there as well.

[KharmaTrain]

11. The Military-Industrial Complex

Perpetual war and strife is good business for the U.S. The defense industry cranks out billions in weapons each year and the more wars and "security concerns" the better. A prime agent for creating the instability and then providing the weapons has been the American military. When the boogie man of the cold war ended, a new one was found...Ivan became Osama as defense companies couldn't make the transition from swords to plough-shares...so why not just create more wars. Not only do you get to find out which high-tech, high-cost toys work, but you use up the inventory and more are needed to be made.

Almost every empire has always been based on the economic interests of the power elite...the military serves as its police force or enforcers. Our culture has been isolated into a myopic view of the world where a superiority complex reigns over reality...America right or wrong. All news is skewed as "what does it mean to us" and thus condones American interference in every country's affairs and "showing the flag" around the world as a symbol of that superiority.

Maybe this disaster in Iraq will do the job Vietnam didn't...expose the war profiteering and how its worked against the best interests of the American people.

[Echo In Light]

14. That, coupled w/PNAC, makes 9/11 all the more convenient to keep War Pigs in $

[area51]

16. This govt. has to spend the money somewhere ...

... otherwise, we'd have it available to transition into single-payer healthcare like the civilized countries have.