What you are saying may or may not be correct, but currently, for all the shit we are in, it does serve that purpose and many others. I'm predicating my statement on things that are happening RIGHT NOW.

Agree with the wars(god knows i don't) or agree with them. That base still serves several MAJOR functions to current ops.

I would also disagree with your point that the sole purpose of these bases is offense when they can just as, or more than, be useful for defense. This specific base does make a great staging point.

Also there are very specific and real reasons we are not in syria right now. Strategy has a lot to do with it and while neither of us happen to agree with it, there is a reason.

What's happening "right now" is all based on us fighting un-declared wars against nations that did not invade us.

And if you think the bases are for "defense", then I again say: Defense against what exactly? Small groups of camel jockeys on suicide missions? We don't need trillions of dollars of military to combat that. It's not the 1950's and they aren't the Soviets with tens of thousands of nuclear warheads aimed at our country.

And yes... it does make a great "staging point". But my thoughts are...we have to stop NEEDING "staging points" to attack other countries. We spend more on our military than the rest of the world combined.

How many times over do we need to be able to blow up the entire planet to protect ourselves from "terrorists"?

And what are we going to do when China won't loan us any more money and our govt. goes completely bankrupt? Are we even gonna be able to afford to fly our troops back home? lol
I know that last sentence sounds facetious..but we are seriously in debt. And we have no moral or legal right to be in other countries with our military.

You know I love you, but I think you are being naive if you don't see the global advantage this gives to us IN CASE OF some sort of world or even regional shitstorm. i'm very ani military and i'm very anti-intervention. To deny these bases serve any sort of purpose is either naive or intentionally obtuse.

Arguing about why we are there and why we were there and why will continue to be there is fine, but the fact is that we are where we are.

onwebcam, damn good to see you back! :thumbsup

Every time you post, I swear I learn something new.

I hadn't even noticed that nutjob was back till you pointed it out. Thank you.

Because we did not sign an unconditional surrender agreement after they beat us in a war?

Back with my "loony" facts. Thought I'd make an appearance for the Ron Paul victory celebration. :pimp

I hope you and your delusions have fun with that.

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

So let me ask you this since I"m so "naive"

WHEN are we EVER going to pull out of Germany? It didn't happen in the veterans of WW2's entire lifetimes.

Do you think (assuming that we can afford to stay there) that we will EVER leave? In our lifetime? Our children's lifetimes? Our grandchildren's lifetimes?

My mom was born in 1945, I was born in 1961...and we are in Germany still. No end in site.

And how much use did that base in Germany really do us recently anyway?

We were an isolationist country pre-WW2. And yet we mobilized our country, went to war and WON a freakin' WORLD WAR in just a few years.

We've now been in little, no-military at all Afghanistan for 10 years and still can't "win".
WTF?

Well, it's because this isn't a "war" and we don't need a military presence there to "win". Matter of fact, it makes things worse for us everyday and creates new terrorists as the kids there grow up to be young adults and hate our guts for taking over their country.

I'm not "naive". I just don't think that there is any threat on the face of the Earth that currently faces our military in any way, shape, or form.

To listen to the current saber rattling about Iran and how much of a "threat" they will be with a nuclear bomb is a joke.

We faced down the Soviet Union...who really DID have ICBM's with nuclear warheads that could have blown our country to hell.

THAT required a big ass military.

A big army is of no use against a handful of crazy fucks. NOTHING can stop that. And just like when we FINALLY got Bin Laden...it will require a small elite team to take them out.

And for that...we don't need giant military bases in countries all over the world.

That's my opinion. And like I said earlier...soon the point will be moot because our country simply cannot sustain this kind of spending.

The military being in Germany does nothing but pump up THEIR local economy, while draining our country of resources and money.

Corporate puppet? Wow, those corporations must have seen 2008/2012 coming decades ago.. serious?