U.S Military Imperialism?

Here are the list of U.S Military Forces base all around the world (excluding U.S territory):

U.S Army Posts:
1) Belgium
2) Bosnia-Hercegovina
3) Bulgaria
4) Germany
5) Italy
6) Japan
7) Kuwait
8) Macedonia

U.S Air Force Bases:
1) Japan
2) Spain

U.S Navy Bases:
1) Japan
2) Kuwait
3) South Korea
4) Spain
5) Bahrain
6) British Indian Ocean Territory
7) Egypt
8) Cuba
9) Greece
10) Iceland
11) Italy
12) Oman
13) Qatar
14) Saudi Arabia
15) Singapore
16) United Arab Emirates
17) United Kingdom

U.S Marine Corp Posts:
1) Japan

Source

My point here is what the hell are the U.S Military doing with such a high number of Military installations worldwide?

Well, it seems some of the Asian counterparts are telling the U.S Military to butt off from their soil and it's not just a few countries but a coalition of them. Furthermore, I'm surprise that Japan has all the parts of the U.S Military just at their door step. Even the Marines are there .

Recently, because of this some Japanese have been protesting around the USMC Base in Okinawa and some tension between the U.S and Japan arises on the issue of the facility's relocation.

Is the strong American Military presence worldwide beneficial as in they can respond to any global threats or is it just another way of affirming their power as the "police" of humanity?

*shrugs* its alot less than it used to be and the level of forces are less than before as well. The US has bases in different areas for a variety of reasons. Strategic, result of treaty obligations, and the need to respond rapidly to a changing world. As evidenced by the first Gulf War it takes time to move heavy divisions from the US. If most of these countries want the US out there is little the US can do. Look at the Phillipines. Booted them out. Turns out it was a huge mistake as Mt. penatubo erupted and cover the base and the US would have still had to pay the lease. You pay your money you take your chances I guess.


[edit on 10/9/05 by FredT]

Wow! So many less than there used to be! Is the US becoming isolationist?

Really, most of those bases have been around for decades, the one in Cuba is closing in on a century. Perhaps a list of the dates of establishment for those bases would add a little perspective?

Originally posted by Montana
Really, most of those bases have been around for decades, the one in Cuba is closing in on a century. Perhaps a list of the dates of establishment for those bases would add a little perspective?

Excellent point. Also several of the posts are in support of NATO etc.

Sorry, I can't seem to find the dates of the installation commencement but if you expand one of the countries and see how many military camps there are in the country you'll be stunned.

For example: South Korea.

Camp Ames
Camp Bonifas
Camp Carroll
Camp Casey
Camp Castle
Camp Colbern
Camp Eagle
Camp Edwards
Camp Essayons
Camp Falling Water
Camp Garry Owen
Camp Giant
Camp Greaves
Camp Henry
Camp Hialeah
Camp Hovey
Camp Howze
Camp Humphreys
Camp Jackson
Camp Kwangsa Ri
Camp Kyle
Camp Liberty Bell
Camp Long
Camp Market
Camp Nimble
Camp Page
Camp Red Cloud
Camp Sears
Camp Stanley
Camp Stanton
Camp Walker
Camp Yongin
Chang San
Cheju Do Training Center
Dartboard Site
Far East Dist Engr
Freedom Bridge
Gimbols
H220 Heliport
High Point
K-16 Air Base
Kamaksan ASA
Koryosan ASA
Kunsan Pol Terminal Site
La Guardia
Madison Site
Masan Ammunition Depot
Mobile
Niblo Barracks
Pier #8
Pusan Storage Facility
Pyongtaek Cpx Area
Richmond
Shinbuk Relay
Sungnam Golf Course
Swiss and Swed Camp Mac HQ
Tango (U.S. Army)
Watkins Range
Yong Pyong
Yongsan Area

Woohoo. That is alot of installations to have in foreign soil. Maybe in this case it is to deter any future attacks from North Korea or to invade North Korea if they happen to produce any nukes as planned.

Originally posted by Heartagram

Recently, because of this some Japanese have been protesting around the USMC Base in Okinawa and some tension between the U.S and Japan arises on the issue of the facility's relocation.

there is a protest in japan around a US military base at least once a year....we give them money, they shut up, the next year it happens again to the same effect....same old same old.

if we actually threated to leave an area, the local governments (and not just in japan, we're talking around the world in MOST cases...as in the bases we've had for decades) go out of their way to try and keep us around. if they lose the base, they lose the local community's income. american bases are HUGE money makers for small towns all around the world.

Originally posted by snafu7700

if we actually threated to leave an area, the local governments (and not just in japan, we're talking around the world in MOST cases...as in the bases we've had for decades) go out of their way to try and keep us around. if they lose the base, they lose the local community's income. american bases are HUGE money makers for small towns all around the world.

That's my point here, the American government gives money and whatever to the host country for what particular reason? It seems to me they're bribing the hell out of those Japanese.

I mean why would you need such large American military presence when you know in this modern age of us, almost all nation is capable of defending themselves?

as posted by Heartagram
My point here is what the hell are the U.S Military doing with such a high number of Military installations worldwide?

and...

I mean why would you need such large American military presence when you know in this modern age of us, almost all nation is capable of defending themselves?

These question have been debated since the end of WWII.
The answers vary and cannot simply be answered in short.
Many are what are deemed as needed or vital forward positioning bases.
This is a concept rooted in and from the Cold War.
The key emphasis here is presence, and presence in relation to having bases on all seven continents. Imperialism has no play here, unless of course, one deems it necessary to coin such a mention.

Those that are in command positions [Pentagon, etc] today are Cold War Era, hence, the move to change Cold War philosophies and military ideology is slow in process.

Anyhow, the US is closing overseas bases down: 35% of the current bases will be closed in a matter of years. Others will be closed and moved to other countries.
These may be of interest in reading?
Options for Changing the Army's Overseas Basing
US Military Overseas Basing: Background and Oversight Issues for Congress
COMMENT: Commission rightly urges U.S. not to rush on overseas base closings


That Commission is the Overseas Basing Commission:
OBC







seekerof

It's pretty much Obvious what the USA are doing - keeping their SuperPower role and making it SURE that nobody else rises to that Level again, since the fall of the Soviet Union.

That's EXACTLY what the PNAC (Project for the New American Century) is saying - keep the role of Superpower at all cost and never allow any other country become a Superpower. And looking from this map, its pretty much obvious that the USA are controlling the Most of this Planet:



The USA practicly Control the entire Middle East (except for Iran, Syria and Jordan) - and LOOK there are not Military Instalations in Africa.

How Come?



Mod Edit: image size

[edit on 10-10-2005 by sanctum]

Uhm, if you look at that closely you will see with the exception of some of the mid-east and central and south america, these are just bases let over from ww2 or the cold war. I dont think its about stoping up and coming superpowers, hell if someone had the economy id say do it, maybe america can sit back and not take the constant barage of BS.

Im not aware of any US Naval bases in the UK, there are a few Air Bases that the US NAvy uses but to my knowlage there are no Naval bases for the exclusive use of the US navy.
Good harbour facilities that can cope with modern Warships arnt that common in the UK so i really dont think the MOD would just hand one over to the US when we could make use of it ourselves.

I see no one is commenting on the fact that almost every country (excpet Cuba) where the US Military has spent 20 years or more is now a growing, relatively stable, mostly free society, with most if not all of the technological and human rights benefits common to Western Civilization.

No US Troops in Africa as someone pointed out and the map shows. Look how well Africa is doing. No savagry or chaos there, huh? Everybody eating well?

Face it. Everywhere the US Military has stayed for any considerable length of time is BETTER OFF than if the US Military had never been there.

It's not Imperialism. We are just busy exporting the one commodity that we can produce better and faster than anyone else on the planet: Security.



[edit on 10-10-2005 by Ambient Sound]

Originally posted by Ambient Sound
No US Troops in Africa as someone pointed out and the map shows. Look how well Africa is doing. No savagry or chaos there, huh?

Geee - I wonder WHY exactly nobody wants to go there and "Save" those poor people from their Ruthless Dictators? I wonder WHY people of Iraq and Afganistan have that priviledge of the Noble US goverment "Saving" them, and they do not deserve such Faith.

Face it. Everywhere the US Military has stayed for any considerable length of time is BETTER OFF than if the US Military had never been there.

You mean like Iraq Today?

Or Afganistan?

Yes - VERY Secure indeed.

It's not Imperialism. We are just busy exporting the one commodity that we can produce better and faster than anyone else on the planet: Security.

You think you are exporting Security - in fact you are exporting Fa$cism.

Under the Cover-up of Democracy and Liberty speaches, you think people would be happy that they are "Saved" by you and your Armies. Well, think again.

You are exporting Lies and Corruption.

You are exporting Corporate takeovers.

You are increasing Poverty among the Third World States.

You are increasing the Abyss between the East and the West.

Thank YOU very much for such "Security" and for the "Secure" World that we live in Today!

Originally posted by Souljah

Face it. Everywhere the US Military has stayed for any considerable length of time is BETTER OFF than if the US Military had never been there.

You mean like Iraq Today?
Or Afganistan?
Yes - VERY Secure indeed.

The US hasn't spent 20 years or more there yet.

Ya know, I'm not saying it's right. I'm not saying it's fair. I'm not saying that I care if you are particularly happy about it. I'm just saying those are the facts.

Look at the lists of where the bases are. The most prosperous and enlightened countries on the planet are on that list (except China and Russia and I'm not sure I consider China to be very enlightened, although it certainly has become prosperous). The ones that aren't have likely enjoyed proximity (= semi-protection) to ones that are.

[...Africa...] Geee - I wonder WHY exactly nobody wants to go there and "Save" those poor people from their Ruthless Dictators?

Possibly because it appears that they don't stop fighting or [insert sexually descriptive verb ending in -ing] long enough to let anyone save them. We've all been sending them aid for as long as I've been alive. I can't see that it's done a bit of good other than to make us convenient to blame for their own short-sightedness and small-mindedness. What exactly might you be comfortable having the US do in Africa? My guess is nothing. I don't really think you give a crap about Africa except so far as you can use it as something to wag your finger at the US about.

I wonder WHY people of Iraq and Afganistan have that priviledge of the Noble US goverment "Saving" them, and they do not deserve such Faith.

Well, thats easy. They have oil. They are on either side of Iran, which made a consious, deliberate choice to declare itself the enemy of the United States. Again, I'm not saying it's right. Thats just the way it is.

Under the Cover-up of Democracy and Liberty speaches, you think people would be happy that they are "Saved" by you and your Armies. Well, think again.

You are exporting Lies and Corruption.

You are exporting Corporate takeovers.

You are increasing Poverty among the Third World States.

You are increasing the Abyss between the East and the West.

Thank YOU very much for such "Security" and for the "Secure" World that we live in Today!

Your vitriol is very apparent. You told me off. Ooooowwwww.

I am doing none of those things, and I support very little of what we are currently doing both within and outside our borders. If it was up to me, the US would close up for a few decades and get ourselves together. We'd find something to use besides oil or learn to do with much less. We'd tell Israel to either make some friends over there really quickly or evacuate their people to Montana. I'd as soon let the rest of you (Israel too for that matter) stew in your own petty turf conflicts and religious barbarism.

Tired of the old Eagle sitting in your tree, huh? Very well. We've just been crapping on your leaves. Dragons burn trees and Elephants often knock them down when enraged. Bears sharpen their claws on trees (as Afganistan should know). They will be up next if the Eagle flys away. It might be interesting to watch you try to peddle your fanatical Islam where some of those creatures come from. I doubt they'll treat you any better.

Originally posted by Ambient Sound
I see no one is commenting on the fact that almost every country (excpet Cuba) where the US Military has spent 20 years or more is now a growing, relatively stable, mostly free society, with most if not all of the technological and human rights benefits common to Western Civilization.

No US Troops in Africa as someone pointed out and the map shows. Look how well Africa is doing. No savagry or chaos there, huh? Everybody eating well?

Face it. Everywhere the US Military has stayed for any considerable length of time is BETTER OFF than if the US Military had never been there.

It's not Imperialism. We are just busy exporting the one commodity that we can produce better and faster than anyone else on the planet: Security.

There were US troops stationed in Haiti for decades and they are one of the poorest nations in the world, if not the poorest.

They also occupied the Phillipines for decades and they are not a wealthy country.

You can't point to the success of Western Europe and Japan and say it's because of the presence of US troops.
Those countries were already relatively wealthy before the troops arrived.

BTW, There are US troops in African countries operating under the Trans-Sahara Counter Terrorist Initiative / Pan Sahel Initiative (PSI). TSCTI

A U.S. Marine shares a cigarette with a Nigerien soldier during a training exercise September 22, 2004 in Samara, Niger. Through the Trans-Sahara Counter Terrorist Initiative (TSCTI) previously known as the Pan-Sahel Initiative (PSI), U.S. Marines are training local forces in Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad to fight Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups who are thought to be based in the Sahara Desert. U.S. officials fear such group are using ungoverned areas with porous borders. The Niger military is being trained to locate and kill an enemy based on a coordinates provided by satellite. (Photo by Jacob Silberberg/Getty Images)

There are also troops operating in the Phillipines and many other countries.
Those maps and lists posted in this thread are incomplete.

oooo please, military imperialism??, we have troops sent to Korea because of the North Korean invasion, u think the U.S. military established bases because the U.S. military felt like putting a couple of thousand troops on a Peninsula., same thing as a response to troops in Europe and ME because of a response to aggression by hostile countries. or to deter enemies if they decided to have a rematch. without U.S. troops we may have been at WW5 by now.

Originally posted by AceOfBase

Originally posted by Ambient Sound
I see no one is commenting on the fact that almost every country (excpet Cuba) where the US Military has spent 20 years or more is now a growing, relatively stable, mostly free society, with most if not all of the technological and human rights benefits common to Western Civilization.

No US Troops in Africa as someone pointed out and the map shows. Look how well Africa is doing. No savagry or chaos there, huh? Everybody eating well?

Face it. Everywhere the US Military has stayed for any considerable length of time is BETTER OFF than if the US Military had never been there.

It's not Imperialism. We are just busy exporting the one commodity that we can produce better and faster than anyone else on the planet: Security.

There were US troops stationed in Haiti for decades and they are one of the poorest nations in the world, if not the poorest.

They also occupied the Phillipines for decades and they are not a wealthy country.

You can't point to the success of Western Europe and Japan and say it's because of the presence of US troops.
Those countries were already relatively wealthy before the troops arrived.

BTW, There are US troops in African countries operating under the Trans-Sahara Counter Terrorist Initiative / Pan Sahel Initiative (PSI). TSCTI

A U.S. Marine shares a cigarette with a Nigerien soldier during a training exercise September 22, 2004 in Samara, Niger. Through the Trans-Sahara Counter Terrorist Initiative (TSCTI) previously known as the Pan-Sahel Initiative (PSI), U.S. Marines are training local forces in Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad to fight Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups who are thought to be based in the Sahara Desert. U.S. officials fear such group are using ungoverned areas with porous borders. The Niger military is being trained to locate and kill an enemy based on a coordinates provided by satellite. (Photo by Jacob Silberberg/Getty Images)

There are also troops operating in the Phillipines and many other countries.
Those maps and lists posted in this thread are incomplete.

you need to review your facts a bit....any good history book should do it for ya.

phillipines....they were doing fine until they kicked us completely out in the 90s, at which point their economy went to hell and civil unrest started.

western europe....yes, they were pretty wealthy...until nazi germany pillaged and plundered, hence the original reason we ended up there...to save their butts. it was pretty much in ruin at the end of WWII. we, with the help of our allies, pretty much rebuilt the entire continent.

japan....their entire way of life is thanks to us. they lost the war, and were in complete ruin. we started them on the ways of a democratic society (their constitution was modeled after ours...in fact, its rumored that mccarthur wrote it himself), and we did singlehandedly rebuild their country.

a couple of good sites to start from if you care to learn more about WWII history:

www.bbc.co.uk...

worldwar2history.info...

Originally posted by Ambient Sound
Look at the lists of where the bases are. The most prosperous and enlightened countries on the planet are on that list .

Yes - Afganistan and Iraq are VERY Prosperous.

The Citizens are so Glad and Happy that US Goverment saved them from the hands of Ruthless Dictators.

Possibly because it appears that they don't stop fighting or [insert sexually descriptive verb ending in -ing] long enough to let anyone save them. We've all been sending them aid for as long as I've been alive. I can't see that it's done a bit of good other than to make us convenient to blame for their own short-sightedness and small-mindedness. What exactly might you be comfortable having the US do in Africa? My guess is nothing. I don't really think you give a crap about Africa except so far as you can use it as something to wag your finger at the US about.

No - the problems is that the entire WEST does not give a CRAP about Africa. Or just about anybody on this Planet does not give a CRAP about Africa and their people (you included). IF they did, they would do something to change it and help the people that have been suffering for so long. But NO - they let them to die from Poverty, Famine, Diseases, Wars, you name it. Do you know how many Children die a day becaue of Malnutrition? I don't think you have ever asked yourself that Question anyway. Do you know the Definition of the word AID?

I am doing none of those things, and I support very little of what we are currently doing both within and outside our borders. If it was up to me, the US would close up for a few decades and get ourselves together. We'd find something to use besides oil or learn to do with much less. We'd tell Israel to either make some friends over there really quickly or evacuate their people to Montana. I'd as soon let the rest of you (Israel too for that matter) stew in your own petty turf conflicts and religious barbarism.

But I guess that does not along with the Plans of PNAC and their Dream to Rule the World and to be the one and only Superpower. Well to be a Superpower, you have to use Military Force to Subdue and to Invade and Occupy other Countries in order to maintain your Military Supremacy. Empire needs Wars to remain Strong.

And why am I labelled as "Fanatical Islamist" if I am AGAINST what your "presidents" goverment and what it stands for and what it is doing to this world? Ey? Is it one of those "You're either with US, or you're with the Terrorists" speeches?



And you say you are against what "You" are currently doing within and outside borders.

Pppphhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Yea Right.

Originally posted by Souljah

Originally posted by Ambient Sound
Look at the lists of where the bases are. The most prosperous and enlightened countries on the planet are on that list .

Yes - Afganistan and Iraq are VERY Prosperous.

The Citizens are so Glad and Happy that US Goverment saved them from the hands of Ruthless Dictators.

hmmm i wonder how long it took Germany and Japan to recover from all that devastation. makes u wonder. wats our intentions in Afghanistan and Iraq again? overthrow the Taliban and Baath regime and to help the people to self government and prosper.


[edit on 10-10-2005 by sanctum]

Germanies and Japan's remarkable success is due only indirectly because of the United States, Because the US had troops on theior soil Germany and Japan never had to build their war machines up to what they were before and could instead invest billions of dollars into their economy.

But that is not the real reason, the real reason is that Japan and Germany are full of industrious and technically skilled peoples with a strong national level of determination to get the job done. In Japan its the "Bushido Spirit" in Germany its national enthusism of German pride.

Even before the second and first world wars Japan and Germany were exported all kinds of high quality products, such as Japanese cars and cameras and German cars, and binoculars.

Its impossible and completely ridiculas to think that just because you have a few thousand troops in some country it means they'll become an automatic commercial success.