holy military occupation....

[wakejumpin]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6a/US_military_bases_in_the_world_2007.PNG (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6a/US_military_bases_in_the_world_2007.PNG)

[0zzy]

I lived in Okinawa, Japan! Great place :]. Though I might have remembered some locals having marches against military bases on the island. They walked the whole island, about 20something miles across ahaha. But that was after a Marine raped a girl offbase. Marines tend to do dumb ass things back in Okinawa. :\

[Slugg]

Marines tend to do dumb ass things back in Okinawa. :\

They do dumb things everywhere, but God bless 'em!

[JosephTheLibertarian]

That's uncalled for. America is an empire... a different kind of empire. We need to shut all of these bases and bring the troops home.

[0zzy]

That's uncalled for. America is an empire... a different kind of empire. We need to shut all of these bases and bring the troops home.

I don't know I tended to like living in Japan :). And I know others loved living in Germany. My mom loved living in the UK. I think we need to take one step at a time and gtfo of places we obviously aren't supposed to be. aka middle east.

[JosephTheLibertarian]

I don't know I tended to like living in Japan :). And I know others loved living in Germany. My mom loved living in the UK. I think we need to take one step at a time and gtfo of places we obviously aren't supposed to be. aka middle east.

I think we should start in places where we're not liked. Okinawa, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, other middle eastern countries, some european countries... slow but steady, a full shut down in 24 hours may not come off well politically lol We'll be cutting spending, which is good. As we cut spending, we can cut taxes! ;)

[Slugg]

I think we should start in places where we're not liked.

Then how do we beat them up until they like us?

[0zzy]

I think we should start in places where we're not liked.

For the most part the Japanese (Germans, English, etc.) people don't care about the American bases. However, where I lived, Okinawa, it was verry tiny (also had one of the bloodiest and biggest battles in WW2). It's like, 8 by 25 miles or something. And there are a lot of military bases on there. For the most part I didn't hear people complain, but I do remember when Americans did shit like rape people would obviously get mad.

edit:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0XPQ/is_2001_July_23/ai_77236650

^

[JosephTheLibertarian]

For the most part the Japanese (Germans, English, etc.) people don't care about the American bases. However, where I lived, Okinawa, it was verry tiny (also had one of the bloodiest and biggest battles in WW2). It's like, 8 by 25 miles or something. And there are a lot of military bases on there. For the most part I didn't hear people complain, but I do remember when Americans did shit like rape people would obviously get mad.

edit:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0XPQ/is_2001_July_23/ai_77236650

^

That's the problem. I know that Americans disrespecting the women of the Philippines contributes to the anti-US sentiment there, they have an active communist rebel movement going on there.

I'm not really sure if it's more of a Congressional deal or not, but we should definitely close down as many as possible. I know I wouldn't want some foreign nation with bases on my land!

[CodeMonkey]

Gee I wonder why Iran would be nervous?

[0zzy]

That's the problem. I know that Americans disrespecting the women of the Philippines contributes to the anti-US sentiment there, they have an active communist rebel movement going on there.

I'm not really sure if it's more of a Congressional deal or not, but we should definitely close down as many as possible. I know I wouldn't want some foreign nation with bases on my land!

True, but it was all apart of the agreements back in WW2. We bomb Japan, we restore Japan in exchange for some land. There isn't any rebels in Japan, Germany, or the UK that I know of against American bases. Just that instance when 100 people protested.

And I think we'd lose a lot more money if we just got up and left. I lived at the base in Okinawa, that place was HUGE. Actually, I think it's the biggest air force base (at least in the pacific). There are so many houses, schools, etc. that you cant just leave behind. You know how much it'd be to destroy that all? Shiiit. And the local government couldn't pay for it, that's a hella lot of money.

Oh, and I remember that Japan and America had a shared base or two. So the Japanese government and American government are sorta tight.

[JosephTheLibertarian]

Gee I wonder why Iran would be nervous?

Yeah.. you gotta think.. why didn't the USSR launch nukes at us? For the same reason why no other nuclear power will, even if they don't like us. Still, if CONGRESS wanted to take out a country's nuclear capabilities, they could vote on it, I'm not a pacifist! Once they pass this, then the US president takes it and instructs the military to implement it, that's how it's supposed to work.

Ozzy,

Didn't see your post. How would we lose money?

[0zzy]

Yeah.. you gotta think.. why didn't the USSR launch nukes at us? For the same reason why no other nuclear power will, even if they don't like us. Still, if CONGRESS wanted to take out a country's nuclear capabilities, they could vote on it, I'm not a pacifist! Once they pass this, then the US president takes it and instructs the military to implement it, that's how it's supposed to work.

Ozzy,

Didn't see your post. How would we lose money?

Because I'd probably say we are still paying for some stuff there. if we left millions of people would have to somehow find a house in America at the same time. Millions upon millions of vehicles, equipment, etc would have to find somewhere to go in America. Places local to the bases would have an economic downturn because Americans were a huge chunk in the market. etc etc.

I could see some of the more pointless bases around the world to stop. But the bases I'm talking about have been in place since WW2 and have millions of residents and is basically it's own town. They also have large parts in military programs and act as hubs. Ramstein AFB is pretty big in Europe, Kadena AFB is pretty big in the pacific. etc etc.

But I don't really know fully what the bases do, never was too interested in that. Maybe I should do some research on it, or just ask my dad ;).

[Perry]

Dang. We still have half a world to go. LETS GET BUSY!:p

[Bradley in DC]

I don't know I tended to like living in Japan :). And I know others loved living in Germany. My mom loved living in the UK. I think we need to take one step at a time and gtfo of places we obviously aren't supposed to be. aka middle east.

That's an interesting standard on whether and where to station troops abroad, Ozzy! :p

[mdh]

What is the big purple island thing north of Norway?

[Perry]

Compare that map to this one.

http://wolf.readinglitho.co.uk/mainpages/oilworldmap.html

[Darren McFillintheBlank]

..

[Omnis]

What is the big purple island thing north of Norway?

That's part of Norway or owned by Norway. I forget the name.

edit: Oh, it's called Svalbard.