Here we begin discussion with a link or a direct reference to a story in the news.
Review of of the existing threads for format.
Take a moment and check out the Read and Heed and the TOS of this site. It's a good idea to introduce your military affiliation for the benefit of the more experienced members to get thing going.
Thanks.
"There are those who believe there are two types of people in the world: Those who believe there are two types of people; and those who don't." John Mahoney...
But the damn Russians are threatening to assemble on the border again.
quote:
Originally posted by ldruley: I think it is time to leave Europe. They need to stand on their own. Also, Korea! We have the power to react if there is a need. CSM Ruley
I agree with Ruley 100 percent, and I'll add some zing. I would like to see the US withdraw from NATO and the UN. We have held up the Europeans for far too long. They can defend themselves, Russian resurgence or no Russian resurgence. I am more a believer now in bilateral relationships. We do need air bases, but in eastern Europe, not western. We do need the Landstuhl hospital, and base rights in England, but all that can be bilateral. Most of all, I want out of the Balkans. That's a Eropean problem, not ours. All this applies to the ROK as well. They can take care of themselves. They are one tough bunch. We can provide a nuclear umbrella to them and Japan, as we do now.
I agree to some extent with Idruley. I think we really need to take a close look at making some serious reductions in Europe. I sure the French would love to see us withdraw from NATO. I wouldn't give them that benefit. I do think the US should review its commitment with NATO especially if it finds that NATO is not pulling its weight. The Europeans have been promoting their economic plans at our expense (while we protect them). Our currency is in the dump so whey should we continue to squeeze the taxpayer so our troop can continue to support the EU's economic structure? It doesn't make any sense.
We already know that the UN is incapable of doing anything but making sure the US pays 3/4 of the UN membership bill. No that is ridiculous. How about this idea--have the UN relocate to Europe? Maybe we can have the other members pay a little more for membership. Of course that would never happen, because we want to have control of that organization as well.
I think the Korea situation is a tough cookie to crack. I think Vietnam's history is dedicating what we're doing in Korea.
It makes economic sense to slow the movement of troops out of Europe. For that reason only, I think we should leave them until it no longer does so. It is indeed time other NATO members who have been allowed to focus on economic development for 60 years while we bore the brunt of their defense to step up and increase the percentage of the their GNP invested in their military. This has been slowly happening but as they realize we are no longer capable of defending the free world without more help, they will step up.
We cannot cut our ties to long time allies despite our current differences. We have to instead build on the basic philosophies we agree on and rebuild our relationships as equals rather than as the all knowing senior partner we have been in the past. We must also recognize that all nations act in their own conceived best interests and these do not always align with our own. Those differences do not make other nations any less an ally.
The U.N. is a different story entirely since it has evolved into nothing more than an inept, toothlessly corrupt forum from which to take money from the U.S. and allow every tin-pot dictator to repay our generosity with insult, accusation and vitriol.
