News out of the Pentagon indicates that the large-scale withdrawal from Germany has commenced. Five thousand U.S. soldiers are being pulled out at the behest of a stubborn president who resents criticism of his ill-advised conflict with Iran. (On the other hand, perhaps it wasn’t truly a war of choice, since his commander-in-chief, Bibi Netanyahu, seems to have left him no alternative.)
Nations besides Germany have also frustrated Trump, including Spain and Italy. In his own words: “Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible.” Denmark might also be mentioned for declining to cede Greenland. Expect additional U.S. troop withdrawals as acts of “punishment.”
And wouldn’t that be an excellent outcome! The U.S. empire, as my insightful spouse put it today, simply has its fingers in too many cookie jars. With over 750 foreign bases and numerous deployments abroad, one wonders about the true rationale behind them all. Perhaps during the Cold War’s peak, such a widespread network made strategic sense to counter Soviet influence, but since 1991, most of these installations have lost their strategic relevance. Like Topsy, they just kept expanding.
An unchecked U.S. empire fosters a military-industrial complex that is excessively funded and almost limitless in power. This situation is dangerous. This complex, intoxicated by resources and influence, almost guarantees future catastrophes.
Ironically, for America to build a more resilient and reasonable national defense, cutting back significantly on the imperial war budget is essential. Feeding this empire with more money and authority only leads to repeated failures on a massive scale.
Though I’m not fond of the phrase, sometimes less truly is more. Reducing military expenditures could result in greater safety both within the U.S. and globally.
My advice to world leaders: if U.S. military bases are stationed in your countries, please intentionally upset and antagonize Trump. That might be the most effective approach to shrinking the U.S. empire and bringing home the troops.
Original article: bracingviews.com
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