Question of justification of US military bases around the world?

[galtgulch]

I know that Ron Paul has indicated that if elected president he would redeploy troops from Iraq and would bring troops home from Germany, Korea and Japan and elsewhere. I wondered just how many troops the US has overseas and how many bases there are in just how many countries.

I googled and found an article which appeared in 2004 in a SF newspaper. It is probably not up to date. Instead of getting the latest data I just thought I would put the link here. Evidently after 9/11 the US expanded its bases and presence around the world and there was justification expressed for the policy.

I just wondered if the official justification is valid given the threats in the real world.

I wondered what would happen if all these troops were removed from bases beyond our shores.

Is it folly to withdraw our troops and to not be present in all the places where the US evidently considers our presence is crucial?

Here is the link:

http://tinyurl.com/yd7ugy

Considering that Ron Paul is not yet thought to have much chance of gaining the nomination of the Republican party this question and discussion is surely moot. I did attend a Ron Paul rally and speech in Nashua NH yesterday and the hall was filled with enthusiastic supporters and canvassers for him. I expect that awareness of him will increase. There are websites featuring links to Ron Paul videos of interviews and speeches such as whoisronpaul.name where anyone can hear Ron Paul for themselves.

So there is the proverbial outside chance, which may mean no chance at all, that Ron Paul will be the next president. If by some hard work and convincing of the electorate he does get in this discussion will no longer be moot!

The troops would be brought home from at least 153 countries which would cut the military budget once the cost of closing all those bases is spent. Ron Paul thinks that doing so will decrease the risks to our country. Ron Paul also thinks that if we do not do so, the costs of the growing Federal budget will bankrupt this country.

Have fun figuring this one out.

galt

[Brant Gaede]

How many countries are US troops in if we factor out Marine embassy guards?

--Brant

[Chris Grieb]

Brant; Excellent point. I assume that the Marines are in every country we have a full embassy. Can anyone enlighten me?

I was wondering if we could say more than a certain number might be a better criterion for judging our involvement around the world.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

I don't know where to put the following link, so here seems like as good a place as any. I have a lot of differences with Joe Rowlands of RoR, but he just made an excellent post on foreign policy: Post 141.

It is refreshing to read something in the Objectivist world about foreign policy where oversimplification is not only not a value, it is rejected. This was like a breath of fresh air. I don't expect to have too many moments like this, but in this case, Rowlands did one hell of a good analysis.

Michael