 |
|
flash9286
|
|
Why does America keep troops in Europe it cost billions. Let the Europeans pay for their own defense and stop leaching off America.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Dr Strangelove
|
|
Europe's a nice staging ground for you-know-what.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
flash9286
|
|
im not there im here.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Andrew1999
|
|
The troops are needed to protect Europe from the Red Hordes--they're down but not out. Haven't you seen the Simpsons episode where the USSR returns? Tanks come out of hiding places in Moscow, the Berlin Wall pops out of the ground, and Lenin busts out of his glass coffin and starts wandering around. We must stay and protect Europe from this sneak attack.
"Must...crush...capitalism!"
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Ogie Oglethorpe
|
 |
Marietta, GA
Dec 1999
time: 05:23
|
|
Read Kissinger's "Does America Need a New Foreign Policy?"
America needs to engage itself in meaningful ways with Europe. Europe is becoming increasing estranged from the US. Partially from US arrogance, partially of their own failings, partially because our interests should but don't coincide.
As Europe starts to pull itself into a meaningful union, the US wants to make sure it has some voice in how it shapes itself. Partially from purely selfish reasons but also because it serves both our interests. NATO is the last bastion of influence the US has in Europe. The US is precluded from entering into the inner chambers of the EU and wishes to have its voice heard rather than being dictated to. We would prefer to have a friendly amicable atmosphere that allows us the opportunity to air our differences before the EU holds court, being that we have no such opportunity it is in our interests to have some form of presence there. (And to you Euro's I'm not talking that the US would threaten military action)
This all stems from a change in Cold war thinking to present day. The US always was involved in policy decisions and had a de-facto member status of the Euro countries during the cold war era. It could attempt to woo favor one by one and influence the decisions of the Euro continent. If one country was relcutant the US would influence another and another etc. With the current EU set up the US has only one shot at influencing the Europeans.
Just as the EU has complained mightily that the US acts unilaterally, if the US is to be held to these standards, the US demands quid pro quo.
Last edited by Ogie Oglethorpe on 27-11-2002 at 23:30
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Lord Merciless
|
|
US military presence is about a fourth of what was during the height of the Cold War. It's really the local businesses who begged us to stay because our troops are providing them with a regular source of income.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
GePap
|
 |
of the Big Apple
Nov 2001
time: 23:23
|
|
The Euroipeans do have the forces to portect themselves: after all, Germany, france, Britian, and italy all have armies of 250,000 men plus. Who's going to invade them? The Martians?
As has been said, the US keeps troops in Europe to stay relevant in Europe, as was said before.
Our complaint is that the Europeans don't spend enough on new methods of force projection. After all, the germans may have a big army, but it would have to drive to the ME if it had to, and that's sort of a difficult task. At the same time, the EU isn't very interested currently in having the ability to send troops anywhere in the world and have long raneg strike capabilities. I guess they got sick of Empire already, though one can hardly blame them.
|
|
| |
All times are GMT. The time now is 05:23.
Apolyton Time is 00:23. |
top of page
|
| archivepost |
|
Forum Rules:
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
|
HTML code is ON
vB code is ON
Smilies are ON
[IMG] code is ON
|
|
|
|
|
|
27-11-2002 22:05
|