AIBU to think overseas American and UK bases should close?

[Weemammy21]

AIBU for thinking now is the time for overseas American and UK bases to be closed? America has repeatedly abused their overseas bases to start wars with countries just to plunder and steal their natural resources, murder innocent civilians and kidnap and kill leaders of other countries. America is doing what is best for America and not helping the countries they start war with so should a serious discussion not be started about closing down all American and UK overseas bases that are used to hold and torture innocent civilians that they could not legally detain in America? Who voted for America to be the world's policeman with a lunatic running it and using his wars to fill his and his cronies coffers.

YANBU to want the US and UK bases closed. Many people do. Many people don't. It's been a debate going on for decades with good points on both sides. I support them closing, but also agree with those that there are greater priorities.

I personally am far more concerned about digital autonomy and other more daily life things than military autonomy. With the US threatening again to leave NATO, I think the UK should ally more with other NATO countries rather than the US, but we need to ally and that at times means military bases. I entirely support countries that want to disconnect from the US - or the UK - but militarily, I'd rather countries focused on allies than all countries trying to rearm in isolation. As others said, that only benefits those selling arms.

YABU to go on about 'who elected the US the world's policeman...' and not showing recognition that the reason those bases are there because the governments of those countries - including the UK when it comes to the US - have given some of their military and other infrastructure to manage to others for various very solid reasons particularly during the Cold War when most of those bases were established and those governments, elected or not, are the ones who decided whether to do so. There are benefits and risks in all of this to be considered. The UK has done this with the US not only with some military infrastructure, but also significant chunks of our digital infrastructure. That's the reason the UK is having to walk such a tight line right now with the US - our government has no digital autonomy separate from the US, there is no current public plan to build such autonomy unlike countries like Spain who've been able to be more bold against the US, and that is why we and some other countries are struggling with managing the situationship with the US. Even with what's going on, the Met Police have just agreed a significant contract to a US company to manage large parts of their digital infrastructure, meaning that structure is under US law and governments. That's a bigger concern for me than bases - even militarily, with concerns around growing cyberwarfare, having our digital infrastructure with the US is a high risk move.

I also think YABVU if your issue with US and UK bases is about Trump. Trump isn't the first the American president to be judge, jury, and executioner, he's just the latest and loudest. What he's done has been built up over decades by previous Presidents. Yes, he's done a lot of horrible things - and none of them are things that haven't been going on by the US and at times the UK for decades. Biden, Obama, W Bush, Clinton, H W Bush, Reagan and beyond - all of them have expanded the power of the US government and the US Presidency and perpetuated control, violence and death around the globe. The situation in Iran goes back to the US and UK getting involved in it back in the 50s and how our governments handled the situation back in the 70s. Trump is far more public about it than most presidents, but he hasn't changed the US playbook that much. Any decision on things like military bases need to look far beyond Trump's presidency.

Can you explain why Trump being the US president is a reason to close uk military bases?
Why are you lumping the uk in with the US when all your actual reasons are about America or things that the UK did 50-100+ years ago in Ireland

Im sure China and Russia would LOVE the US and UK bases to close.

@Hoardasurass My reference to UK and US bases is not just about issues that occurred as you claimed "50-100" years in Ireland but by the way there is still a lot of suffering occurring because of the lack of justice for what occurred on all sides. The people from the Chagos islands are still wanting their island back but the UK and US refuse to return it to its rightful citizens. I totally agree with the posters saying overseas countries have allowed bases to be on their lands but the US has used and abused this as a way to enrich themselves and make themselves more powerful to the detriment of them. NATO has relied on the US for far too long and need to strengthen their own militaries without the US and protect European countries otherwise the US will get stronger and more powerful and continue to plunder, steal and profiteer from poorer countries. Europe needs to wake up and increase their spending and with Trump loudly boasting about stealing Venezuela oil, selling it and keeping the profits and saying he wants to do the same in Iran hopefully he will be the catalyst for Europe to waken up and start shutting US bases down.

Yet again your post is all about the US and its bases how about you answer my question about the UK or do you nothing to back up your claims about UK bases

No its not, a large number of those bases have been used in the past as logistics points for humanitarian aid into disaster zones.

Ascention Island was a huge asset in the freeing of the Falkland Islands from the Argentian invasion, withouit Ascention Island then the job would have been far harder.

Many overseas UK bases provide medical facilities to locals.

The US bases in Japan are very likely the only thing stopping China from invading Taiwan and other SE Pacific democracies.

The bases in W Germany were the front-line in stopping USSR expansion, those bases have been wound down and now look at Ukraine.

UK milirary bases in Northern Ireland are not 'overseas' they are still within the U.K. of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The NI people themselves have the right to leave the UK and join with the RoI as part of the Good Friday agreement - Something Mr Trump may want to look at as this is an excellent example of the US actually stopping a war/conflict rather than the 7 Trumpton says he has stopped.

I have plenty to back up my suggestion that a serious discussion needs to be held on closing down all US and UK overseas bases. All any sane person needs to do is listen to what that raving lunatic says and does and they will know that their country's are not safe when an unstable American president is in charge and motivated by greed for himself and his cronies.

A large majority of US overseas bases have been used by the US to start wars, bomb smaller and poorer countries and steal their natural resources. Trump and possibly previous presidents are using their overseas bases to coerce and threaten the countries that they are based in with Spain being an example of Trump threatening them because they refused to allow the US to use the base in Spain for attacking Iran. The US is nothing more than a bully that uses their overseas bases to attack smaller countries and clearly afraid to go after more equal sized Russia or China. Trump is being blackmailed by Russia and only started the war with Venezuela and Iran to deflect the US voters about his and his wife's relationship with paedophile Epstein.

The US has a raving lunatic for a president. That's no reason to drag the UK into this.

And he won’t be there for that much longer.

I think you are incorrect. Loads of people don’t know the difference between UK and Britain. Ask the average person in the street and they think it is the same thing.

@DdraigGoch The UK has been an active supporter of illegal crimes committed by the US for far too long and with the US using UK overseas bases to hold and torture people they wouldn't get away with doing in their own country and now with Trump it's time for a real discussion to held about closing all US and UK overseas bases. The US wouldn't normally get away with torturing people within their own borders anyway but with this president and ICE 's actions recently who knows? I suggested a discussion was needed about the closure of all UK and US overseas bases because of this and the UK because of the Chagos islands just for an example. Iran, Iran, Venezuela and Afghanistan are not equal in any way to China or Russia and yet Trump/US are not starting wars with them because they would have a more equal fight. The US is a bully and Trump is only in power 1 year and he's already announcing that he will pardon himself and everyone that has worked at the White House. Says a lot for what's he done and what he's planning to do.

@DdraigGoch The money that the UK spends on overseas bases and supporting the US forever wars would in my opinion be better spent at home on the NHS, improving our own ships, military and ability to defend ourselves, protecting our own boarders from people smugglers. The UK is only a tiny country in comparison to the US and it's economy so the UK and the rest of Europe should let the US batter on with their forever wars and take better care of our own citizens, country and borders. Building more ships, improving infrastructure, steel industry and tear up the agreements made with the US about lowering the cost of UK made medicines being exported so as to look after ourselves first. Not America.

So not only do you have zero understanding of geo politics and mutual defence pacts but you also have zero understanding of global financial and want to start a trade war with America.

The Hooded Men is quite a famous case, and is documented in the ECHR. You are clearly being either deliberately obtuse or misinformed

@Hoardasurass What planet are you living on? It's Trump and his cronies that have already started a trade war with the rest of the world. As he's now claiming he can perform miracles and comparing himself to Jesus it is time for the lunatic to be locked up in a mental institution and for someone to throw away the key.

The only finances Trump and his administration is interested in is lining their own pockets which is why only 1 year in he is planning to pardon himself and everyone connected to the White House, has changed the name of the Kennedy Centre, set up a board of peace for Palestine which he is charging 1 million pounds to be a member and which has no benefit to the Palestinians.

UAE now think it's time to consider closing down American bases. At last. Hopefully this will start a ripple effect and America will learn they can't just bomb smaller weaker countries without consequences. American weapons have been used by Israel to destroy and occupy Lebanon with Israeli parliament talking with glee about copying Gaza in Lebanon.