The US should apologize to Europe for still having military bases there 75 years after WWII.

"The only real purpose it (NATO) has is to keep much of Europe under the Washington yoke which means that in all likelihood it will outlive us all."

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This is biggest misconception Americans have about US army in Europe. There's about 55.000 American personel in Germany, in rest of Europe the number is much smaller. Do you guys really think that 60k people significantly influence German economy? German economy is 80 million people strong, your 60k personel is drop in a ocean when it comes to building up German economy. Only ones having benefits are towns/cities where US bases are located. And even in these towns, with the good old German ingenuity they got business running that is independent of the local base in their town. Its freaking Germany ffs, they will make money out of nothing given the urgency.

I would imagine in every town US base is located there is strong middle sized companies doing their thing. Sure some business would take a hit but nothing that would be felt on national level, only in the towns US bases are located. That is peanuts compared to whole German economy.

Reading comments like yours a person get a feeling whole Germany economy is reliant on US military presence. How haughty. All these towns would recover in two years. Lack of American soldiers spending money is the least of the problem and is not an issue at all.

I don't understand what you ment with reduced population as well if Amercians leave. 60k soldiers and families of personel will reduce population? Get real.

60k is a lot of people for the US to support. And a lot of paychecks. However, the real cost benefits to Europe is not having to pay for their own defense.

We understand the basics of it, the question is is it a good thing for those European countries to lose the ability and desire to protect themselves.

The US should apologize to the tax payers for having to fork over their hard earned cash to support the military industrial complex in Europe while complaining the we can't afford a wall.

Without the USA there would be no europe to put military bases in

They are an ungrateful bunch of folks. Never really thanked America and Americans for saving their butts more than once and they refuse to contribute to their own defense.

Read the thread. Would Europe prefer to be overrun by NAZIs or Soviets or muslims and africans? Seems like the Soviet controlled areas of eastern Europe are much happier these days than the western occupied Europe is. Poland, Czech Republic, etc, do not allow their countries to be overrun with "immigrants." And the Soviets left, unlike the Americans.

Neutering an entire continent by defending them for three entire generations cannot be good. They no longer know how to defend themselves.

Think about it. 75 years. Does that sound normal to you? Militarily occupy other countries for three quarters of a century.

Empire 101

I would sure hate to expose my ignorance as the op did with this post.

WE SAVED EUROPE! First we pounded Hilter into oblivion then we stood off the communist take over for 50 years.

GET an educated read a history book

US taxpayers never voted to have an "empire." That is from the ego maniac politicians and Generals.

Not only is it insulting to Europeans by implicating that they need endless babysitting, it has caused entire generations of Europeans to accept foreigners on their soil. Not good.

Yes, it is the politicians and military leadership that should "apologize," not the US citizens. The citizens have never voted for any of this.

Yes, it is the politicians and military leadership that should "apologize," not the US citizens. The citizens have never voted for any of this.

LOL they WANT the US there to help defend them against anything remotely like what happened in WW2 with more than one country taking them over and being military occupied

Not even close to the same thing.

The only people who were upset were Japan and Germany.

However both countries changed their tune when the marxist China and USSR took over or attempted takeover

Maybe so, but did the US taxpayers agree to babysit them FOREVER?

We are there to contain Germany. It was Germany that has been the aggressor for the past century.

If they unite with Russia in a rapprochment then Europe is screwed. So we are there to keep them sorted and in their own playgrounds. And to keep them as enemies of each other.

History shows that 75 years of German occupation is not nearly enough. Look what happened the last time we went home.
They have proven to need a very long term babysitter.

I would sure hate to expose my ignorance as the op did with this post.

WE SAVED EUROPE! First we pounded Hilter into oblivion then we stood off the communist take over for 50 years.

GET an educated read a history book

American industrialists built the railroads to Auschwitz and inspired Hitler, also gave him funding. As far as helping the allied effort goes you guys were last in and first out and have been the bane of the world ever since

How is the US "the first out" if we are still there 75 years later. And still in the UK as well. LOL.

Most of those nations have begged the US to stay there because it provides them with a defense capability they could not otherwise afford. Their economies have gained trillions of dollars in benefit by NOT having to build their own army, navy, air force, etc. Our being there provides them tremendous benefit and none of them have ever payed for it - not even the cost of doing this for them!

Apologize? Fuck no! We should send them a bill or begin to attach their assets if the bills are unpaid. The US could OWN Europe with what they owe us, plus interest for the last 75 years!

Think about it. 75 years. Does that sound normal to you? Militarily occupy other countries for three quarters of a century.