US military to close 15 bases in Europe

[tournique]

It's a great start ! Maybe US can pull even more troops from the field and put an end to all this external affairs pressure.

 

[xTinx]

Based on date collected last February 2014, the US military spent as much as $738.8 billion on defence alone, exceeding the allotted budget of more than $400 billion. They spent this much on defence but had to borrow from the likes of China to revive their economy. I don't get the logic. Shutting down 15 bases in Europe will save the government a lot of money.

 

[RobertNick]

I could smell something with this. Probably the reason why US closes some of its bases in Europe is because they are preparing for something more imminent that will need a boost in budget, so they would have to cut these bases and use the money being fund for those. What is it, we don't know yet. But sure, America didn't simply close those for nothing, not to mention that those bases signify ties to the countries where those are located.

Most likely, yes. I think they plan on expanding their naval fleet.

 

[goncalogdct]

I do agree this seems like a strategy change from the United States. They think they are better focusing that money on other places, which probably present more pressing matters than Europe.

Even though they are going over-budget by a lot, I think the US won't cut the budget by a lot, since they have always valued it so highly.
This kind of strategy has even become embed as part of what the US are, at least for me, and I don't think it will change in the future, at least not for a while.

 

[Kamarsun1]

This is completely normal. When Europe was seen as a potential zone of conflict, bases were created a bit all over the place. Now these bases are more or less obsolete since the idea of a large scale conflict inside Europe has subsided. If the US needs bases in Europe, they can just use their allies' bases.

That's true. Europe and the US don't have any major problems, at least not from what we can see. I'm not sure why their shifting attention to Asia. What conflicts are going on there, North Korea maybe?

 

[Gelsemium]

The Lages base in Portugal (Açores) was not closed, but it's reduction has a huge impact in the region and therefore it's not being seen with good eyes by the locals. I guess that the crisis is everywhere.

 

[tournique]

I'm wondering what's happening with the base from Romania. Will they close this one as well?

 

[Anonymous]

Now they are Targeting China, and North Korea, of course, they find out that Putin is ignoring their stupid sanctions, so they are now rushing to Asia, to take a look at the new most powerful army on the World emerging: the Chinese, I think they will have a bad time in Asia, because China is getting stronger and stronger every day and if they are planing to attack offshore, they are loosing their time, is well known that China has maritime and naval superiority, so US, sincerely don't waste your money on Asia, better use it to take care of your citizens, and maybe to pay all those veterans who are without nothing because of your stupid wars.