737 U.S. military bases = global empire

why the hell are US troops in Mexico?

I was saying the same thing jade!

And that list just includes the installations the military is willing to let you know of.

Manifest Destiny

Disturbing... The amount of disregard for foreign nations as evident by the scattered military presence, and the exploitation of resources, and support for oppressive governments puts the US in a similar category as Imperial Britain... Once people start realizing the truth about US foreign policy EVERYWHERE, there will be major problems for the US...

If America were an episode of the Sopranos, our troops would be one of Tony's boys. That is the Empire that we are not dealing with.

The American Empire is now "take what you want, and take it all!"

American Democracy used to be "you get what you need."

@ ivxx// Sorry about that. I found a better version of the map and replaced it so B.C. is back. :-) The link is posted just below the picture.

@ jade_azul16// No kidding! I think the same can be said for most of these places. South Africa? We are still in Europe and Japan! Many of these installations are remnants of the Cold War. And, of course, many still exist for the reasons jubal points out. It's good to see Smedley Butler's story rising to the surface on Current. I think that Chalmers Johnson's work is just as powerful and even a bit more relevant in these times.

The sad thing is that while these bases are costing us a fortune to maintain we are simultaneously ruining our international reputation. The latter may certainly prove to be the higher price. What kind of message does this send to the rest of the world?

As long as Americans actually elect a decent president I don’t see the problem with America having a lot of military bases. You do realize a lot of people hate Americans right?

Ricky84, of course I realize that many people hate Americans. My question to you is what do you think they hate us for?

Don't tell me you are surprised to see this map! Why do you think most of the world dislikes us?

People don’t hate Americans because we have military bases all over the world. They hate Americans because we are arrogant, stupid and uncivilized. They hate us because we rely on third world labor for our goods while we uphold the idea that this is god’s country and somehow divine in whatever it does. They hate us because of terms like “manifest destiny.” They hate us because we are the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between. (That’s an Oscar Wilde quote btw) They hate us because “American Idol,” Hollywood, our tv, our literature and our poor eating habits.

Americans are hatred for a lot of reasons but I’m sorry you are going convince me that Americans are hated just because we have bases all over the world. Military bases are not put in place so we can simply harass people. In most cases they’re present to help aid likeminded governments and their interests. We have equipment and skills other countries just don’t have and we’re allowed to station ourselves throughout the world because we are willing to share those advantages.

The real problem is that every once and awhile some douche comes around and uses our military for the wrong reasons. Even when that does happen there is still a lot of good things our military does for the world at large. Its not like everyone in the military stopped what it was doing to go to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ricky84, I assure you that countries dislike us a lot more for intervening in their affairs than for some fat American sitting on a couch watching "American Idol."

The tip of this imperialistic iceburg includes: Iran (1953), Guatemala (1954), Cuba (1959 to present), Congo (1960), Brazil (1964), Indonesia (1965), Vietnam (1961-73), Laos (1961-73), Cambodia (1961-73), Greece (1967-74), Chile (1973), Afghanistan (1979 to present), El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua (1980's) and Iraq (1991 to present).

Consider also the absurd amount of rape and sexual assault cases involving U.S. servicemen in places like Okinawa. In his book "Blowback" (pg. 41) Chalmer's Johnson cites a report from the conservative Japanese newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun: "Bookings at the Okinawan Prefectural Police Headquarters [showed that] U.S. servicemen were implicated in 4,716 crimes between 1972 and 1995--just under a crime a day throughout the period under [Lt. Gen. Richard] Myers's command. General Myers had previously maintained that a case in which two Marines bound, gagged, raped and beat a 12 year old Okinawan girl was an "isolated incident."

If a country invites us to help with infrastructure, guidance in setting up schools and other social programs etc. that's one thing. Trying to spread democracy (read guard U.S. interests) at the barrel of a gun is another. Our country was never meant to police the world. And even when we engage in legitimate police business such as capturing our "most wanted dead or alive" fugitive we fail at that. Perhaps it's time to take a lesson from our British cousins and graciously surrender our empire in order to save our democracy.

"Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none." ~Thomas Jefferson

Someone needs to tell the military we're not playing Risk.

The CIA led the operation to overthrow Mohammed Mossadeq not the US military. Again the 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état was done by the CIA and not the US military. Once again our involvement with Cuba with special note to the year 1959 involved the CIA and not the US military. The Congo 1960, CIA job. Brazil 1964, CIA job. The US military and the CIA are not the same organization.


I’d like to keep going on and on but I have to go to sleep. I promise I’ll get back to this tomorrow.

A global empire with 255 000 troops? Don't make me laugh. There are 6 billion people. As Iraq has proven it the US is a paper tiger or rather an egg eating snake.

Ricky84, I wholeheartedly agree with you. The CIA and the US military are separate organizations. And, with all due respect, I do not need a history lesson on CIA covert operations.

I would invite you to try and explain the distinction between the CIA and the U.S. military to the countless citizens of other nations who have suffered as a result of the CIA's clandestine operations in their countries. Do you honesty believe that they differentiate between two organizations that are both part of the U.S. government? Quite a few of these countries eventually experienced and continue to experience U.S. military occupation as well (and we still have sanctions on others).

In reference to one of your earlier posts about our military not being stationed in places to harass but to provide aid or certain advantages: Japan is home to the world's third largest economy. We are currently paying to maintain 38 bases in Okinawa. This is in spite of the fact that "85 percent of Okinawans oppose the presence of the U.S. military." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okinawa#cite_note-OkinawaT...

I love things like this about America, just seeing this make me tingle, in a good way.

dmass5, :-) Gotta love that freedom of speech! Here's to keeping it alive and well!

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." ~Voltaire

stardate, six billion people...without guns

nor the skills to use them

And so many Americans still ask "why do they hate us?"....

Perhaps it's time to take a lesson from our British cousins and graciously surrender our empire in order to save our democracy.


Here here!!!!!

History repeats it self. The Roman empire created a conditional fear towards it's citizens so they don't try to rebel.

Who killed Jesus and keeps him on visual display to create fear and a reminder of the power.

Why did we invade IRAQ?
To have 8 powerful superbases to launch at any global war.

Iraq has become our military base for any full course war.

Control and no messing around with the U.S.A.

Jade,

"stardate, six billion people...without guns

nor the skills to use them"

Not exactly. Basij has 12 members about 1 million combat ready, PLA has 7 million members, KPA 6 million members etc.
7 countries have more troops (military and paramilitary included) than the US and if you count all members of some kind of militant organization the US military alone looks like a dwarf.


But even if it was true 255 000 or even 500 000 troops couldn't possibly rule even most of the world let alone the whole stuff.

For an empire you need to FORCE the masses to
follow your orders. The US military cannot even control the countries they invaded let alone the countries beyond those relatively small areas.

There seems to be something wrong with that map. There are no US troops in Russia, to my knowledge. Of course, every American Embassy in the world has its small contingent of Marines, but I don't think that counts as having troops in a country, and I'm not sure that the US Embassy in Moscow has Marines guarding it.

its almost time for the NWO to take over

@ricky84

"They hate us because “American Idol,” "

While I agree with what you're saying, the show originated in Britain ;-] .

this is a naive and flippant remark....but i think the best way to serve the united states interests would be to bring every one of the 2,500,000 troops home...have them patrol our borders, work with the police forces and government facilities here to keep out unwanted elements.....and i mean the so called terrorists....let all the other countries sort out there own problems...really if we were to concentrate on building an infrastructure and bring industries back to america we would not continue to descend into a third world nation

a mistake obviously, there is not any us millitary in china. american's aggression in iraq is for their oil, and that's all.

Vierotchka, in addition to Moscow the U.S. has a presence in St. Petersburg, Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow "has troops from the Army, Navy, and/or Air Force, and at least 6 Marines." I'm not sure about the other sites. According to the Department of Defense Russia in 2004 had a total of 81 active duty U.S. military personnel. 27 Army, 3 Navy, 40 Marines and 11 Air Force. The following links provide more information on embassies and consulates:

Embassy and consulate information
http://www.usembassy.gov/
Active duty military personnel by regional area and country
http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/MILITARY/history/...
More info on military industrial complex and commentary
http://www.lewrockwell.com/vance/vance20.html

WTF!?
We have a base in Pakistan!! Why in the world haven't we caught Osama.

@ peacezone, as of 2004, China (including Hong Kong) had a total of 62 active duty U.S. military personnel. 9 Army, 14 Navy, 32 Marine Corps and 7 Air Force.

Department of Defense
Active Duty Military Personnel Strengths by Regional Area and by Country (309A)
http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/MILITARY/history/...

The height of the Roman and British Empires was 37/36 military bases? I can almost smell the end of the United States oil empire. The signs are clear, with the oil running out, our desperation stinks.

around 1 percent?

LOL

the nuclear club rules the world

end of story

No bases in Mongolia?

They might break down out Great Wall!