Actually, yes, Rammstein is one of the bases that we hold by the surrender. You need not worry about the whole fighting enemies on their territory, the last time that failed to happen was the Civil War, and that was a special case. Did you actually have a point here, or did you just want to display your complete lack of knowledge of military history and modern logistics (hint: a CVBG with the USNS Comfort is all you need, anywhere in the world)

Yeah, the worst part is that out of the allied powers, the US is STILL the most trustworthy that still has a military force to occupy. The UK and Russia haven't even needed that flimsy excuse. So the short answer is until the troop obligations can be resolved, the US has to be the ones supplying them

The last 'good' president said it best:
"we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military–industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals so that security and liberty may prosper together."
Dwight D. Eisenhower January 17, 1961

Trusted? USA? Who invaded Iraq and killed 100,000+ civilians (supposedly) to get the WMDs?
Bush and Company knew there were no WMDs, but Saddam had to go regardless of the morality.
In some ways the demise of the soviets was the worst thing to happen to liberty because it removed the only thing that kept the US military (controlled by corporate interests) from doing unconscionable things, the acts of war criminals. The America I was raised to love for its morality and ethics has already been destroyed. Only people like us can restore it, and voting won't get it done.
No military power can be trusted. NONE!
No I don't support the idiot Dems either.

Well said. (Although technically they are just unconstitutional executive actions, not wars.)

That describes the real defense of America. Iraq and Afghanistan never should have occurred. The invasions were for economic reasons to support a dollar and corporate interest that doesn't warrant the loss of one life.
A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
The soviets learned from Afghanistan. When will those *#&%^!)@ idiots in the Dark Center study a little history and shake off the shackles of enslavement to banksters?

Miss Zito is a frequent guest on the John Batchelor Show on WABC radio, which is syndicated on several other stations across the country. I usually listen to the podcasts.

That one's tough to get past. We told Germany and Japan that they were bad children, no more military for you, we'll cover your military needs. Of the allied powers, the only one of military significance that can be trusted is the USA. Sad but true. It won't be solved with a magical wave of a pencil, it'd take at LEAST a decade to get the groundwork under control.

Good one. Sadly true.

When the USA is invaded, we can meet them with entitlements. I'm sure they'll see how nice we are and change their minds.

Wow, someone in the media who gets it. It is truly amazing that someone in journalism knows something about history and how it relates to the current situation. To bad Mr. Washington is not here now, he would surely put Mr. Obama in his place.

The "invaded" comment was meant as sarcasm. Yet, the possibility of invasion is not completely out of the question.,what with missiles, atomic powered navy and clever strategic planning. Not likely, but I wouldn't become smug about it. Remember Hannibal -- where there's a will....etc.

Well said. +1

Good point.

I agree... with one caveat: Strong thoughts before strong words...no "shooting from the hip" which has been the unfortunate case for the last few presidential administrations.

The fact is that our foreign policy sucks and it greatly influences the thinking of certain military "geniuses." As to military incursions, I agree they were stupid. No boots on the ground unless there is a direct threat to the USA, but also, a strong military to back up strong words.

If we dismantle the US Army, Navy and Air Force we will still have Homeland Security and possibly the IRS as armed forces. Of the members of those forces, which ones have taken an oath to defend the Constitution? Which have not?

I do not think it is possible to dismantle the Marines. My friend Mr. Harter passed away two years ago, but I am told by other Marines that death does not excuse, and Harter is still on duty.

Henry Kissinger said that our undoing would be that this nation has no consistent foreign policy. He was correct.
We are moving into a time in this country where we are reassessing our priorities.
Unfortunately, the politicians making the cuts will have to go through the process of change in a very clumsy manner because so few have any deeply held historical perspective nor philosophical view of life.
Funding a military for DEFENSE (not offense) is one of the few purchases that our tax money is supposed to be funneled into. Unfortunately, the military has become a sort of entitlement program for pencil-pushers and rule-obedient non-thinkers.

We engage in endless wars of attrition for NO rational national self interest. We take down dictators in nations that haven't the philosophical ability to self-govern and then wonder why the REAL enemy overtakes the situation where we left a leadership vacuum.

We trained the Taliban to fight off the Russian invasion ... and then when we invaded Afghanistan without a clear-cut strategy and with suicidal Rules-of-Engagement for our troops we scratch our collective heads with amazement that the Middle East is historically called: "The Graveyard of Empires".
I realize that our President is an anti-colonialist and that he views our military and the way that it is run as the problem with this nation. To a certain extent he is correct. The fact remains, however that George Washington was correct in stating that the best defense is a strong offense. Deterrents do work ... especially with the sort of enemies that we face today. However the type of defense that we need is changing and only the most analytical thought involved in the remake of the military will be acceptable and appropriate to maintain the future of our nation's defense.