Reply #72: I googlled 'us military bases worldwide' and picked this link at

[Obamanaut]

random. I don't know it is left, right, or no wing. According to this there are 761 sites in 39 countries. Close them and let the host countries take care of their own national defense. Bring the troops home - might as will bring home the tanks and aircraft and so forth, that should take care of our own national defense nicely.

You may not have noticed, but bases in those 39 countries did not keep the World Trade Center standing, nor save the lives of the thousands who died there. Those 761 sites did not do squat for national defense.

Maintain a nice fleet of aircraft carriers and if need be, a carrier battle group can do a heap of damage to folks who do us harm. Unleash the hounds! This has not yet been done. Even the "shock and awe" was not all that awesome - troops are still there, aren't they?

If one desires to maintain hundreds of military sites, keep all the troops brought home on active duty if they so desire, and use the money presently being spent on overseas sites on similar sites in CONUS. Or, reopen some of the previously closed bases to house them and their equipment. Or, enlarge existing facilities. With any of these options, the money currently being funneled elsewhere (which didn't help the WTC) will be spent on local economies.


http://www.inteldaily.com/news/178/ARTICLE/8942/2008-12-09.html

<snip>According to the DoD Base Structure Report<1> the US Department of Defense remains one of the world’s largest “landlords” with a physical plant consisting of more than 545,714 facilities (buildings, structures and utilities) located on more than 5,429 sites on 29.8 million acres, valued at over $706 billion. (761 sites are located in 39 foreign countries, excluding Iraq, Afghanistan and many others). <more at link>